Max Dishaw on SoundBetter

Hi my name is Max. I've been recording, mixing and making music for over 20 years. I have been the artist, the producer and now the engineer. I understand that mixing records is as much about feel as it is about technical skill. Having the advantage of being an artist myself for the first 10 years of my career taught me how to respect the record.

I work with a wide range of artists from brand new making-their-first-demo to been-recording-for-years. My primary DAWs are ProTools and Logic. If your session is in either of those just zip the folder and send it over! If you're working in Ableton or something similar please bounce out your stems individually. If there are sounds that you're committed to like a spring reverb on a guitar or a specific FX on a track please print those wet (with plugins on the track).
I can typically mix a song in a couple of days. I like to give a day to clear my head and then come back to it so turnaround is about 3-5 days.

I specialize in HipHop and Rnb but have also had great success mixing Pop, Alternative and Indie Rock.

Best to send me mix notes by e-mail. Include time stamps like "ad lib at 2:47 turn up", "more reverb on bell at 1:10"

My goal is to help you achieve the vision that's in your head. There's no ego in mixing and I'm not going to change your record to try and make it "my mix". You're hiring me for my skills, taste and 20+ years of deep understanding of feeling a record.

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Credits

Languages

English
French

11 Reviews

Endorse Max Dishaw

by Gavin Johnston
Max is hands down the most passionate and inspiring producer I know. His incredible relationship management skills pair perfectly with his industry knowledge and intricate ears for improvement. What I found the most supportive was his willingness to understand your vision for any given project and then efficiently mail the vision with supreme execution. I highly recommend working with Max!
by Jake Johnston
Max is able to create a working environment that is both comfortable and inspirational and will bring out the best in any Performers ability. His personal patience and technological knowledge coalesce to form a truly unique experience. I highly suggest working with him
by Dino Hajdarovac
Max was a pleasure to work with. He was very knowledgeable with what sound we were trying to achieve and was very communicative through the process. We will be using Max for further mixes!
by Desi
Max is a top notch engineer. Hands down the best mix downs I've had done. Clarity on the vocals and total respect to the artistic vision. He mixed my EP and he really brought life and justice to the feel of each track. All from stems too! He was a fantastic communicator; kind, respectful, and was happy to make changes when necessary. I can't stress enough the vast depth of knowledge he possesses. I'm definitely looking forward to working with him again one day. Highly recommend.
by Jarryd Moore
Working with Max has been an amazing experience. Being able to trust somebody with the mix of your song is very important and Max never fails to understand the vision. His attention to detail and passion go a long ways as he brings the life of the song together. I highly recommend getting your songs mixed by Max Dishaw.
by Nostic
Max has been mixing my music for the last 8 years.
he is thorough, great communicator, great listener, efficient and just over all great to work with. He responds fast to e mails and is a plethora of knowledge when it comes to mixing, genuinely cares about his craft even if he may not be into your music, he is someone I have come back to after working with other engineers. Its hard to come by talented engineers, like Max I would highly recommend.
Famous and professional artist from around the world, say my production is top shelf, but that's all thanks to Max.
by Evan T.
When I began working with Max three years ago, my expectations for quality were at an an informed industry standard earned through eight years of recording studio albums in various genres. From our first in studio session to the mixing and mastering Max is currently working on in the context of an ambitious/expansive musical project, he's proven to be an impressive professional with imaginative input; a joy to work with and very capable. My mixes have never sounded more top shelf and on the mark. I endorse Max for anyone seeking a truly professional imprint on a wide milieu of audio projects.
by Mr. Wilder
Max is a true professional. He’s amazing to work with, provides insightful feedback and is passionate about what he does. The consistent item of feedback I’ve heard across the board from listeners is that my music sounds professional. This is all due to the great work Max has done on my mixes and masters. Without a doubt I will continue to work with Max and reap the rewards.
by JML
Max has a great ear for mixes and is very communicative throughout the process. Max works very efficiently and always gets me a quality mix and master with a quick turnaround. He is my go-to engineer whenever possible.
by Teanna Bradshaw
Max is amazing to work with. He is very thorough and educated with his mixing and mastering. Always professional and willing to educate and provide great advice.
by Tristan Meroni
Max is musically trained and extremely precise with his mixing and mastering process. He is able to work out stems, both vocal and musical, in order to leave a properly balanced end product.

Interview with Max Dishaw

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: An artist I'd know for about 5 years went from hard core Rap to Indie Pop! I was involved in mixing and mastering his EP. We got such good feedback from everyone and he made the transition so seamlessly. I was really excited to be working on a new genre and I felt like my strong background in Hip-Hop helped give the project a flavour that suited his new style.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: A 52 song double LP rap magnum opus. Tons of great musicianship, flute solos, DJ cuts singing rapping an spoken word. A very cool artist who I've become good friends with. I can't wait for people to hear it. Don't worry, I still have time for new projects!
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I could go fully digital and not worry about it. At the moment I'm probably 90% digital anyhow. Certainly at the recording stage, expensive microphones and high end preamps are irreplaceable but I'm not about to get into an argument over a plugin 1176 and the hardware.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: We'll get the sound that's in your head
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The moment where the sounds are really starting to gel and I get goosebumps from the song. I feel really lucky to be able to work on music and have artists trust me with their sound.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: When do you think you'll have it ready? I'm always transparent about my workload and status with clients so they can expect a timeline before I start working on their record.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I think that the vast majority of the world doesn't even know that mixing is an essential part of all of their favourite records.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What are you hoping to achieve by having your song mixed? What about your rough/demo do you feel is lacking? What do you not want me to do to your record? Have you ever had your music professionally mixed?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make sure you've recorded everything before sending the song for mixing.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: MacBook Pro. Genelec 8341. Audio Technica ATH-m50x headphones, HomePod mini to check mixes on and my Apollo interface.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started out rapping when I was 12. My cousin and I recorded songs in his basement with cracked software and a $19 USB microphone. I eventually bought a MacBook and actual recording equipment in high school. After a few years of making my owns albums on Garage Band I started recording other local artists and friends and realized I loved that as much as making my owns music. After high school I moved to London, and attended a music college there for advanced music production. I kept learning and refinishing the craft of engineering and took another year of music production education at Nimbus in Vancouver BC. 20 years later I'm still following the original passion and love for making records and now get to make a living helping other artists achieve their vision.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I hope that my style adds a great deal of feeling to a record.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Charles Aznevour. Jay-Z. Stevie Wonder. All had such prolific careers that spanned decades and never became stale. I want to know where and how they harvested their creative energy.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Arrangement! Leave space for your vocal. Don't overcrowd the song with 7 synths, violins and a saxophone solo and expect to have a vocal that sit well. Nail the recording. Spend 4 hours finding the sweet spot with your mic and perfecting your tone as opposed to rushing into the recording and then spending the same amount of time "fixing" as opposed to mixing.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Hip-hop, Rnb, Trap.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Putting myself in the artists shoes.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Flavour. I'm really big on subtle FX. Things you might no notice until the 4th or 5th listen. Two decades experience on when to keep fussing and when to leave the record alone. I rode myself on my people and communication skills. Quick response times and human connection with the artist.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I like to ask for a couple of reference mixes from the client. This can be particularly helpful for artist who are not as experienced in articulating technical ideas and terms. Once I get a song I like to listen to the rough mix and take notes as I familiarize myself with what the artist has gotten used to hearing.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I mix in a cozy laneway cottage by the beach. I monitor with a set of Genelec 8341 and a sub. I have a handful of outboard gear I use to sweeten the mixes. Particularly a Maag EQ4m and an Audiscape Buss Comp that I use at the very end of the chain.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Multi-track mixing and mastering