Henry McMinn on SoundBetter

I specialize in Experimental and Electronic music i.e. Down tempo, IDM, Techno, Post Rock, Shoe gaze. However I'm not limited to or stuck in any specific genre. I will take on and own any project that has creativity and passion.

I am a producer and mix/mastering engineer at my personal studio Cold Frame Recordings. At current I'm mainly working with labels and artists mixing and mastering. I'm registered with Apple/iTunes as a MFIT (mastered for iTunes) engineer. I specialize in electronic and experimental music however I will work with any style. Well known credits include NPR, OU, Big K.R.I.T., MTVmade, HGTV, Oklahoma City Ballet as well as many local and regional artists and clients. I started out programming on samplers, sequencers and teaching myself the basics of hardware synthesizers. Later I attended The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Tempe AZ. From there went on to work freelance from my own studio until I was hired on at The University of Oklahoma as a Field recordist/engineer and really all things audio. I have worked with every style imaginable from Post rock, Hip hop/pop production to Native American drum circles and Church choirs. I will gladly take on anything at least once.

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

11 Reviews - 2 Repeat Clients

Endorse Henry McMinn

by Bert M.
Verified
Henry did exactly what I needed him to do: 1) Got me out of 2nd, 5th, 12th, 27th-guessing myself 2) Made me sound better than what I was doing for myself 3) Was always kind, became a friend. Thank you!
by Bert M.
Verified
Can't say enough kind things about working with Henry. We asked him to do a couple of test mixes and they came back sounding better than any of the mixes we had done yet. He is very easy to work with and we will not hesitate to hire him again in the future.
by Pete H.
Verified
Really happy with the mix Henry. Nice work!
by jumpshrew
Verified
I got Henry to work on a full album and I'm beyond happy. Henry has a careful ear, a ton of technical knowledge, and a whole lot of musical wisdom. He can really see the potential in music and knows how to bring it out. He's also patient, professional, and overall a really cool person. Your music will sound better than you ever thought it could through his careful and meticulous work. He's also clearly passionate about music itself and I was really amazed at how much he knows!
by Michael
Verified
Henry has a unique and astounding ear and approach. We did a full EP with him because after hearing the first song, we knew exactly who we wanted to guide our full project to completion. If you want someone who can make your songs sound lush, expansive, and soulful - don't think twice about going with Henry McMinn!
by Michael
Verified
Another fantastic job with Henry, who has a real ear for making songs their deepest, most sonically interesting and in-depth versions of themselves. From the moment we did our first song, our band declared that we had "found our guy!" Give Henry a chance and watch your songs take new meaning!
by Michael
Verified
Henry is a sensitive and artistic mixer! The results are always surprising and exciting. He's also very curious about your artistic needs and whims, and does an amazing job with notes. You will get something unique - and oftentimes magically unexpected - out of him, and that is what we love about working with him!
by Michael
Verified
Henry is a meticulous, nuanced, skilled mixer. You can literally hear his heart in his work - and feel the extent of the immense effort he put in. He really listens to your thoughts on the song and works to get it right on the first try. You can tell he does this because he loves music, has a great ear and a tried and true skillset/sound. One thing's for sure - your song will be mixed with passion. Mix your next song with Henry - you will not be disappointed in the vast tapestry he weaves!
by Jonathon Thomas
Henry is a killer guy with an awesome ear. Recorded a few times there for for various projects and I always had a fun, professional, and inspiring time. Go see this man!!!
by Ian M Cahill Serrano
Great mixing and mastering engineer. Listens to what the client wants and does revisions when necessary. Highly recommend Henry!
by Jimmy Lawson
Henry is an excellent sound engineer!! I have recorded 3 full albums at his studio. He also mixed and mastered all 3 albums. He made me sound AMAZING!! His creativity is top notch, his professionalism is A+, and his overall service is the best in OKC!!!
Go book him now!...............J-Law

Interview with Henry McMinn

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I worked on a legacy documentary for our retiring President at The University of Oklahoma. I was responsible for capturing, editing and mixing all the audio as well as music selection and online targeting and boosting. The documentary aired and was #2 in ratings rankings in the nation on PBS.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I'm working with various clients on album mixing and mastering as well as singles. Also always working on my personal music.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both! Because they're both amazing tools and each have qualities that can be enhanced by the other.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I will do my best to help you achieve your goals with the project.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Giving someone a finished product that exceeded their expectations. Also being able to work with a creative person and learn something.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Do you have autotune, Lol just kidding sort of.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That it can be fixed in the mastering.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What is your goal/vision. What kind of budget or you working within and what's your timeline.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Talk to the provider to figure out if you're on the same page musically/creatively, listen to a few samples. Be open to criticism and be realistic with expectations.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Does the island have electricity? if no, a piano, various percussion, xylophone, handpan, my voice. If there's electricity I'd take a computer, a Moog One, mic, interface, monitors.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I wanted to be a touring musician, and then got more into the production side. I've been working in the industry for 20 years.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Eclectic and open.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with Boards of Canada. I'm intrigued with their sound design and ability to stay current without being wrapped up in the humdrum of the industry/touring/trends etc.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Find a groove and build on it.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Personally I work on a lot of Downtempo electronic tunes as well as Techno/House based mixing tracks. When it comes to clients it's usually various genres of electronic as well as hip hop. I do however prefer post rock/shoe gaze when it comes to traditional bands.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill in my opinion would be an experimental approach to song writing and sound design. I like to create a feeling when it comes to sound, like a memory from the past or something familiar that's also new at the same time.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Clarity in most cases and my personal flavor of mixing. When it comes to production aside from mixing and mastering I feel I offer an off the beaten path approach and a bit of an experimental mindset. As I tend to get bored with the same formula over and over when it comes to writing.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: When it comes to stem mixing and prepping the song for mastering I usually pull in all the tracks/stems, make sure all the labelling makes sense and then compare the overall stem mix to their reference track. From there I decide what needs EQ and or compression and other tweaking. From this point it's just diving into the mix itself and figuring out what if any deficiencies exist. Once I'm happy with the initial mix I send a reference to the client to see if its going in the direction they're wanting. Rinse and repeat if necessary.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio setup is a streamlined modern Hybrid between Digital and Analog workflow. I work within Logic Pro X and make use of plug ins such as SSL, Softubes, Native Instruments and Izotope. I use Lynx Aurora (n) convertors an Audient 2802 summing console which has an amazing bus compressor, Empirical labs Distressor's, Yamaha HS8 with Zen pro mods. I also have an assortment of analog synthesizers.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Sylvia Massy, Rick Rubin, Noel Summerville, Robot Koch,
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Most of my work is stem mixing and mastering for clients via online delivery.