Zach Allen

Multi-Grammy Winning Engineer

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7 Reviews (1 Verified)
Zach Allen on SoundBetter

Grammy Award-winning Engineer with multiple #1 Billboard album credits who has worked with artists such as Buddy Guy, Keb’ Mo’, and Joe Walsh.

I’m Zach Allen, a Grammy Award-winning audio engineer, producer, and mixer based out of Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve had the privilege to work on multiple Billboard #1 albums and singles, and have worked in most genres including Americana, Blues, Rock, Pop, and Country.

I think it’s important to really understand what sound clients are looking for when working on their track. I enjoy helping artists bring their creative vision to life and take pride in giving my best to every production I have a part in, whether it is one song or an entire album.

Some of my most recent mixes are posted on here for you to listen to. If you like what you hear and would like to work together, please send me a message with information about the song such as the sound you are going for, and any references or notes you may have for the track.

Just click the “Contact Zach Allen” button above to get started!

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Zach Allen
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
  • Gary Allan
  • Johnny Lee
  • Tom Sexton
  • Toby Keith
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Old Crow Medicine Show
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Old Crow Medicine Show
  • Tommy Castro
  • Jackson Capps
  • Dion
  • Firefall
  • Firefall
  • Firefall
  • Casey James
  • G. Love & Special Sauce
  • G. Love
  • G. Love & Special Sauce
  • G. Love
  • Jackson Capps
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Frank Bey
  • Ana Popovic
  • Tom Hambridge
  • Buddy Guy
  • Rhonda Vincent
  • Daryle Singletary
  • Justin Masters
  • Quinn Sullivan
  • Quinn Sullivan
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Taj Mahal
  • Johnny Lee
  • Canton Junction
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Keb' Mo'
  • T.G. Sheppard
  • Kelly Lang
  • Jennifer Holliday
  • Johnny Mathis
  • Toby Keith
  • Toby Keith
  • Jimmy Fortune
  • Toby Keith
  • Triumphant Quartet
  • Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
  • Gary Allan
  • Natalie Grant
  • Trailer Choir
  • JW-Jones
  • VeggieTales
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Jackson Capps
  • Jackson Capps
  • Larry Fleet
  • Larry Fleet
  • JW-Jones
  • JW-Jones
  • JW-Jones
  • Andrew Varner
  • Andrew Varner
  • Andrew Varner
  • Andrew Varner
  • Andrew Varner
  • Zach Allen
  • Zach Allen
  • Zach Allen
  • Zach Allen
  • Zach Allen
  • T.G. Sheppard
  • Kelly Lang
  • Billy K Band
  • Jim Allchin
  • Deborah Allen
  • Kim McAbee
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Altered Five Blues Band
  • Beyond the Ashes
  • Tempt
  • Creative Soul Artists
  • Creative Soul Artists
  • Creative Soul Artists

7 Reviews

Endorse Zach Allen
  1. Review by Thomas H.
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    check_circleVerified

    Zach was very easy to work with and is as versatile genrewise as his previous body of work portrays. He makes your mixes pop out but doesn't overdo it. His approach fits your vision perfectly. I will be working with him again in the future and I can't wait!

  2. Review by Scott Southworth
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    by Scott Southworth

    Have had the pleasure of working with Zach on my last 3 projects. He always brings his absolute best to every session and is 100% present in the moment while recording. Having been writing and recording in Nashville for last 15 years, there are certain studio musicians I make sure are available before I lock in a session...after hearing the difference and enjoying the vibe Zach brings to a session, I will reschedule if he is unavailable.

  3. Review by Michael Cruz
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    by Michael Cruz

    Zach is Class A engineer. My clients and I always hire Zach cause he’s very attentive, patient and a great problem solver.

  4. Review by Michael Platek
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    by Michael Platek

    Zach is an A Team player. Used him on several demo sessions. It’s hard to find a seasoned producer/engineer that can play with the big boys, but also has the patience to work with us amateur aspiring and upcoming writers. He makes you better and he makes it enjoyable. Love the passion he brings. Highly recommend!

  5. Review by Andrew Sweeney
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    by Andrew Sweeney

    Zach is an all around great engineer, producer, and human being. He has a gift when it comes extracting the potential out of a song, and has the experience at all levels of the recording process to make a project sound major label quality. Working with Zach is a breeze, as he’s organized, honest, and efficient and will make sure you’re satisfied as you work through the various stages of the process. I would 100% recommend Zach Allen to anyone looking for engineering or producing.

  6. Review by Gregory Ward
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    by Gregory Ward

    Recording with Zach and the A team took my music to the next level. I wouldn't want to record with anyone else!

  7. Review by Eduardo O.
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    I worked with Zach on Nov/2018 and can't thank my intuition enough to have chosen him among so many other engineers in soundbetter.com (it's a really hard task to ask someone you don't know to work on your music).

    Zach answered all my questions with professionalism and dedication. He is a a nice person and an inspiring professional. During the process, Zach even gave me some feedback for the future and went the extra mile to deliver the great work.

    The final result was great and I couldn't be happier. I totally recommend him and will work with him again.

Interview with Zach Allen

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

  2. A: I graduated from Full Sail University in 2007 and moved to Nashville immediately afterwards. I spent about 8 months doing various internships until I landed one at the World Famous Tracking Room in Nashville. A few months later I started assisting sessions and built my way up learning everything I could from the Pros that would come in. I spent 6 years on staff, 4 as the Head Engineer and Studio Manager, before I went freelance in early 2014. Later that year I started doing sessions for Americana Artist Keb’ Mo’ and Engineered on the Grammy Winning Album “Tajmo” a collaborative effort between him and Taj Mahal. Since then I have Engineered Vocals on Buddy Guy’s Grammy Winning Album “The Blues Is Alive and Well” and Recorded 2 More Grammy Nominated Albums, Kingfish’s Self Titled Album, and Jontavious Willis “Spectacular Class” and one Grammy Winning Album Keb' Mo's "Oklahoma"

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

  4. A: I have had the most success in Americana and Blues, but I have done a good amount of Pop, Alternative, Indie, and Country

  5. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  6. A: Understanding the physcology behind Producing and Mixing other artists music. I write songs myself so I fully understand what a sensitive process trusting someone else with your music can be. I am very sensitive to that and make sure all my clients get everything they need

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

  8. A: In the past year I was the Recording Engineer on Keb' Mo's album "Oklahoma" that won a Grammy in the Best Americana Album category. I also recorded Kingfish's self titled album and Jontavious Willis "Spectacular Class" both of which were nominated for Grammys in the Best Traditional Blues Category. Also G. Love’s new record entitled “The Juice” that I recorded and mixed was an absolute blast.

  9. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  10. A: What are your goals for this song(s)? Tell me about the music? Who are your biggest inspirations? I like to know as much as I can about the music and a person's musical approach going in as that helps me get inside their head and allows me to achieve their vision for their music.

  11. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  12. A: For tracking it really just depends what studio I am in. Most projects I work on are done at either SoundStage or Ocean Way here in Nashville these days, but I’ve worked at just about every major studio in the Nashville area. I mix in Pro Tools using a Universal Audio Apollo x6 as my interface. I rely heavily on their their plug-ins, as well as Fab Filter, Soundtoys, and several others. Where I get most of the mojo out of my mixes is in my Neve Portico Master Buss Processor. I run everything through it and print back into Pro Tools. I’m a firm believer in Analog gear and incorporating this into my workflow has been instrumental. My vocal chain is a Neve 1073 Channel Strip into a Distressor. What Mic I use depends on the singer and the type of song.

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

  14. A: Here lately I've been listening to a lot of Jason Isbell, The War On Drugs, Bruno Mars, and The Black Pumas but also a ton of older stuff. My favorites are The Beatles, Tom Petty, Anything Motown, Pearl Jam and all the grunge bands of the early 90s, Michael Jackson, ok honestly I'm a complete music nerd and like just about anything. Some of my favorite Producers and Engineers are Rick Rubin, Brenden O'Brien, Quincy Jones, Dr. Dre, and a couple of current guys are Shawn Everett and Dave Cobb. I absolutely love what he they are doing.

  15. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  16. A: Depends on what you are going for. If you want it to sound more vintage, and if you are able to perform without the help of Pro Tools, go analog. If you want the max amount of flexibility, options, and ability for quick easy recall along with a more modern sound, go digital.

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

  18. A: I always analyze the client I am working for and try to work at their preferred pace, not mine. I have tracked as many as 38 Nashville Demos in a day with a great session band, but I have also gone the other extreme spending 2 hours getting a vocal sound. The more versatile you can be, the more people who will feel comfortable putting their music in your hands.

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

  20. A: The beautiful thing about my job is that each day brings a new challenge. One day I could be tracking a band of session musicians from Nashville, the next day I could be programming a pop song, and the next day I could be tuning vocals, tracking horns, etc. Keeping my work fresh allows me to have plenty of energy and passion for each job I am assigned.

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

  22. A: 110% effort every time to make sure they are always satisfied.

  23. Q: How would you describe your style?

  24. A: I just try to analyze each client and figure out the best way to make them happy. At the end of the day it's all about customer service.

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

  26. A: Musicality. I was playing guitar and studying music long before I learned what a mic pre is and how to EQ something. At the end of the day it is about triggering emotions with your music.

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Better Everyday by Keb' Mo'

I was the Recording and Mix Engineer in this production

Terms Of Service

Mix will be completed within 7 days unless otherwise noted. Each mix includes up to 3 revisions. Additional revisions, high track count, or excessive editing may have an extra charge.

GenresSounds Like
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Chris Stapleton
  • Maren Morris
Gear Highlights
  • Neve Portico 2 Master Buss Processor
  • Neve 1073
  • Distressor
  • Apollo x6
  • Every Plug-In known to man
More Photos
More Samples
  • THREE ALBUMS NOMINATED AT THE 62ND GRAMMY AWARDSNov 27, 2019

    Three albums that Zach recorded received a nomination for this year's Grammy Awards. They include “Oklahoma” by Keb’ Mo’ in the Best Americana Album category, as well as “Kingfish” by Kingfish and “Spectacular Class” by Jontavious Willis both in the Best Traditional Blues Album category. Zach has now received five total Grammy nominations.