Aidan McLain

Producer, Mixer, Editor

starstarstarstarstar
6 Reviews (2 Verified)
Aidan McLain on SoundBetter

10+ Years Experience Producing, Arranging, & Mixing. Israel Sims, “Love Imagined” - Produced, Engineered, Mixed BMTB (Black Market the Band), “Tattoo” - Produced, Engineered, Mixed Viana, “Elevator Home” - Produced, Arranged, Engineered, Mixed Many many more…

When I got started in the recording world over 10 years ago, I had no idea what my passion would become. What began as recording my own written songs quickly turned into producing and arranging for friends - and soon clients. Today, I can look back on years of Mixing, Producing, Arranging and Editing for a healthy list of bands and artists.

Services Offered:

Mixing
A common approach to mixing is to balance everything so that each element is heard equally. I think the primary task of a Mixer is to identify the emotional arc of a song and enhance it. From one moment to the next, what elements are the most important to the emotional story? What moments are there to support the main feature? These are the questions that I ask as a Mixer.

Producing
I've produced in the traditional sense, and the contemporary sense. Whether you want the electronic production of a song, or someone to take the lead in the studio, I can do both. At

Arranging
Arranging compelling harmonies for vocals, strings, keys, synths, and guitars is a deep love of mine.

Editing
Audio editing like timing and tuning is critical for professional releases. Despite the crucial role editing plays, it's often perceived by musicians/artists as bothersome and tedious. It's a win-win for both of us that I enjoy the editing, and they get a professional result.

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

6 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client

Endorse Aidan McLain
  1. Review by Brendan A.
    starstarstarstarstar
    check_circleVerified

    I cannot recommend working with Baby Arugula enough. The communication was clear, kind and timely. It was a pleasure working with them and I hope it's not the last!

  2. Review by Brendan A.
    starstarstarstarstar
    check_circleVerified

    Working with Baby Arugula was amazing. Aidan was communicative, detailed and extremely responsive. He brought out layers to the song I hadn't even realized myself. Can't wait to work with him again in the future!

  3. Review by Cyrus Payne
    starstarstarstarstar
    by Cyrus Payne

    Working with Aidan was a very smooth process. He is very professional and communicative and the final product was well worth every penny. I will be using him again and will recommend him to anyone looking for mixing and mastering.

  4. Review by IVY
    starstarstarstarstar
    by IVY

    Working with Baby Arugula was one of the best experiences in my music career so far. He is very knowledgeable and makes working on a project with him a very fun smooth process. After having experienced working with many unprofessional producers in the past, working with Baby Arugula was a breath of fresh air. He was able to make my vision come to life with his musical expertise, insight, and always being open to try new things. I’ll be reaching out to him whenever I work on a new project.

  5. Review by JORDAN
    starstarstarstarstar
    by JORDAN

    Baby Arugula Productions has been a long time friend ans collaborator. I’d say my favorite thing about him is his dedication. He’s always willing figure out new ways to do things and is a great problem solver. He also is very very passionate about learning and also sharing knowledge which is hard to come by in the us industry. Our experience with him was excellent, we needed something really quick but of course the best quality. He was also very adaptable in the sense that he tries to work well within the confines of an artists’ budget. Very very sweet person and great artist.

  6. Review by Henry Gross
    starstarstarstarstar
    by Henry Gross

    The Man, the Myth, the Aidan is an extremely smart, articulate, understanding, and caring human being. His work in producing music reflects these attributes. He is very hardworking and intent on listening to artists to help shape their visions into reality. He has played on, engineered, mixed, and mastered many projects I have been a part of and they all have turned out fantastical. He is always learning and always open to new ideas and new techniques. He is very nice and super easy to work with. Considering the quality of work he does for the price, I couldn’t recommend him highly enough.

Interview with Aidan McLain

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

  2. A: A project I hold very dear to my heart is the record I did with Israel Sims last year called, "Love Imagined". You can find it on any streaming service. It was my first time working with a Jazz/Soul group, so I had to trust my instincts and let my intuition guide me through uncharted territory. The result is possibly my favorite sounding project I've been a part of to date. The entire album is recorded live with only two overdubs in the whole record. The level of musicianship was incredible to experience and demanded a heightened work ethic from me. There's no room for second guessing when the band is ready to record. Make the best decisions you can and make them quickly. Well, I think the results speak for themselves.

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

  4. A: What tasks are you asking of me? How many songs are in the project, or how many tracks are in the song? How long is the song(s)? Are you sending me the multi-tracks, or stems? What is your total budget? When is your deadline? What are three songs from other artists that were inspirational to the writing in this project? What are three commercially released songs that you like the sound of, that you want to put your song in a playlist in and it not fall flat by comparison?

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

  6. A: Don't let fear, doubt, and "what-if's" stop you from achieving what you know you are capable of. Send me a message and let's get started.

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

  8. A: Maybe I'm over thinking, but on a desert island I would need power. So first on the list would be a solar powered generator. MacBook Pro Large but Portable External Hard Drive Sony MDR Headphones iPhone

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

  10. A: As a musician, I have been drumming with my hands since I was very little. I began on the drum kit and bass guitar around sixth grade and have since learned my way around several instruments. In audio engineering, my path is the classic tale of maxing out your gear, until you have fully outgrown the equipment you have. I began on Garageband on the iPod 4th gen. Eventually I moved to an iPad with an Alesis preamp doc. Today I have a project studio full of professional quality gear. Music and audio engineering has been in the family since before I was born. My dad was an engineer under people like Brett Gurewitz, Jeff Peters, Dave Darling, and others. He worked on Indestructible by Rancid, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? by Metric, and more. For a time, he was the in-house engineer at Sonora Recorders in Los Angeles. With a past like this, I was almost bound to learn the craft and become an engineer.

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

  12. A: Big Fun

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

  14. A: My repertoire varies considerably in terms of genre, however, the majority of my work has organic instruments. Even the electronic productions I've done typically include some degree of live performance or organic instrumentation.

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

  16. A: At the end of the day, it's all about the satisfaction of the artist/band. That means communication is of the utmost importance. When it comes to mixing, editing, arranging, and mastering, I have templates that I use to ensure consistent professional quality and a good pace of progress. When I'm producing a project with a band or artist, I have to feel the room. Sometimes a client wants hands on guidance on everything from tones and performance to changes in the song. Other times, my role as a producer is simply to make sure everyone involved is happy and doing their best work.

  17. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  18. A: A/D & D/A: Soundcraft MTK 22 & UA Apollo x8p Monitors: JBL 308P MkII DAW (in order of fluency and usage): Logic Pro X, Izotope RX, Pro Tools, Reaper Plugins: Full range of professional and creative plugins from developers like Waves, UA, Soundtoys, and many more. Outboard: Audion PS3010 (1178 Style Compressor), DBX 163, DBX 110, DBX 118, Behringer MDX 2200, TC Electronic M300, and countless guitar pedals to patch in at will. Instruments: 5 Piece Premier Drum Kit, Variety of Guitars (Electric and Acoustic), 1 Midi Keyboard, 2 Recorders, 1 Ukulele, Variety of Shakers and other Percussion, MicroKorg Amplification: SWR Bass 750 Amp Head, SWR Goliath Junior III Cabinet, Fender Bass Breaker 45, Fender DeVille, Orange OR15 Head w/matching 2x10 Cab, Fender Rumble 200, Marshall MS-2R LDC Microphones: AKG 214 Pair, AT 2035 Pair, CAD GXL1200, CAD GXL2200 SDC Microphones: Lauten Audio LA-120 Pair Dynamic Microphones: EV 664, Shure Beta 52, Shure Super 55, Shure SM57 x3, Shure SM57 (Transformerless), Shure SM58 Pair Ribbon Microphones: Golden Age Project R1 Mk II, MXL R40, Shure 330

  19. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  20. A: Both. Follow your ears. Follow your heart. Follow your feelings.

  21. Q: How would you describe your style?

  22. A: Heavy, Punchy, Vibey

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

  24. A: Steve Albini, Joe Barresi, Sylvia Massey, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Rage Against the Machine, System of A Down, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis

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

  26. A: Mixing, Editing, and Engineering are the three most common types of work I do.

loading
play_arrowpause
skip_previous
skip_next
Tattoo by BMTB

I was the Producer, Engineer, Mixer in this production

GenresSounds Like
  • Israel Sims
  • BMTB
  • Viana
Gear Highlights
  • Soundcraft MTK 22
  • UA Apollo X8P
  • Audion PS3010
  • DBX 163
  • DBX 110
  • DBX 118
  • TC Electronic M300
More Photos
SoundBetter Deal

Send me an email for a more detailed estimate.

  • BMTB - "Tattoo" Out July 28, 2023Aug 11, 2023

    Check out the latest BMTB single - produced, engineered, and mixed by yours truly.


    BMTB - Tattoo

  • Israel Sims - "Love Imagined" Out July 15, 2022Aug 11, 2023

    Written by Israel Sims and Produced, Engineered, and Mixed by yours truly.

    Israel Sims - Love Imagined