Dave Eringa on SoundBetter

Dave is an award winning producer & mixer with over 30 years experience and many gold, silver and platinum records. Over the years Dave has produced or mixed records for Manic Street Preachers, The Who, Idlewild, Roger Daltrey, Wilko Johnson, The Proclaimers, Calogero, Kylie, Jamie Webster, Andrew Cushin, The Sherlocks, Ash, Suede to name but a few

I love working on all genres & my long career has taken me all over the world to some of the most famous studios. Throughout my career I take most pride in the number of artists who have become repeat clients & great friends; I have worked on 10 albums with the Manic Street Preachers, 5 Idlewild, 3 Calogero, 3 Proclaimers, 3 with Roger Daltrey/The Who alongside many less known independent artists too!

I started in music in 1990 at Robin Millar's Powerplant Studios where I met the Manics, going freelance at 21 when i produced & mixed their second album Gold Against The Soul. Since then I have mixed all over the world but now have my own mix room in Essex, which allows me to mix remotely on quick turnarounds.

Mixing is something I've always loved! The key for me lies in my philosophy that a mix is not just about balance but pushing the energy & soul of a song. My mixes move the ‘spotlight’ throughout the arrangement to create dynamics & interest, while always respecting the lyric by keeping the vocal front & centre. Whether working with legendary artists or emerging talents, if my name is going on the credit I want to give it 110% & make it sound amazing!

My studio is hybrid Pro Tools based with lots of classic analogue toys to play with!

Get in touch if you think I can help; I'd love to hear about your project!

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Credits

22 Reviews

Endorse Dave Eringa

by Charlie Reid / The Proclaimers
Dave has great instincts around musicians.
He brings the best out of people and maintains incredible energy.
His mixes are powerful and emotional
by Tom Van Can
I’ve worked with Dave Eringa since before the pandemic. He’s supportive, imaginative and genuinely excited in pre-production and in the studio he is full of boundless energy, particularly with mixing he can imagine the whole of the most complex song and turn failing mixes into hit songs and original mixes into tracks you’ll always be proud of. Tom Van Can
by Roseanne Reid
I've worked with Dave on an E.P. and he was absolutely amazing, so knowledgable and accommodating. He was friendly and great to work with and I was blown away by the quality of the finished product. He took something relatively simple and gave it so much depth and atmosphere. I really hope to work with him again at some point!
by Murray Macleod
I’ve worked with Dave on 3 records and he is a delight to work with. His vast knowledge of recording and mixing is second to none and his attention to detail is something every musician dreams of in a producer / mixer.
by Sean Genockey
Dave is an incredible mix engineer, always keeping the artists vision paramount.His ability to make the music soar with energy, but being able to still hear every detail and nuance in the track is unprecedented.
His sound is modern and polished but with a feel of a classic record.
by Ed Castelow
Dave mixed an EP for me which was a mixture of his tracking sessions and my own. He took the whole thing to a new dimension with his mastery of the mix. The width and depth to the sound was something I had never obtained before with my music before. All of the mixing notes were exchanged over email which can be a nightmare but with Dave it was a breeze. He understood everything I was describing in my notes and process was joyous. Get Dave to mix your record, you will not regret it!
Ed - Dictaphone Blues
by Rob Fleming
Dave mixed our upcoming album (KillerStar), featuring David Bowie band alumni. There was lots of complex mix work with some of the tracks and Dave handled it magnificently. We've used many different great mixers over the years but Dave is by far the best! The mixes were incredible!!! His work has contributed so much to the quality of the final album. In addition, he is incredibly responsive and nothing is too much trouble. An all round lovely guy and an insanely talented mixing engineer!
by Guy Massey
Dave is a powerhouse of production and mixing. I have known him for many years and am proud to say he has become a very close friend. I often run mixes by him to gain any insight into how mine can be bettered, something I don't ask many of my peers to do, so in that respect, to me, he has a greatly respected pair of ears and a wealth of knowledge on many things music related. He also smokes a mean chicken and has a large beard.
by Edward Knowles
Dave is gifted in a way elevates him above any engineer I've worked with over the last 20 years. His mixes are freakishly good and he's just such a lovely guy to be in a studio with. His high IQ and EQ make him a special sort.
by Greg Haver
Dave’s work is always brilliant, be it production, engineering, mixing and mentoring, I couldn’t rate his work more highly. He is also a wonderful human to be around!
by James Dean Bradfield
I guess the fact that we’re still working with Dave 33 years on says all that needs to be said. His unrivalled work ethic combined with his natural talent & ability to always find, & push further the energy in a mix is a powerful combination that keeps us coming back!
James Dean Bradfield (Manic Street Preachers)
by François L.
We've been lucky to work with Dave on several occasions. He has mixed several albums by Belgian singer Typh Barrow. He's a pleasure to work with. His mixes take the songs into another dimension. We'll be calling on his services again for future productions.
by Ed Woods
Dave is one of the top producers and mixing engineers working today. His incredible energy, passion and the sounds of his wonderful studio come across in every second of the music that he produces or mixes. Ive worked with Dave on loads of different styles of music and he nails it every single time
by Rich Millin
Dave produced an album for one of my former bands some years ago. He was a force of nature in the studio and truly made the entire experience unforgettable.

His knowledge is second to none and his work as a producer and mix engineer has, in my experience, yet to be topped.

The album still sounds relevant today and it is by far the best sounding record I have ever been a part of.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6b26M33Wza31Q6HqbEwyOD

I am happy to recommend Dave as one of the best producers in the UK and one of the best people to be with in the studio.
by emre ramazanoglu
Dave is one of a kind! His incredible attention to detail, enviable experience, deep musicality and incredible technical ability are really unrivalled in this industry. It’s a real gift to see him here on Soundbetter!
by Tom H
Dave is a legend. I've had the privilege of collaborating with him on three full-length records, not to mention several other projects, and he’s always a joy to work with. His expertise and commitment to the craft is unrivalled and he consistently delivers fantastic results.
by Jordan Smith
I’ve worked with Dave on several projects over the last 15 years and every time is a joy. You’re always gassed to get to work everyday - his enthusiasm is so pure and infectious, couldn’t recommend him enough!
by James M.
I have worked with Dave over a period of 20+ years,and aside from being one of the most positive and lovely human beings of the 117 billion people that have ever existed,he is also one of the hairiest and ridiculously talented men it has ever been my privilege to work with.Whether recording or mixing,Dave is so intuitive with where and what a track needs to be that the process becomes effortless,as every single earthly sonic desire is ushered into existence,and all internal playbacks from your head are made real and magnified beyond your wildest expectations.To know Dave is to love him as I do
by Alan Bambrough
I've been lucky enough to have known and worked with Dave Eringa on various albums since 1993. As a producer, recording and mix engineer, he is outstanding. Beyond his technical skills and great ears, he also brings an abundance of positive energy and humour to any situation. Be it a platinum selling superstar, a musical legend or an artist at the beginning of their journey, the outcome will always be better as a result of Dave's contribution.
by Phil Donnelly
Dave Eringa, an exceptional mixing engineer and producer. I've had the pleasure of working with Dave as a bassist and a string arranger. What sets Dave apart is his remarkable ability to bring out the best in every element of a project. His attention to detail is outstanding, and he fosters a positive working environment with his sense of humor and easygoing nature. Working with Dave is a pleasure, and I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone looking for top-tier mixing and production. Your mixes won't sound better with anyone else!

Interview with Dave Eringa

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I’m very proud of the Roger Daltrey solo album I produced “As Long As I Have You”. I got to share the mixing with the incredible Michael Brauer & I learned so much from his mixes! Mine had to sit next to his so I had to get better & move up a level not to look stupid! Making a soul & R&B album with one of the best singers in history, with an incredible band, often tracked live off the floor was as incredible learning experience! The same is true of the Manics albums that I’ve shared the mixing with Chris Lord Alge on - working with these kind of guys really elevates your own art because you have to get as good as them to not look terrible!! Of course I’ll always be super proud of If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, which I produced & mixed. It was mine & the bands first no1 single & it will always hold a special place in my heart!
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Guy Massey & Chris Sheldon are both not only good friends but unbelievable professionals at the very top of the game!
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both, of course. The tools are not as important as what you do with them!
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: That we’ll work together to realise & hopefully exceed your dreams for your music! I’ll do whatever it takes for you to love the mix.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: We get to do music every day!!! What’s not to love in that?!
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Knowing what you want is golden! A half decent rough mix & a few sonic references will lead to a quicker & better result!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started at Robin Millar’s Powerplant & Maison Rouge Studios in London in 1990 & that was where I met The Manics, making the tea on their first indie single! After another stint assisting at Konk Studios, The Manics asked me to produce their second album Gold Against The Soul in 1993 when I was still only 21! I was too young & stupid to be daunted & luckily the record was a top 10 hit & I was off and running! I believe I came up in a very lucky time for engineers & producers - we were there early enough to get a proper old school training, but also there at the birth of the DAW revolution, which gives us a grounding in both classic & modern techniques!
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I like to think my mixes are punchy & full of energy & dynamics! I’m always looking to enhance the meaning & emotion of the song, by whatever means necessary!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Always have your ears open for happy accidents - sometimes the deepest inspiration comes from the most random places! Also don’t be afraid of the mute button - sometimes less really is more!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I work on a lot of indie rock, rock, singer songwriter stuff, folk, soul, some pop & electronic music, some film soundtrack stuff - I love so much music it would make me sad to only work in one genre!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Empathy with the artists desires is key for me - I try to really understand what the song is trying to say & really enhance that! I like to think my drums are pretty badass & that the vocals always sound amazing too!
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I aim to bring out the energy & the emotion of the song in the mix! Sometimes that might be as simple as a punchy, exciting representation of the recording to showcase the raw energy of the band & other times it might be more getting into the weeds of the arrangement & looking for ways to evolve the emotion & help the artist tell the story. I’ll do whatever needs to be done to make the artist thrilled with the result
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: For mixing I’m gonna be looking to get a working balance up pretty quickly to really start to learn & feel the song & diagnose any problems that need sorting out early. It’s great if there’s a good rough mix so I can hear the artists vision for the balance & also any reference tracks that will give me a direction as a kicking off point! I’m gonna be looking for what drives the energy of the song at every individual moment of the arrangement & think about how to push that to the max. Then I’ll probably start working on the drums & try to get the image & feel of the rhythm section really grooving & then move forward from there. I’m always very focussed on the vocal & will do whatever it takes to make sure that it’s always winning & telling the story successfully & will use lots of automation & scene changes to help to tell that story & evolve the sound through the song!
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My mix room is a hybrid system - Pro Tools based but with lots of analogue toys to play with too! I still really believe in analogue summing & an analogue mix bus - I really feel it's deeper, wider & I just find it easier to get where I want to be that way! For my mix bus I have the Dramastic Obsidian compressor (think SSL G with the bottom end of a 33609!), the Thermionic Culture Swift (the best tube EQ I've ever heard), and the Roger Mayer 456. The 456 does to the sound what tape does - 'waveshaping' it before the converters which nullifies the negative effects of the anti-aliasing filter. It has been massive for me in the last 10 years - I have 18 channels of it & I try to make sure a signal never sees a converter without going to 'tape' first - it gives me so much tone, punch & volume, I really would never want to be without it in the recording or the mix studio! I also have loads of analogue drums parallels on hardware inserts that give me so many colours - Smart C2, Transient designer, 1176, CBS Volumax, Roger Mayer Dottore, Malcolm Toft Punishers... the list goes on! These give me so much flexibility to really sculpt drums into whatever is required, from classic 60's room sounds, thumpy 70's dryness, 80's bigness, 90's compressed punch, right up to shiny modern tones or any combination! For beautiful vocals that really cut through any mix I have an amazing 70’s 1176 & some original Dolby 361 racks with Dolby A for that air you can’t get anywhere else!
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: My relationship with The Manics has been a constant source of inspiration for over 30 years now, because they always push me to evolve my sounds, never rest on my laurels & above all listen to lots of music!! Producers & mixers I love include Alan Moulder, Rich Costey, Brendan O’Brien, Nigel Godrich, Glyn Johns, Flood, Andy Wallace, Butch Vig, Steve Albini, James Ford, Chris Lord Alge, George Martin, Brian Eno, Dave Fridman, Mike Hedges, Rick Rubin, Pharell, Tore Johansson, the list goes on - inspiration is everywhere!
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I split my time pretty much 60/40 between mixing & production.