Nicky Howard: The Art of Listening

Nicky Howard is a mastering engineer based in 'sometimes sunny' Yorkshire, UK.

He's worked alongside many Grammy-Winning & Nominated artists, producers, and mix engineers, including Rhymefest, Kipper Eldridge (producer for Sting, Gary Numan, and Mary J Blige), and Mikalai Skrobat (Mixing Engineer/Producer for Kanye West, and Pharell Williams). He is credited on Billboard Top 100 and UK Chart hits, and his work has amassed millions of plays. In 2022, he received a nomination for the MPG Mastering Engineer of the Year award.

His work within the dance music community is well established, with credits on some of the most coveted labels, including !K7, Anjunadeep, Afterlife (by Tale of Us), WUGD (by Jax Jones), Purified (by Nora En Pure) and Cafe De Anatolia. Nicky has worked with influential artists, including Ewan McVicar, Hannah Laing, Chris Luno, and Franky Wah. His work on the 25th-anniversary of the groundbreaking UKG track RIPGROOVE led to the DJ Mag game-changer award for the artist.

Nicky's studio was designed from the ground up as a no-compromise mastering facility. A fully bespoke room with exacting acoustics to create the most natural and precise sonic environment possible, allowing confidence in decisions necessary to make your music sound its best. The centerpiece is a cutting-edge full-range 7000-watt Kii Audio BXT Monitoring System, finished in custom bronze metallic.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• The journey of becoming a mastering engineer
• The art of listening
• Not being fixated on all the technical stuff
• Fixing vocal artifacts in mastering
• The downsides to using limiters
• Switching from an analog studio to going 100% in the box
• Why digital mastering can be better
• Keeping your clients happy
• Mastering low-end

To learn more about Nicky Howard, visit: https://nickyhoward.co.uk/

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