Music Production and Mixing Tips for Beginner Producers and Artists | Inside The Mix

• #223: How A New York Intern Became A Grammy-Winning Mastering Engineer (Sound Discussion Podcast)

  What does it really take to go from invisible intern to trusted, Grammy-winning mastering engineer? The Sound Discussion Podcast sit down with Dan Millice to unpack the habits, choices, and honest work that shaped his journey, from cleaning bathrooms and taking cheques to the bank at MasterDisc, to building a client list one late-night venue at a time, to mastering records for artists across genres and continents.Dan explains why he chose to specialise in mastering and why he ultimately moved fully in the box. The answer isn’t dogma, it’s service. Faster recalls, instant fixes, and reliable delivery matter when a label needs a longer fade today or a track order change by this afternoon. He breaks down his no-template approach, starting albums from a blank session, picking a reference track, and selecting EQs, de-essers, and limiters for each song’s needs. We compare popular limiters, FabFilter Pro L2, Ozone Maximizer, and talk about why default settings rarely cut it, how genre changes limiter behaviour, and when subtlety beats shine.You’ll also hear how Dan handles mixes that aren’t ready. He shares the quick QC process, the value of a phone call to align on vision, and the ethics of pushing back so the final record wins. Beyond tools and taste, the throughline is human: relationships, trust, and responsiveness. Recognition and nominations follow the reps, wet Tuesday nights at shows, genuine conversations, and consistent delivery. For artists and engineers, this conversation is a roadmap: specialise with intent, keep learning, meet people in the real world, and above all, serve the song.Links mentioned in this episode:Listen to the Sound Discussion PodcastFollow the Sound Discussion PodcastFollow Dan MilliceListen to episode 197 (Nate Kelmes)Send me a message Support the showWays to connect with Marc: Listener Feedback Survey - tell me what YOU want in 2026 Radio-ready mixes start here - get the FREE weekly tips Book your FREE Music Breakthrough Strategy Call Follow Marc's Socials: Instagram | YouTube | Synth Music Mastering Thanks for listening!! Try Riverside for FREE

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• #222: From Vocal Prep to Mastering — 7 Standout Moments of 2025 (Part 2)

  What if the fastest way to a better mix is caring more about the human, the song, and the signal path than the plugin chain? We pulled seven moments from our 2025 conversations that changed how we write, record, mix, and master, and stitched them into one practical, heart-first guide you can use on your next session.We start where great records begin: with the singer. Rich Bozic, a professional vocal coach, shares why physical comfort is essential for sound design, encompassing layers, a calm seat, a dialled-in headphone mix, and planned breathers to manage fatigue. Then we zoom out with Dan Giffin, who reminds us that composition beats the perfect kick. His three-touch rule snaps you out of tweak loops and keeps momentum high, while a top-down approach to mixing preserves the vibe you loved in production.Next we clean up the myths around digital audio with Ian Stewart’s crystal-clear take on sample rate and the Nyquist theorem. You will understand why 48 kHz often hits the sweet spot for modern workflows, how aliasing and imaging appear, and when oversampling actually matters. We carry that clarity into big, emotive mixes with Drum X Wave and Brian Skeel: translate vision to buses first, let guitars and synths complement rather than collide, and make size breathe with arrangement, not brute force.We also unpack the creative blind spots Michael Oakley calls out, how you can become “noseblind” to your own work and why feedback before the third rewrite can save songs. And we wrap with Eric Mitchell on mastering restraint: distortion as salt, not a main course. A little saturation wakes the record; too much smears it. Forget the viral “crank it” tips and listen for blur as much as for bite.Links mentioned in this episode:Listen to E194Listen to E181Listen to E203Listen to E215Listen to E207Listen to E188Listen to E182Send me a messageSupport the showWays to connect with Marc: Listener Feedback Survey - tell me what YOU want in 2026 Radio-ready mixes start here - get the FREE weekly tips Book your FREE Music Breakthrough Strategy Call Follow Marc's Socials: Instagram | YouTube | Synth Music Mastering Thanks for listening!! Try Riverside for FREE

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• #221: Finish Songs Faster, Mix Smarter — 7 Standout Moments of 2025 (Part 1)

  Ready to trade plugin FOMO and meter anxiety for moves that actually make your tracks better? Marc pulls seven stand-out moments from a huge year of conversations with producers, engineers and artists to help you finish faster, mix with confidence and stay creatively sharp.We kick off with a surprising angle on depth: shaping contrast with bit depth instead of defaulting to saturation. You’ll hear how assigning different resolutions to drums, pads, and leads can create three-dimensional mixes that hold up in mono and stereo. From there,  dismantle the gear trap. Modern DAWs already include the essentials; the real upgrade is mastering fundamentals like tonal balance, gain staging and arrangement so every later purchase has purpose.Loudness gets a refresh with a simple truth: LUFS is the result of mastering, not the target. Focus on tone, punch and cohesion, then check integrated LUFS for how platforms will treat your music. We lean into ear-first decisions, too—set a solid static mix, push the faders, and don’t let a scary-looking EQ curve talk you out of the right move. On the mastering front, we explore why a dedicated mastering engineer is often the first truly fresh set of ears your project gets, and how that perspective helps you avoid circular tweaks and ensures reliable translation.Songwriting fans get a creative jolt as we talk about lyrics as well-narrated hallucinations grounded in truth. Wait for ideas that feel necessary, then go all in. Finally, we round things out with workflow wisdom: reference tracks, clear sound selection, minimal EQ, and fader-first mixing to keep momentum high and second-guessing low. If you want practical, repeatable steps that improve your music across streaming, clubs and headphones, this highlight reel delivers.Links mentioned in this episode:Listen to E179Listen to E199Listen to E186Listen to E197Listen to E193Listen to E187Listen to E213Send me a messageSupport the showWays to connect with Marc: Listener Feedback Survey - tell me what YOU want in 2026 Radio-ready mixes start here - get the FREE weekly tips Book your FREE Music Breakthrough Strategy Call Follow Marc's Socials: Instagram | YouTube | Synth Music Mastering Thanks for listening!! Try Riverside for FREE

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• #220: The One Thing We’ll Do Differently in 2026 (and Why It Matters)

  Stop counting playlist streams and start building momentum where it matters. Marc Matthews and Tim Benson unpack a year of wins and lessons that took monthly listeners from modest to meaningful, and the theme is simple. When you optimise for saves, repeats and fast post-release engagement, Spotify’s algorithm does the heavy lifting. That means Radio, Discover Weekly, and personalised mixes begin to surface your music beyond your immediate circle—and the compounding effect beats a single playlist spike every time.We share the unglamorous work that unlocks creativity at speed: DAW templates, organised drum kits, and a handful of trusted synth presets that act as launchpads instead of cages. There’s a balance to strike between efficiency and originality, so we talk about stepping away when tweaks turn into time sinks, coming back with fresh ears, and capturing the patches worth saving. We also get candid about release cadence and genre clarity. Keeping one artist profile sonically consistent helps Spotify place you next to the right peers; if you love variety, set up separate profiles so each lane feels coherent.Collaboration sits at the heart of our 2026 plan. We’re reaching out to local vocalists to bring songs to life and share with audiences in a way that attracts editorial and radio attention. On the business side, we dig into the small but real revenue streams that stack: PRS, PPL, publishing admin via Songtrust or Sentric, DistroKid splits, and even modest YouTube monetisation. Add in smart seeding through SubmitHub and user curators to spark early signals, and you have a repeatable system that turns good music into sustainable growth.Links mentioned in this episode:Got a win from 2025 or a goal for 2026? We want to hear it, and we’re featuring listener wins on an upcoming show.Send me a message Support the showWays to connect with Marc: Listener Feedback Survey - tell me what YOU want in 2026 Radio-ready mixes start here - get the FREE weekly tips Book your FREE Music Breakthrough Strategy Call Follow Marc's Socials: Instagram | YouTube | Synth Music Mastering Thanks for listening!! Try Riverside for FREE

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• #219: How Wave Observer Reveals What Softube Saturation Knob Really Does

  Ever twist a saturation knob and wonder if you’re hearing compression, distortion, or something in between? In this episode of Inside The Mix, Marc Matthews puts that question to the test with a clean, scientific setup, a 440 Hz sine wave, the Softube Saturation Knob, and Wave Observer, a free oscilloscope plugin by Press Play.By placing Wave Observer last in the signal chain, Marc visually shows how your waveform changes as you dial in saturation, how rounded peaks flatten, harmonics stack up, and a pure sine wave slowly edges toward a square. No more guessing, no more placebo, just a clear visual of how your favourite plugins reshape the sound.Marc explains why visual feedback matters when subtle processing tricks your ears, and walks you through a simple DIY method you can try in any DAW. You’ll see exactly what happens around -12 dBFS, where soft saturation tightens dynamics long before the audible grit appears.This quick session helps you connect what you hear to what you see — so you can mix faster, gain stage with intention, and start trusting your ears with confidence.Takeaways:How to use Wave Observer for real-time saturation analysisWhat clipping actually looks likeA repeatable workflow for plugin testing and calibrationIf you’re ready to stop mixing blind and start seeing your decisions pay off, on meters, waveforms, and final masters — this one’s for you.Subscribe, share the episode with a producer friend, and drop Marc a note with the next plugin you want analysed. Your suggestion might feature in a future episode of Inside The Mix.Links mentioned in this episode:Press Play Wave ObserverFREE Plugin To See Inside Your Mixes - Press Play Wave ObserverSend me a messageSupport the showWays to connect with Marc: Listener Feedback Survey - tell me what YOU want in 2026 Radio-ready mixes start here - get the FREE weekly tips Book your FREE Music Breakthrough Strategy Call Follow Marc's Socials: Instagram | YouTube | Synth Music Mastering Thanks for listening!! Try Riverside for FREE

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