Alex McArthur on SoundBetter

Producer and Mix Engineer specialising in Alternative and Indie Rock.

Hi! I'm Alex, a Producer and Mix Engineer based in London, UK.

Specialising in Alternative and Indie Rock, I work with bands to produce recordings that capture the energy and emotion of their performance whilst maintaining the artists’ initial vision.

When it comes to mixing, I mix in the box, using top-of-the-range plugins from UAD, Plugin Alliance, and Waves, to enhance the sound of your production. I mostly focus on the energy and emotion of the performance whilst doing this, to make sure that every decision showcases the best possible sound and tone.

Have a listen to some of my work and drop me a message. I would love to have a chat about your project!

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Credits

3 Reviews

Endorse Alex McArthur

by Thomas Gilling
Alex worked with our band ‘Vice Killer’ on our EP ‘Alone, in This World’ and our single ‘Heroine’ He produced and mastered all the songs. Alex provided his own ideas for changes in dynamics, and sounds for the tracks, which made a huge difference in the end!

During the recording of the EP, he was able to provide assistance with a range of guitar sounds and synths. We highly recommend Alex as a producer, from working with on our debut EP we made sure to work with him again on our next records!
by Christopher Weeks
Alex produced and engineered my rock and roll band The Big Three’s EP in 2020 and was superb. He took the time to get to know the niche we were working in, was full of excellent suggestions as we were still finding the sound, offered guidance on the songs themselves and ensured the whole thing sounded beautiful and exactly as we had in our heads.

Since then I’ve enlisted him several times as a mix consultant on a jazz project and an acoustic folk project, and he always delivers brilliant insights and advice that help me immeasurably!

Look no further. Highly recommended.
by Abbie Rose
Alex recorded, mixed, and produced our first 3 singles as Abnorm. He did an incredible job - he is friendly, creative, and always pushes us to do achieve more. I have never worked with a sound engineer with the same amount of passion for their work. - We highly recommend Al!

Interview with Alex McArthur

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I first got interested in producing and engineering by recording my friends bands on an old 4 track cassette recorder. After studying Music and Sound Recording at university, I got a job as an Assistant Engineer at Blast Recording Studios in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where I later took on the role as Recording/Mix Engineer. I moved to London in 2021 where I now work at multiple facilites including Sarm Studios and Tileyard London while I progress my career as a Producer.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: It's all about capturing the energy and emotion of the song and making the song shine, not the gear or fancy parallel compression tricks (which I do absolutely nerd over!).
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Post-Punk and Alt/Indie Rock are the genres I love working on the most!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is mixing. Especially taking a set of stems and retaining the sound of the original production but pushing it to the next level and making it sound more cohesive and polished and ready for radio!
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I like to think that I don't bring anything to a song I produce, but more that my job is to ensure that the song is heard exactly as the band intend it to. This isn't to say I don't suggest things along the way, more that I don't want to get in the way of the artists vision!
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: For a typical session, I set the band up in the room together so I can capture the raw energy of them performing. I would then look at overdubbing parts to add to the production without compromising that core energy. After the recording process I build the mix around that initial performance and work with the band to achieve a mix that we're all happy with.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Centred arround an Apollo Twin and a MacBook Pro, my setup is designed to be as portable as possible, allowing me to work anywhere and everywhere!