A large part of my impetus to move to the Huntington location was to continue mixing records in a larger, more acoustically responsible space. In 2016 I mixed Ray Lambiase’s “Three Finger Brown” CD and five songs on Rorie Kelly’s “Rising Rising Rising” in a (very) small room at home using Neumann KM120 nearfield monitors, with frequent trips to my Subaru Outback system for reassurance. I desperately missed my old control room from decades ago.
In 2017 I moved to a commercial location that features a large mixing space with custom acoustical treatment, equipped with multiple monitor systems
- Neuman KH-310 Mains with a Neumann KH750DSP Sub running MA1 tuning and phase correction software
- Neumann KH120 nearfields
- Hafler powered Yamaha NS10M (originals from the tissue paper era)
- JBL LSR28P’s for louder playbacks
- Yamaha HS80M(3), HS7(2) and Sub, 5.1 Surround playback
Analog Summing vs In The Box (ITB)
My “Holy Grail” has always been to create mixes that are tall, deep and wide, while simultaneously making it easy for the listener to follow the main melody or lyric. All endless audio debates aside, analog summing is my mix workflow of choice. Breaking out multiple channels from a DAW into the analog domain gives me the ability to use some of my favorite classic vintage (and modern) analog Equalizers and Compressors. That gives me the keys to the kingdom, and a work flow reminiscent of the past, with all the automation advantages of the present.
Summing them back together using the Neve 8816 and 8804 automated mixing system puts the analog icing on the cake. The Neve mix buss is the same as that found on their larger analog consoles, complete with the Marinair transformers that “warm up” or not, depending on how hard they are driven. The analog Mix inserts and M-S processing complete the picture and are easily stored and recalled in the software.
Recalling an analog summed mix takes me an average of 15 minutes. This involves reseting the Neve Levels and pan positions to a song specific stored snapshot, replacing the analog patches from the session, and resetting a few analog compressors and EQ’s from Hi-Res photos stored in the session folder.
In The Box Mixing? …of course!
There are situations involving collaboration/file sharing/deadlines that make analog summing cumbersome. When that is the case, I look forward to mixing your music “in the box” using Pro Tools Ultimate 2021.6 software on an HDX system with an extensive collection of AAX DSP and Native plug-ins from UAD (Octo), Waves, McDSP, Native Instruments, Softube (Console 1), Izotope, IK, SoundToys, Celemony, Oeksound, bx, Ik, Ozone and many others.
Kevin Kelly – Revised July, 2021
Recent Projects and Comments
Click on any of the thumbnails to go to the album on Spotify
“I am hooked on Kevin Kelly’s mixing mastery at The Workshoppe East! A highly skilled engineer, Kevin achieved the exact right sounds, balance and blend of instrumentation and vocals. Kevin respected my vision for the album, giving me the space to weigh in and truly collaborate on all aspects during the process. With the best ears and technical expertise to locate and then dial up all sounds for a perfect blend, there is no one else I would rather have mix my music than Kevin.”
—Linda Sussman, singer/songwriter
—Josie Bello, singer/songwriter