Credits include Diet Cig, Ray LaMontagne, Phoebe Bridgers, The Shins, Fanfarlo, Norah Jones, Night Beds, Nicki Bluhm, Reba McIntire, The Pretenders, Five For Fighting, and many more.
I got my start as an assistant engineer at Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, CA where I had an opportunity to learn from some of the biggest and best names in recording. As an independent engineer and mixer in L.A., I was lucky enough to work with some amazing artists and producers, including engineering tracks for LeAnn Rhymes, Reba McIntire, Eminem, Pharell, and many more. Along the way I also engineered and mixed over a dozen exclusive sessions for iTunes with artists like Ray LaMontagne, The Pretenders, Five For Fighting, The Shins, Fanfarlo, and Norah Jones. I did extensive mixing work for famed Japanese producer Tetsuya Kamuro that earned several number one spots in Japan. In 2010, I relocated to San Diego and have since engineered and mixed for hundreds of artists, both signed and independent, including Night Beds, Diet Cig, Phoebe Bridgers, Nicki Bluhm, William Wild, and Jesca Hoop.
Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.
212 Reviews - 52 Repeat Clients
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Another fantastic experience with Mike! As always, Mike is very responsive and attentive to detail. He knows what he’s doing and has a wonderful ear. I have enjoyed working with him on multiple tracks!!
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Another wonderful experience with Mike. He is very attentive and responsive, and genuinely cares about your project. He can take your sound to the next level! Would certainly recommend!
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This is my second time working with Mike and I can't wait to send him more songs to mix. He is patient and diligent with revisions and always ensures the final product feels just right. Can't recommend him highly enough!
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Mike is fantastic! This is my second time working with him - he totally transformed my track - he is super quick with response time & has an amazing ear. This won’t be my last time working with Mike! Always a pleasure & certainly recommend.
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Mike has been consistently great to work with - patient with revisions, understands my vision for the song, and great turnaround time. And he’s made the songs sound so much bigger and better than what I came in with.
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It was a pleasure working with Mike. He nailed my song and everything was on the timeframe as originally communicated. I highly recommend him!
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Mike is the man! It’s true that he knows how to find the heart of this song - and he totally took my track to the next level! He has a wonderful ear & is very responsive. I look forward to working with him on future projects and would definitely recommend Mike!
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Mike was so professional, with an AMAZING sounding master and so timely!! Definitely worth your time and attention. Very grateful for his help!
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I worked with Mike for additional production and mixing of my song, and he absolutely killed it. He was super responsive and worked with every piece of feedback I gave. Would absolutely recommend.
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I’ve never heard my music sound like this before. Mike delivered an incredible sounding mix that was anchored to the style of the track, and was able to bring out the vocals and intricacies of the performance in ways I never could’ve imagined. Hire this man for your next project - he’s awesome.
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Mike Butler opened up my track so it feels exquisitely spacious and immediate; de-cluttered my complex arrangement so best parts shine; made the chorus a force to be reckoned with; brought the song’s groove to life; creatively transformed busy percussion into a unique harmonic condiment; sculpted the low end so it has visceral weight while being deftly balanced. His mix is sonic excellence that enhances the song’s integrity- with compression that breathes!!! I’m awed by Mike’s artistry and grit.
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Mike is an incredible mixing and mastering engineer. I’ve worked with him on a bunch of songs and I am always extremely satisfied with his professionalism, communication and the end product. Highly recommend!
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As always, Mike did an excellent job. He was attentive to the few notes I had after he sent his first mix, and I was thrilled with the work he did on this song overall. He's always my first-call choice when I need something mixed.
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Mike is efficient, easy to work with, & delivered a great mix! Highly recommend Mike!
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A consummate professional as usual.
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Great producer that can output incredible sound. Would recommend Mike to anyone! Nailed references I provided, quick turn around too!
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Mike provided so much care and attention to my project, from the jump. Fantastic collaborator and creative. Will certainly hire Mike for future Mix/Master needs.
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Always great to work with Mike. Thank you! :)
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Mike has done ALL of my songs and he always delivers with an incredible mix that matches my vision, great communication and patience. Strongly recommend!
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Mike was amazing! Got the songs exactly where I wanted them and was quick, reliable and professional. I will definitely be coming back!
Interview with Mike Butler
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I listen to and have worked on all types of music, but I primarily mix Indie Rock, Americana, Rock, Country, Folk, and Alternative.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I would say I take an organic approach to mixing records. I want it to sound larger than life and have a big impact, but I still want it to remain sounding honest and authentic. In the end I don't want the listener to hear the mix, I want them to hear the song and have an emotional reaction to it.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Oh, there are too many to pick just one! At the end of the day, I love working on great songs with great performances. It doesn't matter if its a famous artist or someone local just starting out, a great song is always a joy to work on.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: The most important thing for me to remember when I'm working on something is to always try to serve the song. Sometimes it's super fun to slap on 20 plugins and go crazy with effects, but you need to ask yourself, "Does this serve the song, or is it just serving me in this moment?"
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I really try to find the heart of the song. The place where the most impact and emotion is coming from, and build the track from there. I work to preserve the dynamics and nuances while still having plenty of power and energy. I try to let the song and material dictate where it wants to go and never paint every song with the same brush. I want what is unique and special about each song shine through.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Why not both! They are both just tools at your disposal, each has their strengths and weaknesses. I use both freely and wouldn't want to be limited to either one. My motto is, "If it sounds good, it is good.".
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To always treat their music with the same care and attention that they do. I treat it as if it was my own and never cut corners or rush through the process. I approach each mix to make it the best I've ever done, regardless if it's for a major national act, or an artist just starting out with their first recording.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love music, and I love being able to use my experience and skill to help musicians see the vision of their art through to completion. Mixing is the stage where you really get to hear what all of your hard work and dedication to a project has lead to, and I take great pride in being a part of that process.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That I can make any song sound like any other song. Each song, recording, and production is unique, and created under unique circumstances. The mix should reflect that and serve that individual song. I think references are really important, and a great starting place to get everyone on the same page. But, I think if you try too hard to make your mix sound like something else, you can loose what makes it unique and special in itself.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Some general questions would be, "What is your vision for this song?", "Tell me a little about the process of making it?", "What other things in your genre do you really like the sound of?", "What is currently working or not working for you in the song at this point?", "What are some of your influences?". Usually a few questions in that direction will open up the conversation so I can get get a solid picture of what the artist is looking for and how I can help them get there.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: I think there are two really important things to do when hiring a mixer. First and foremost, is listen to their work. Find or ask for examples of things that are similar to your style. Listen to as much as you can to get a feel for their approach. And second, have a conversation with them. You should be able to tell in a 10 minute conversation if they are the right person for the job. They should understand your vision and be easy to communicate with.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I think any mixers strongest skill should be strong communication with the artists. It takes a tremendous amount of trust for an artist to hand over their art to someone, and without proper communication, that trust can't be there.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: So many! I am really inspired by anything that evokes a feeling or energy. I'm a big fan of producers like T-Bone Burnett and mixers like Tchad Blake for their innovative approach to making records. I also really like the work of the new breed of producers like Dave Cobb and Blake Mills.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I have been a professional mix engineer for over 15 years.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: First thing is too start with a conversation with the artist about what they are looking for. We might talk about a specific direction or influences or references from other songs. We may get specific about effects, etc. and if there is a rough mix, I'll listen to that to get a perspective of where it should go. Once I get a feel for what they are looking for I'll dive into the mix. Typically I mix a song in a day. Once I feel I've got in to a place I'm happy with, I'll send it to the artist to get their feedback. If I'm on the right track, I'll do revisions based on the artists notes and deliver final mix versions once the artist is completely happy.
I was the Mix Engineer in this production
- Night Terrors by Diet Cig
- Waiting Room by Phoebe Bridgers
- Morning by William Wild
- Ramona by Night Beds
- Mixing EngineerAverage price - $600 per song
- Mastering EngineerAverage price - $125 per song
- ProducerContact for pricing
Mix rate includes revisions. Editing, Comping, Tuning, and Mix Stems are available upon request for an additional fee.
- Phoebe Bridgers
- Brandi Carlile
- Fleet Foxes
- SSL Matrix
- Pro Tools HDX
- Lynx Aurora Converters
- Neumann Monitors