As with the TUNES page, I mixed nearly everything on this site, so examples abound. All have been “in the box” using digital audio workstations like Logic or Pro Tools, making a major sonic leap once I started employing UA plug-ins (detailed on the GEAR page) for more warmth and punch.
I’ve produced several vocalist demos over the years, which at this stage they may prefer go unshared. But here are some other projects that enlisted my ears instead of fingers.
BUCKET
One LP, two EPs, and a single, embedded in the playlist below and streaming here.
The Spider and the Butterfly (2024)
“City Trees (f/ The Brooklyn Nat1ve)” (2024)
Ugly Little Sculptures (2022)
We Have No Idea What We’re Doing (2021)
I wrote about mixing the duo’s first two EPs in this post. Their latest LP contains bonus “campfire” versions of each song as a live take of vocals and acoustic guitar (as originally written and performed solo in NYC). Managing bleed between the two mics could be tricky, but without band instruments, I embiggened thusly. A little delay enhances the rhythmic pulse, while resisting the urge to supersize reverb.
Each successive release has improved sonically. I had more flexibility mixing the second EP since they recorded its tracks without effects printed. This album, we convinced the drummer to record to a MIDI file alongside stereo audio, making the biggest difference. The v-drum sounds themselves didn’t necessarily need replacing, but doing so allowed me to not only rebalance the kit (like crank the kick or lower cymbals, which previously required surgical EQ), but enhanced their clarity/separation, and simplified the occasional edit/nudge. I love that they rarely play to a click, and I didn’t quantize anything or even work on a tempo grid. Also, there’s no pitch correction on any Bucket songs, though liberal doubling, as secondary vocal tracks are mostly unison rather than harmony. Bass guitar, I compress and re-amp from direct recordings, always the most drastic sonic transformation and often the last thing finalized.
Collaborators distinguish The Spider and the Butterfly and provided a new challenge. The opening track “Wings” features strings, inspiring me to create a bonus mix showcasing them with a sparse vocal. That’s nine parts performed four times each … an army of strings! Octave mandolin haunts “Walls” with a homey vibe (and I used a panning vocal effect when the lyrics called for it). “Looker Down” has a great chorus driven by percussion. Having been my favorite in demo form, it’s a strong campfire version. Same goes for “Wishbone” and its clever lyrics. Their dad blew harp on “Jar of Bad Habits,” which I amped, then crunched up the guitars. I even tossed my axe into the ring to perform stunt guitar throughout “Angry Little Planet,” including a solo that mimics a devolving online conversation that could be subtitled by emoji. Some songs transformed through the mix more than others, like “Biggest Batch of Losers,” where I withheld some of the tracks to let it build, and cranked the kick and snare so its marching feel really bumps. Natural percussion has always been part of the Bucket sound, and here we added cowbell plus breakdown audio from the NYC marathon. “Preservatives” came together similarly, including two new collabs plus a subtle organ track from me. Click those links for more insights about each from songwriter Jason Heim.
Another wicked collab followed with the “City Trees” single: a folk/rap mashup between Jason and The Brooklyn Nat1ve. I received voice and guitar tracks set to a percussion loop, then performed bass and drumset before mixing. Most notable about this is how I subtly transition between rock and rap mixes between the choruses and verses, combining them at the end.
