Lance Powell

Grammy-nominated Mix Engineer

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54 Reviews (49 Verified)
Lance Powell on SoundBetter

Grammy-nominated Mix Engineer. My focus is on bringing to life YOUR vision - your ideas and your music. Happy clients include Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Miguel, Wu Tang Clan, Liza Minelli, Charlie Puth and many more.

With his eclectic taste and sonic ingenuity, mix engineer Lance Powell has earned the confidence of a musically-diverse clientele: from top-selling pop singers and hip-hop acts to up-and-coming alternative bands. Based in Los Angeles for remote or in-house sessions, Powell has lent his keen ear to a variety of chart-topping and GRAMMY® nominated albums, including Miguel’s Kaleidoscope Dream, Jess Glynne's I Cry When I laugh, Melissa Etheridge’s This Is M.E., and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ highly acclaimed Ghosteen.

Lance prides himself on his work, and the satisfaction of his clients, making every session a passion project. “I'm motivated by putting out an end product that I'm happy to have my name on,” he affirms. “Whether it’s an independent artist’s first single, or an LP for a major label, it always gets my strongest effort.”

Grammy-nominated projects include:
Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream (Recording/Mixing)
Mali Music - Mali Is (Recording)
Wilco - Star Wars (Technical Assistance)
Great Gatsby Soundtrack (Technical Assistance)

Chart-topping Albums:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
Melissa Etheridge - This Is M.E.
Mali Music - Mali Is
Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
Tank - Stronger
K Michele - Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart
Jennifer Hudson - JHUD (actually made it to #2 not #1)
Ledisi - The Truth
Gyptian - Sex, Love And Reggae
Jess Glynne - I Cry When I Laugh

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Lance Powell
  • Michael Feinstein
  • Michael Feinstein
  • Michael Feinstein
  • Michael Feinstein
  • Snoop Dogg
  • Snoop Dogg
  • Coldplay
  • Coldplay
  • Coldplay
  • Nick Cave
  • Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
  • Nick Cave
  • Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
  • Raekwon
  • Raekwon
  • Raekwon
  • Slightly Stoopid
  • Wilco
  • Black Violin
  • K. Michelle
  • K. Michelle
  • Mali Music
  • Shakira
  • Shakira
  • Tank
  • Tank
  • Ledisi
  • Melissa Etheridge
  • Gyptian
  • Gyptian
  • Miguel
  • Miguel
  • Miguel
  • Macy Gray
  • Javi
  • Javi
  • Coldplay
  • Coldplay
  • Coldplay
  • Snoop Dogg
  • Blxst
  • Snoop Dogg
  • Blxst
  • Cymbol
  • Coldplay
  • Javi
  • Javi

54 Reviews - 11 Repeat Clients

Endorse Lance Powell
  1. Review by Music Junkie
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    Lance is a top guy in every way. Communication, musicality, keeps deadlines and one of the very best mixers around. And he doesn´t let his ego get in the way of your vision. It’s all about your music and bringing the best out of your track.

    If you feel like levelling up your work, Lance is your man.

  2. Review by Ken Lewis
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    Lance handed off an absolutely killer stereo mix for me to ATMOS. Dude made my ATMOS job easy and more creative. Well done Lance!!! Keep killing it

  3. Review by Jake S.
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    Lance was really great to work with. He was great at communicating and provided tons of feedback and suggestions for my song. I really felt like Lance wanted to get my song sounding as good as possible, and was willing to provided revisions as needed. Thank you Lance!

  4. Review by Joe Sparrow
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    Lance is the absolute best. Love working with him. Absolute pro and pleasure to deal with. Passionate, meticulous, and highly skilled.

  5. Review by Zach K.
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    Lance did an incredible job helping take a song I loved in my studio and translating it into a competitive track I'm super proud to share with the world. He helped make the track feel so much bigger and clearer while keeping the integrity of the song itself. He offered creative ideas to help make the track as dynamic and progressive from section to section as possible, and he delivered super crisp mixes and really granular stem prints that I'm really happy with.

  6. Review by Nashville Strings
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    Lance is beyond incredible!!! He really over delivered, was extremely meticulous with the details and added and did things that I didn't even think to ask and they made a major impact! I'm so happy with the result!! And also, communication-wise he was so easy to work with. I had a bit of a crazy period where I wasn't connected all the time and needed more time to finish the gig and he was so patient and considerate. I give 10 stars!!! Thank you Lance :)

  7. Review by Joe Sparrow
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    Another fantastic experience with Lance. Highly recommend and will definitely be hiring him again.

  8. Review by Lorelei
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    Lance was incredibly receptive and open to all adjustments that I wanted to make. He was patient with my many reviews as I am a perfectionist when it comes to my music. Will definitely be reaching out again for other projects!

  9. Review by Joe Sparrow
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    Lance is an amazing mix engineer. He nailed both the big picture elements and meticulous details of the track. He is a pleasure to work with and a very patient and friendly guy. Can't wait to do more.

  10. Review by Makon C.
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    This is, by very far, one of my best experiences on SoundBetter! And I mean it! I can't tell how much I learned with Lance, he is very patient and opened. He takes time to explain the process and he delivers masterpieces. Once, you start working with him, you want to keep him very close to your mixes. I definitely recommend!

  11. Review by Gurupkar G.
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    A+ as always!

  12. Review by Gene A.
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    Amazing skill and attention to detail, always a dream to work with!

  13. Review by Gurupkar G.
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    A pleasure as always!

  14. Review by Wes J.
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    by Wes J.
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    Working with Lance was a great experience. Nothing but positive things to say about his work. Very professional, good communication, understood the direction I was going for very quickly and easily and managed to take the song to that next level I was seeking. Will definitely work with Lance again in the future.

  15. Review by Gurupkar G.
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    Always a pleasure! Lance is easy to work with and he does an excellent job.

  16. Review by Finn H.
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    Lance is a great engineer and put the gloss on my track to make it release ready! Cheers

  17. Review by Brodie M.
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    Working with Lance on this mix was one of the best experiences I've had with a mix engineer. He really went above and beyond to make the finished product the best it could possibly be.

  18. Review by Gurupkar G.
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    Lance is my go-to guy for mixing/mastering. Alway's an excellent experience!

  19. Review by Lea M.
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    by Lea M.
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    Can't wait to work with Lance again! I'm extremely happy with the results for my first release. Lance is super nice and patient. He demonstrated great attention to detail and made amazing choices. I had very few requests as he anticipated most of what the song needed. Merci!

  20. Review by Eric Lorenzo Rios
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    Repeating client here! Lance is amazing. Can't wait to work again.

    Eric

Interview with Lance Powell

  1. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  2. A: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen. I recorded and mixed this album and it became the most critically acclaimed album of 2019, and equal with Kendrick Lamar for the decade 2010-2019. Sonically it came out great, and I had complete control of the audio aspect from start to finish. I flew around the world to complete the recording sessions, and then the band flew to Los Angeles to work with me out of Conway Studios. It came out brilliant and everyone was really happy.

  3. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  4. A: Hiring me is going to be really expensive. If you want to have a production that competes in Spotify playlists, label compilations, Youtube and on airpods and car systems you need to hire a professional that knows how to bring the best out in your music. You'll need to have a budget of course, but my independent musician rate not as brutal as one might expect.

  5. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  6. A: Go with your gut, if you get any red flags then it's not a great start. Should be about the project first, money second. But if you low-ball or skimp on payments, providers like myself tend to put a little red flag next to your name so it's a two-way street! Also be sure to print a rough mix. Doesn't need to sound great, but it should sound as good as you can make it. This forms the blueprint for what comes next.

  7. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  8. A: Went to audio school, worked in studios and live sound, did some teaching. Dropped everything and moved to the USA and landed a gig with some very talented producers then landed a role at one of the top studios in New York City with many of the top talents. From there I got a reputation as a cool-headed dependable engineer that gets it done and gets it done well, so I've maintained a solid career since then. Moved to Los Angeles start of 2018 and quickly began working with the superstars out here. Put together my own mixing studio and have been keeping busy every since.

  9. Q: How would you describe your style?

  10. A: Whatever my clients want me to adapt to! My mixes are generally pretty bold - the one thing I do on every production is make it really jump out of the speakers.

  11. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  12. A: If it sounds good it is good! Go with your instinct and don't second guess yourself, it's important to keep taking steps forward, not sideways and backwards.

  13. Q: What's your typical work process?

  14. A: Usually I turn mixes around pretty quickly, and open them up to feedback from the client. I'll incorporate any and all mix notes and keep doing revisions until everyone is thrilled. When tracking, I go by the mix-as-you-record philosophy. I'll happily print compression and EQ to Pro Tools and make commitments early on. Helps to keep the workflow moving and stops people from going around in circles and second-guessing themselves.

  15. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  16. A: My personal studio is based around a Pro Tools rig running just about every plugin under the sun. I sum mixes through my Thermionic Culture Purple Bustard (16-channel high end tube mixer) then hit a Manley Nu Mu, Manley Vari Mu, Solid State Logic (SSL) Fusion and back to my print bus via a Crane Song HEDD 192. Zero compromises anywhere. For tracking sessions, I regularly work out of Woodshed Recording in Malibu, California. It's a lovely space (www.woodshedrecording.com). It's got a baby SSL, a ton of high end preamps/compressors/EQ's and a Burl Mothership for out I/O into Pro Tools HDX. We monitor through Augspergers and ATC's (as well as NS10's of course). Again, zero compromises on sound. My home setup includes a Pro Tools rig with all the plugins I use (UAD, Slate, Waves, Melodyne, Autotune, Fabfilter, Izotope etc etc etc etc). I have an Attack Wall system from ASC to get my acoustics absolutely spot-on (better than most high end commercial studios, no lie) and I use APS Aeon MkII monitors + Sub 12 and some smaller Genelec 8330's. I use the latest Apollo x16 for my outputs, and feed a Thermionic summing mixer followed by Manley NuMu and Manley Vari Mu bus compressors before hitting a Crane Song HEDD for my conversion back in. So I lose absolutely nothing by mixing at home as opposed to a commercial spot. When I do record or mix at a commercial spot I just take my gear in with me and use that anyway - it sounds perfect, it's reliable, it's better than what most studios own anyway, and I can take it home and recall mixes 100% to tweak further.

  17. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  18. A: Most of my work is mixing records remotely for clients around the world. I have a studio in Los Angeles that I usually work out of, but will often work out of commercial studios too. About half of my clients are from major labels and the other half independent. I enjoy working with both equally.

  19. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  20. A: Lots of stuff! Clients from LA, NYC, New Zealand, Netherlands, Russia, UK, Australia. All sorts.

  21. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  22. A: Telefunken 251, a decent set of headphones, my rack of Manley's and my plugins.

  23. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  24. A: I make songs sound like records. Other than that I keep my personal opinions largely out of the way (unless requested to do otherwise) and let you make music.

  25. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  26. A: Lana Del Rey. Whether you like the music or not the productions and vocal work are absolutely on point. Last time I saw her she took down my number - Lana if you browse Soundbetter for some reason I'm waiting for that call!

  27. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  28. A: Bit of everything. I've got a background in rock and have spent the last few years working amongst some of the best pop, R&B and hip-hop musicians. Between my New Zealand background and my years in New York City I'm pretty well-rounded compared to many Los Angeles engineers.

  29. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  30. A: Recording and mixing quickly, and communicating well with people. Beginners or Grammy-winners I'm the same easy-going and focused person to everyone.

  31. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  32. A: Both - whatever is best for the situation. If you are smart you can incorporate both and keep it moving quickly and consistently still.

  33. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  34. A: You'll absolutely be happy with the final product. I take it too personally for one person not to be happy.

  35. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  36. A: Everything! Mostly hearing my work out there in the real world but I am happy to get out of bed each day and head into work.

  37. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  38. A: Yo how much 2 make me famous? And I ignore them.

  39. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  40. A: Every working engineer and producer pretty much.

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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

I was the Recording and Mixing Engineer in this production


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    Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
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    Jess Glynne - Right Here
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    Miguel - Candles In The Sun
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    Macy Gray - You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
Terms Of Service

Ultra-professional yet friendly service. Super quick turnarounds, and the work is not finished until everyone involved is happy - this means unlimited revisions.

GenresSounds Like
  • Miguel
  • Wu-Tang Clan
  • Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
Gear Highlights
  • Pro Tools
  • Manley
  • Neve
  • Thermionic Culture
  • UAD
  • Neumann
  • Telefunken
  • Crane Song
  • SSL
  • UAD
  • Universal Audio
  • Waves
  • Soundtoys etc
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