Jon Kaplan: Problem Solving Your Mixes

Aug 16, 2023

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Jon Kaplan is a Grammy award-winning Mixer, Producer and Composer who has enjoyed every minute of the past 25+ years working in the studio.

Following a dream-defining stretch in the 1990s as a member of Atlantic Records’ band The Hatters, his career behind the glass began in NYC as an engineer on hit records for *N Sync, Jennifer Lopez, LL Cool J, Mariah Carey, and others.

As a producer and mixer, he has lent an ear to records across the musical spectrum for artists including Paul McCartney, Elton John, Neon Trees, Bebe Rexha, Jonas Brothers, Black Pumas, Brittany Howard, Allen Stone, Sara Bareilles, Upsahl, Ray LaMontagne, Zach Williams, Gavin DeGraw, and Brett Young.

To date, his name has appeared on albums totaling over 25 million in sales, as well as eight Grammy-nominated recordings and the one shiny little gold statue on the mantle.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

Figuring out your passions and niche in audio
Navigating the old music industry model vs. the current one
Using the rough mix as the foundation of what you do
Problem-solving balance issues in a mix
Making a vocal sit right
Having a repeatable process for mixing so you know when you’re done with it
Tuning kick drums to match the key of the song
Saturating bass
Using references to learn your speakers
Why gain-matching is so important throughout a mix
Using mono vs stereo reverbs
Delay vs reverb

To learn more about Jon Kaplan, visit: https://jfkmix.com/

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The Recording Mindset: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Pro Recordings From Your Home Studio: https://therecordingmindset.com
The Mixing Mindset: The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/

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