Skara (Sweden) Based Mix & Recording Engineer. Credits include The Gems, Gathering Of Kings, The Night Flight Orchestra, The Liptones, Cactus Vibrance, and many more.
Hi! My name is Mikko Viitala. I am a mixing/recording engineer, producer, and drummer.
My career started at Nordic Sound Lab Studios in 2014, where I currently work as an in-house engineer. I also teach masterclasses in mixing, recording, and production.
I have been active in the music industry for eight years and have worked with many artists, producers, and songwriters in many different genres and styles.
For me, it is all about the feel and emotion of a song. I always try to capture the artist’s vision and make it the best possible. I am not afraid to try new ideas or change my approach to get the client's desired result. I love working with both signed and independent artists, bands & songwriters. I can help the artist create their signature sound to make the song/album stand out.
Communication is a big part of every project. I am prepared to go the extra mile to make sure you get what you want for your project.
Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions! I would love to hear about your project!
Send me a note through the contact button above.
8 Reviews
Endorse Mikko Viitala
Mikko is great to work with! He really walked the extra mile to get the sound that we wanted for our songs and we’re so proud of the result!
Mikko has it all, skills, visions and a golden ear. He adds a lot to the productions and mixes he works with. And the fact that he's a cool dude makes everything even better.
Very talented mixer & recording engineer! I've had the pleasure of working with him for years and he still continues to amaze me. A true inspiration for me and in my opinion the whole music industry. Nothing but kind words!
It’s easy and creative to work with Mikko.
For me it’s all about keeping the flow in the studio and he’s really good at transforming ideas to results./// Staffan Åkerblom
I had such a good time recording my music with Mikko and was more than happy with the result. Even though the whole recording-situation was new to me, he made me feel comfortable in the studio. I really appreciated his creative ideas and ability to capture exactly the feeling I wanted.
Working with Mikko was a great joy. We had a blast through out the recording and mixing and we ended up with a production everybody in the band is very happy about!
Cheers
The LiptonesAmazing mix on this new track! Great communication trough out the process and fast delivery!
We are so happy about our collaboration with Mikko! He is easy to work with and he quickly understood the direction of our music. What we valued a lot was that he was very keen on understanding our vision and making the mix unique for us.
Interview with Mikko Viitala
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I'm proud of working with the band Water & Wine. The whole process felt like a bunch of friends just hanging out and having fun. I played drums and was the recording engineer and mix engineer on that project.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I'm working on mixing an album with a band called The Background World. It is a fun, creative, and ambient out-of-the-box thinking project.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Johan Randen, when he decides to join.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I like the combination of both because it gives me the freedom to choose between digital precision and analog warmth.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I get to work with music for a living.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Should I send my files with or without effects? If the effect is part of the sound, leave it. If the effect is not part of the sound, take it away.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I once had a person ask if I made a track in eJay.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What kind of music/albums do they like?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Never stop doing what you like.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: The thermionic culture vulture, 1176, ssl eq, ssl bus compressor and lexicon 480L reverb.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I have always been fascinated by sounds and music. Because of that, it was only natural for me to attend a music school where I learned about recording, music production, mixing, and mastering. I have been working as a mixing/recording engineer for 8 years now.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Distorted.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Any artist that wants to create some awesome music.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: First takes are usually the best!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Indie rock, indie pop, rock, punk rock, punk, pop, singer-songwriter, alt-country.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Always willing to learn something new.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: My goal is to try to bring out the artists' visions and ideas and make them translate to the listener.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: For me, the first thing is getting a feel for the song. Figuring out what drives it and what the important elements are. Balancing is a big part of my process. After that, it is about making everything fit together.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I use a hybrid setup with both analog and digital equipment. It gives me the best of both worlds, digital precision, and analog warmth.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: The people who inspire me the most in this business are the people around me, my colleagues, clients.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Mixing, recording, editing.
I was the Recording and Mixing engineer in this production
- Mixing EngineerAverage price - $250 per song
- Recording StudioAverage price - $600 per day
- EditingAverage price - $50 per track
- Live drum trackAverage price - $100 per song
-Turnaround time for 1 song is 2-3 days, depending on demand and level of editing required.
-Unlimited revisions.
- Thermionic Culture Vulture
- 1176 Compressor
- La-4a Compressor
- Smart Research C2 Stereo Compressor
- SB4000 Compressor
- Valley People Dyna-mite compressor
- Empirical Labs Fatso - EL7X
- Warm Audio eqp-wa.
