Master Your Mix Podcast

Kurt Ballou is an American musician, producer, and recording engineer best known as the guitarist and founding member of the influential hardcore band Converge. Based in Salem, Massachusetts, he is also the owner and chief engineer of GodCity Studio, a world-renowned recording facility that has become a cornerstone of modern heavy music production. With a background in both engineering and performance, Ballou bridges the gap between raw creative energy and meticulous technical precision, helping define the sound of countless bands across the hardcore, punk, and metal scenes. His production work is celebrated for its intensity, clarity, and attention to sonic texture — hallmarks that have shaped genre-defining records for artists such as Have Heart, High on Fire, Trap Them, and Nails.

Beyond his engineering prowess, Ballou is recognized for his deep understanding of instrument tone and studio design. At GodCity, he merges analog warmth with modern fidelity, crafting recordings that feel both visceral and articulate. His dedication to DIY ethics and craft has made him a respected figure not only among musicians but also within the broader audio engineering community. Through his work, Ballou continues to inspire a generation of producers and home-studio creators to pursue authenticity, precision, and emotional truth in every mix.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Learning through revisiting old recordings
• Why you can’t trust all you read on forums
• Cheap vs. expensive gear: What really matters?
• Mic vs. placement vs. preamps: Which is most important?
• Mike and Kurt’s feelings on Atmos
• The secret to Kurt’s great guitar tones
• A simple trick for checking phase with multi-mic setups on guitar amps
• Simplifying your approach to production
• How to treat a 2-guitar band vs a 1-guitar band
• Getting guitars and bass to feel balanced
• Sidechaining guitars to vocals
• Mixing his own records with Converge
• Charging per song or by hour
• Recording entire albums in one session

Mark Lewis is a Nashville-based record producer, engineer, and mixer best known for shaping the sound of modern heavy metal and hard rock. He cut his teeth under producer Jason Suecof at Audiohammer Studios in Orlando. Over the years, he’s become a go-to name in the metal scene, working with genre-defining bands such as Trivium, The Black Dahlia Murder, DevilDriver, Whitechapel, and many others. His credits span production, mixing, engineering, and mastering, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the full recording process.

What sets Lewis apart is his meticulous approach to guitar tone, re-amping, and sonic detail, always striving to match technical precision with the raw energy of the bands he works with. Now operating out of his own Nashville studio, he continues to push the boundaries of heavy music, blending clarity and aggression in mixes that capture both the intensity and the musicality of metal. His work has helped countless bands refine their sound and stand out in an increasingly competitive genre, cementing his reputation as one of the most respected producers in heavy music today.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Recognizing your strengths
• Working with Jason Suecof
• How getting fired led to his career taking off
• Why knowing the “rules” doesn’t mean you should always follow them
• The secret to great guitar tone
• How your speakers make a massive difference
• Dispelling the Jim Lill tone tests
• Keeping objectivity when chasing tone
• When to reamp
• How to get away from always sounding the same
• Spending money to make money
• Putting in the work to see success
• A technique you may be doing that is killing the uniqueness of a band

Jack Emblem is a GRAMMY-nominated mix engineer known for his versatility and ability to elevate every project he touches. Working seamlessly across all genres, Jack has established himself as a go-to mixer in today’s market.

In 2024, Jack received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

His clients include Snoh Aaelgra, Lauren Spencer Smith, Charlotte Day Wilson, DEAN, Wild Rivers, Katie Tupper, Aaron Paris, Jesse Gold and many more.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Learning from different areas of the industry
• Understanding client expectations of your mixes
• Sending clients file submission guides
• Making sure songs grow throughout a mix
• Automating plugins to create impact
• Why separation can be overrated
• Achieving clear, in-your-face vocals
• Using pre-delay to create depth
• Understanding the sound of different compressors
• Creating contrast between elements of a mic
• Leaving low-end alone

Scott Wiley is a music producer, engineer, musician, and owner of June Audio Recording Studio with over 2.1 billion streams. Scott studied music recording at USC and got to learn from some of the best producers and engineers in the industry during his years working in great Los Angeles studios like Sound Factory, Sunset Sound, Cello, and Conway Recording Studios. As an engineer and/or producer for the last 30 years, Scott has worked with The Killers, Neon Trees, Bonnie Raitt, Kaskade, David Archuleta, Tracy Chapman, The National Parks, and The Moth & The Flame, among many others. Scott has also taught recording and music business classes at UVU and BYU.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Being too “safe” with your process
• Capturing authentic performances
• Working with Tchad Blake
• The rules of audio that are meant to be broken
• Picking the right gear for the job
• The expectations of clients and their understanding of the roles of producers and engineers
• Factoring the mix while tracking
• Mixing your own recordings vs. other’s
• Achieving separation in a mix
• How to direct a listener’s focus as they listen to your mixes

John Paterno is a Grammy-winning producer, mixer, composer, engineer, mastering engineer, teacher, and musician who has worked with a diverse range of artists including Gov’t Mule, Robbie Williams, Steve Gadd Band, Soraya, Michael Landau, Band of Other Brothers, Robben Ford, Eros Ramazzotti, the Thrills, Tim McGraw, Bonnie Raitt, and Badly Drawn Boy, in his 30-plus-year career. 

Paterno moved to Los Angeles two weeks after graduating from the University of Miami's music engineering (MUE) program. A short period of freelance assisting concluded with a staff position at Sunset Sound/Sound Factory in Hollywood, where for five years he was exposed to many great engineers, producers, and artists. After breaking out of assisting, he worked with a wide range of producers, including Mitchell Froom, Joe Chiccarelli, Byron Gallimore, Celso Valli, and Stephen Duffy. He won a Latin Grammy for his work with artist/producer Soraya.

Paterno has produced or co-produced projects for Gov’t Mule, Michael Landau, Andrew Synowiec, the Black Mollys, Mitchell Froom, Lustra, Robbie Williams, the Lilac Time, and many other artists. He has also co-written songs with artists and written pieces for TV and film.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Lessons learned from working with Tchad Blake
• The importance of focus
• Why you don’t want people to feel like they’re in a recording studio
• How to gain the trust of musicians
• Why cell phones need to be banned from the studio
• Coaching musicians to understand the difference between timing and groove
• Why you should always do preproduction before entering the studio
• Getting great drum sounds
• When to avoid using compression
• How Seinfeld and mixing have a lot in common