Jake Stokes on SoundBetter

Mix Engineer and Producer, specialising in rock and metal, creating rich and detailed recordings. I offer unlimited revisions until you're totally happy with the result. You'll have the option to join me in the studio virtually for the live mix sessions. Great communication and fast turnaround time.

Hi, I'm Jake.

I’m a music producer and mix engineer. I specialise in modern sounding, heavy music ranging from indie rock to metal. I love to balance the nuance and realism of recorded instruments with the larger than life radio sound that we have all come to know and love.

My work has millions of streams, and is regularly in the NZ Top 10 Charts. I produced/mixed the promo music for Submission Audio Plugin 'Punkbass'. In 2017 I shadowed Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Joe Bonamassa), learning mixing philosophies that have helped to shape my current mixing style.

With an extensive background as a musician and session guitarist, I approach music production from the perspective of an artist, bridging the gap between musician and engineer, and capturing each artist’s musical intention. I endeavour to create technically precise recordings that reflect my clients’ musicality and character.

I own a spec built recording/mixing studio, designed to create an inspiring, sonically perfect listening environment without any compromises made on workflow. The result is an exceptionally flat frequency response across the entire spectrum allowing music to be listened to with pristine precision, and musical decisions to be made with total confidence. Fitted with world class equipment, working in the studio feels effortless and inspires creativity.

I'd love to chat further!

Contact me through the green button above and let's get to work.

Credits

Languages

English

36 Reviews - 4 Repeat Clients

Endorse Jake Stokes

by Joseph H.
Verified
Jake Stokes has an ear that is unrivalled. We chose him based on his skill with heavy/rock music but it shows he is proficient across many genres. He offers amazing quality in preproduction, recording/editing/mixing, and release planning that can often be the reason a good song goes the distance. 100% recommend Jake and will definitely use him again. Thanks Jake!
by Mohammad K.
Verified
Third instalment of working with Jake, reinforcing impressions from the previous two:
-Clear and transparent communication
-Excellent and focussed commitment to the project
-Fantastic (and at times necessary) input towards the music
-Generous accomodation of my time restraints, schedule and commitments
-Great atmosphere, great golden retriever
If you want rock, pop, country or any self invented sub genre, want an excellent finished product and want to have fun in the process, hit up Jake.
by Mohammad K.
Verified
Jake is a magician at music production and brewing beer. Alfie is an excellent musical sous chef. Quality herbal and English Breakfast teas available upon request. Returning customer thoroughly satisfied.

Highly recommend! Your projects are in safe and capable hands.
by ALL S.
Verified
Jake delivered another impeccable mix for us on our fourth single. His attention to detail means that we are always able to see our songs through to their best possible version. Revisions were minimal and quickly completed, and the whole band is super happy with it. Go stream Moonlight by ALL I SEEK on Spotify and hear it for yourself ;)
by ALL S.
Verified
Jake delivered the exact results we were after while maintaining a professional but relaxed working environment. The vocals sounded very polished and hi fi, and we were able to get some great takes from the singer because of the synergy and good vibes in the session. Top notch communication too. Stoked! ;)
by Mohammad K.
Verified
Jake has introduced me to the most methodical and streamlined approach to writing and consolidating music I have ever experienced. A great human and an equally great musician + producer.

10/10 recommend.
by Michael R.
Verified
I had my band's EP mixed with Jake, and working with him was a great experience- he is friendly, professional and very skilled at what he does. My band is very happy with the end result and would highly recommend him to anyone else!
by Sam Higham
Verified (Client)
Incredibly good producer/engineer and a top bloke! Excellent communication, speedy file transfer and payment
by Michael R.
Verified
Great communication, patience and enthusiasm with helping us achieve the sound we were looking for!
by ALL S.
Verified
Wonderful job, quick turnaround time and of the highest quality! Highly recommend.
by David L.
Verified
Jakes went above and beyond the normal scope of what a Mixing Engineer would do to ensure we got the best result possible. Absolute gem to work with and we are over the moon with the results. Can't recommend him enough.
by David L.
Verified
Jake is one of the most talented and easy to work with producer / engineers I've dealt with. Would recommend him to anyone who needs any project done to a professional radio ready standard. He deeply cares about his craft and goes the extra mile to make the project amazing.
by Tessa - Girl Best Friend
Working with Jake was a very straightforward and enjoyable process. He made it easy by breaking up sections of the process into very manageable areas. By doing this we were able to focus on just being the artists in the session which allowed us to push our creative boundaries. The communication was great the whole time, and although our genre was not something he had the most experience in compared to others, the final master ended up coming out better than we could've imagined and sounds super polished considering how many layers there are. We're so pleased with the results. Thanks Jake!
by Madeline Berry
Jake is the perfect example of a human being doing exactly what they are meant to be doing. Not only is this so nice to see, it is a privilege to be a part of the process. He is methodical, patient and manages to find the balance between understanding an artist’s creative integrity; and knowing when to give advice to better the project. He demonstrated this while working on my upcoming track ‘Consume.’ We had such a great time working on it, and I felt supported the whole way. I cannot wait to make more music with this incredible talent.
by Floor Five
Pleasure to work with Jake - absolute professionalism from day one. From the pre-production, recording, final mixes, and post-recording advice, the song has become everything we hoped it would and then some. Look forward to working with Jake in the future. Cheers
by William Philipson
Jake is possibly the most talented and skillful audio engineer I have ever met. His mixes and recordings are created with utmost precision and are always at the highest of quality. He makes everything he touches sound better-- everything he mixes or records has such clarity and balance while remaining huge and massive sounding.

His studio is also world-class, and he also has a very cute and cheerful dog. 5 stars!
by Tom Langdale-Hunt
Jake is everything you could ask for from a producer, and more. His time management and positivity create an environment where your product really has every chance to flourish. I have used his services for every recorded project I have worked on, and it's for good reason: he's already at the top of his game, and is certainly worth being trusted to present your work to some of the best production around.
by Conall Ryan
Jake is an exceptional human being, and an even more exceptional recording / mixing engineer and producer. He has great ideas and knows how to implement them in the best way possible. I have been a massive fan of a lot of his work, and was lucky enough to work with him on a very high quality live video for my band. Cannot recommend him enough, and look forward to working with him again in future!
by Glenn C.
Working with Jake is an awesome experience. His tips and feedback during the pre-production phase were integral to taking the songs I recorded with him to the next level. He works super hard and makes fantastic suggestions throughout the whole recording process. He helped me tweak some harmonies on one track until they were absolute fire and he wrote and played a killer bass line practically out of thin air on another. That's just a couple of examples, I'm positive Jake can deliver anything you need!
by Jasper West
Jake's preparation and time management is second to none. He always brings an enthusiastic atmosphere to the studio and makes any musician feel comfortable right away. Jake expertly uses constructive criticism to make sure each idea is the evaluated and rounded to ensure the product you receive from him is of the highest industry standard.

Interview with Jake Stokes

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I loved how my mix of Envy by ALL I SEEK came out. You can check that out in the audio portfolio player in the top right of this page. I love how massive and polished it sounds, yet is still raw and brutal.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Mixes for a metalcore band. I'm loving how're they're coming together.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both! I love the tactility and workflow of tracking through outboard analog gear, not to mention the warmth and saturation it imparts. In the mix, you just can't beat the workflow and recall of digital when processing individual tracks, but I still sum my mixes through analog EQ and compression just to give that extra juicy vibe, and final few percent.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise to give your project the same high level of attention and commitment that I give to every project. I will always work my hardest and give my best to all my clients.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I get to make music with cool people, every day. It's an absolute dream. What's not to love?
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Q. What's your turnaround time? A. 3 - 5 working days (more for larger projects!). Q. Are you based in NZ or London? A. Both! I have a studio in NZ, and commute to the UK for work when necessary. Q. Is New Zealand in London? A. No, it's actually in Australia, and we've only just received internet connection.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: People assume mixing is purely technical. That's not the case at all - it's incredibly creative, musical, and intuitive.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What are you trying to achieve through this project? What are you musical references?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Listen to their work, check out some reviews, listen to their work, establish a rapport, and then listen to their work some more. I hire people all the time across all areas of the industry, and this is what's most important to me. Oh, and listen to their work.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My Sennheiser HD650 headphones, my computer (Assuming I have all my software/plugins!), my Fender P Bass, an AKG C414, and most importantly my iLok!! Naturally, I'd forget all cables so my high end computer would become a glorified drum.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I have been working professionally in the music industry since 2009, and working as a 'career' producer since 2015. I have also worked extensively as a session guitarist.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: My style is to make full, fat recordings. I love big bass, a crystal clear top end, and a very detailed and colourful midrange. I aim to achieve a perfect balance between all these elements, to give that 'polished' sound.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Frank Turner. For the refreshingly raw punk rock ethos, wrapped up in a commercial, radio ready package. How fun would that be??
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: It goes without saying: A good mix starts with a good arrangement! But everyone knows that, so here's one for the nerds: To achieve a massive, loud sound, embrace saturation as a mixing tool. Saturation doesn't simply turn your transients down in the same way a compressor does - instead it changes the dynamics by spreading the frequency information out across the audio spectrum, retaining the perceived dynamic, colour and impact when used appropriately. Multiband saturation can be a beautiful substitute for EQ.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Anything under the broader 'rock' umbrella. Rock, Pop, Punk, Metal, Indie, Folk etc. Anything that strongly features recorded instruments is where I like to live.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Read my reviews if you'd like the most honest answers! In my own biased opinion, it's my ability to see the big picture from the beginning, and keep all my technical and creative decisions in line with the artist's vision/goals.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: A blend of technical expertise, musicality, and objectivity. I also bring total commitment and enthusiasm to every project I work on.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: A good working relationship always starts with a good chat so I can understand your specific musical direction and situation. I want to know exactly what you need from this project, both short term and long term goals. I also want to have a great relationship with my clients, so that we can all have a great time doing while being creatives! In my opinion, mixing must be approached from both musical and technical perspectives if sonic perfection is to be achieved. The range of possibilities of where a sound can go is vast, so a mixer must first use their musicality and instincts to judge what the artist’s creative intention is for each layer, and then their ears and technical skills to take the sound to exactly where it needs to be. I find mixing the most enjoyable when I let a song ‘mix itself’. I listen to the raw tracks, and imagine them as if they were a final master. Each element of the mix should have a clear purpose to me, so I mix each layer to where it cries out to be, rather than forcing it to be something it isn’t. Songs tend together much more seamlessly this way, and I find they give me an instinctive notion of whether or not a snare needs more transient, a guitar needs more sizzle, or that lead vocal needs 1db more reverb on that last note of the prechorus etc. Of course, if an artist has a different idea on what an element should be then I embrace this and reimagine the song with the new perspective, until the artist is 100% happy.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I work in a custom built recording and mixing studio, designed in collaboration with Jesco Lohan from Acoustics Insider. The goal of the build was to create an inspiring, sonically perfect listening enrivonment without any compromises made on workflow. The result is an exceptionally flat frequency response across the entire spectrum allowing music to be listened to with pristine precision, and musical decisions to be made with total confidence. Fitted with world class equipment, working in the studio feels effortless and inspires creativity.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: The list is massive. My current audio crushes are Eric Valentine, Nolly, and Simon Grove.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: About 70% of my work is mixing, and the other 30% is recording and producing clients here in my studio in New Zealand.