Matt Dougherty

Mixing & Production

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1049 Reviews (1018 Verified)
Matt Dougherty on SoundBetter

I've worked with many nationally and internationally successful multi-platinum artists as well as countless local and independent talent, in a variety of genres. Worked on multiple #1's at radio. I'm a multi-instrumentalist with a solid understanding of music theory and approach all projects with a balance of technical proficiency and musicality.

Born and raised in Chicago, went to school at Arizona State and the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, and currently based back on the NW side of Chicago. Worked under Johnny K at Groovemaster Studios for 7 years as an engineer, with artists such as Disturbed, Megadeth, Staind, 3 Doors Down, Pop Evil, Sevendust, Red Sun Rising, and countless others. After working on mostly heavy music the first 3-4 years at Groovemaster, I've been focused on producing and mixing more indie, alternative, and pop stuff ever since.

- Every project is different and I employ a variety of different rates and schedules to meet the specific needs of each project.

- I am happy to send more relevant examples of my work, I can only put four up here. Just ask :)

- I always allow for as many revisions as needed; I will keep refining until everyone is happy. To keep things efficient I do put a time limit of 20 business days from delivery of first pass. I love feedback and view mixing as a collaborative process.

- Rate includes final 44.1k 24b WAV master & unmastered full-resolution mix with headroom. Can include 2 alternate prints (inst + acca) free of charge; additional mixes incur cost. Can provide stems for $45/song.

- I am open to all-in discounts for multiple-song projects - reach out and we can discuss the details of what you need done and find a way to collaborate!

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

1049 Reviews - 230 Repeat Clients

Endorse Matt Dougherty
  1. Review by Eddie Wang
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    Love working with Matt always! Easy-going and we always effectively combine our strengths to create something amazing :-)

  2. Review by Kevin K.
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    Amazing experience again working with Matt. He's definitely the best I have worked with over the years. He is very patient and is willing to go that extra mile to get the mix the way you want it.
    This was a big project and he really delivered. I am very happy with the experience of working together and of course with the final mixes! Fantastic work!

  3. Review by Rick M.
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    Great to work with Marr again! Awesome skills and as helpful and accommodating as ever!

  4. Review by Cianan B.
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    Easy to work with, responsive, and ended up with an awesome mix!

  5. Review by Kierstyn J.
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    Amazing as always!!! :)

  6. Review by Kierstyn J.
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    Matt is always phenomenal. Can't see myself working with anyone else, to be honest.

  7. Review by Jack DiSalvatore
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    Great as always!

  8. Review by Leanne T.
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    Matt somehow exceeded my already high expectations. He was communicative, time-efficient, attentive to detail, and above all kind. Working with him is easy, uplifting, and incredibly rewarding. He completely elevated my songs, and the final mixes match my vision perfectly. I highly recommend Matt to anyone looking for mixing & mastering services. Thank you Matt!

  9. Review by Ben A.
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    by Ben A.
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    Incredible as always and always will be back for more, highly recommended!

  10. Review by David H.
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    Matt is a combination of so many different talents and I consider myself extremely lucky to have found him. The way he hears and interprets music creates such crystal clear mixes. Additionally, he's such a friendly and patient dude, which makes working with him an incredibly delightful experience!

  11. Review by hayleyhawk27
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    Matt is a delight to work with - very thorough with his communication, quick to respond. Since these were my 1st singles, he explained things in detail. I'm really happy with the outcome of my songs, even getting teary-eyed after listening - He brought them to life! Thank you Matt!

  12. Review by Martin M.
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    Mix turned out great, and Matt is very professional, easy to work with. I will be asking him to mix for me again!

  13. Review by Dan Z.
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    by Dan Z.
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    This was my first time working with a mixing engineer and Matt made the entire process very easy. He was super accommodating to my requests and suggestions. The tracks turned out really great! I'm very proud of the final result!

  14. Review by Giovanni
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    This is the second time I work with Matt. Great guy and always delivers amazing work!

  15. Review by Cianan B.
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    Matt is great to work with, quick to respond and easy to communicate with. Oh and the song he mixed/mastered for us sounds great!

  16. Review by Alex Walker
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    I am thrilled to share my experience working with Matt. From the get-go, it was clear that he not only listens attentively to what the client wants but also executes those ideas flawlessly. The ease of collaboration with him is unparalleled; he understands the vision and brings it to life with precision and creativity.

    His dedication to perfecting every detail in the mixing process, coupled with his exceptional technical skills, made the process incredibly smooth and enjoyable.

  17. Review by Jake C.
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    Another great collaboration. It's always an absolute pleasure collaborating with Matt. Very responsive, and elevates the work every time.

  18. Review by Nate Barnes
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    Always a total pleasure working with Matt!

  19. Review by Carrie Ryan
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    Third time working with Matt and expect to again in the future! Matt does a great job turning a demo into something professional and clean. Great communication and fast turnaround

  20. Review by Trevor Z.
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    Matt was great! Helped guide my song to a point that is better than I could have ever imagined. He helped manage the full production of the song, brought on artists that complimented the tracks, and made a great overall mix. Would definitely recommend!

Interview with Matt Dougherty

  1. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  2. A: Lots of stuff! Starting an album mix for an R&B client out of Atlanta, a Latino rock act from Chicago, producing an EP for a cool alternative artist from Austin, TX, mixing some cool rock stuff for some bands from the UK, Russia, and Colombia, ....and the list goes on!

  3. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  4. A: Krysta Youngs if you're looking for female vocals. Daniel Salcido / Commandspace Audio if you are looking for a place to record in the Chicagoland area.

  5. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  6. A: Both and why not? All that matters is that the song kicks ass, so I've never really cared too much about the whole analog vs. digital thing.

  7. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  8. A: That I get to help people in some small way realize their own dreams or ambitions...and in doing so, I realize mine.

  9. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  10. A: Whether or not to send things "dry" or "wet" I would say is the most common question. To which I always say: send it so that I can spend the least amount of time trying to just get things to where you already had them, and spend more time pushing the mix forward and making things better! Vocals are usually best sent "dry", but everything else I'd say send "wet" - the creative vibe that is there when producing / making the actual music shouldn't be underestimated, and should be left as intact as possible :)

  11. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  12. A: I'd say as a mixer, there is a big misconception that all the magic happens when you go to mix. I would say that magic should be there from the moment you push record - the vibe and idea should be there all along, and my job as a mixer should be to preserve and clarify what is already happening there. Don't save anything for down the road or fixing it later, that rough mix should get people excited! And then when you mix it for real it can take a true step forward technically and sonically.

  13. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  14. A: What mixes/productions out there do you like / want to emulate aesthetically?

  15. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  16. A: Hmmm.... if I'm being honest probably a generator, microwave, hunting knife, flashlight, and cell phone, so that way I could actually survive :) But if I'm taking this question at face value, I'd say: Pro Tools (lame I know) Chandler Curve Bender Distressor Neumann M149 Barefoot MicroMain27

  17. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  18. A: I started out in an experimental rock/indie/hiphop/alt band in high school. I was playing drums, so it made sense for me to get a Pro Tools rig and some mic's since I had the most stuff to record. Then, bands at my high school found out I had some gear and asked if I'd be down to record them. Over time I found I was more into the art/science of recording than I was into the idea of trying to make it in a band and everything that goes with that. Then, at the last second I decided I wanted to go away to college and did the 4-year business school thing at ASU. Kind of put music on the backburner but always knew I wanted to get back to it. I went to CRAS after I graduated ASU, and then moved back to Chicago and secured an internship at Groovemaster Studios working for producer Johnny K. I moved up from unpaid intern to "main" intern and then started getting paid to do editing and basic assisting. After awhile I started handling full sessions and main engineering duties and ended up working there as an engineer for about 4-5 years full time. At that point I started getting more into my own production things and became more freelance based, working out of multiple studios. Currently I spend about 75% of my time mixing out of my home setup, and the rest engineering/producing around Chicago (and around the country).

  19. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  20. A: Manchester Orchestra - their latest offering was just ABSOLUTELY killer. Also, Biffy Clyro just because they rock so much...and then maybe #TBT Silverchair (probably the most underappreciated rock act of the last couple decades).

  21. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  22. A: It seems to go in waves, but I'd say I'm currently pretty well split between pop and rock stuff. Overall I probably track and engineer more heavy stuff and rock stuff, and mix and produce more pop/indie-type stuff.

  23. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  24. A: I would say my sense of musicality - I play drums, guitar, bass, and keys and have a fairly advanced grasp of music theory as well as a very strong sense of relative pitch. I can VERY quickly familiarize myself with the chord progressions and melodies of the songs I am working on, and very often contribute creatively to what I am working on, even when it is just "mixing".

  25. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  26. A: I think I bring a very strong sense of musicality and utility - by that, I mean that I can take a client's stated goals with a particular project and help determine a good sense of how to get from point A to point B. For example, if they are trying to make a radio-friendly single in whatever genre they may operate in, I can offer a fresh perspective on how their song stacks up against industry leaders and what specifically they are doing differently or similarly.

  27. Q: What's your typical work process?

  28. A: I work in stages. I always start by getting any file maintenance / organization out of the way first thing; basically, all the boring stuff. Then I'll come back and try and get the mix as far as I can in about 45 min to an hour and see where I'm at. I'll usually step away at that point and move to a different project to keep my ears as fresh as possible, creatively speaking. Then once I come back I try and "beat" my own mix and see how much further I can take things with a fresh perspective. Once the mix feels about 80% there and the overall vibe is starting to come together, I'll usually send a first draft to the client to get there general impressions and make sure I'm not drifting too far from their creative intention. Then I take their feedback along with what I'm hearing and refine from there. I always operate in an open-ended fashion and am willing to do as many revisions as it takes until everyone is happy. I find that I am usually happy after 2-4 passes - clients' input is invaluable to me when refining and pushing the mix as far as I can.

  29. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  30. A: Pretty streamlined and mostly operating in-the-box. I work out of Pro Tools 12, monitoring through ADAM A7x's with a Sub8, and some Mackie CR3's to cover the "crappy" speaker vibes :) Pretty much rely on all the SoundToys, fabfilter, Valhalla, Slate, and some Waves plugs to get me through. I also run my mix buss out through some analog stuff - mainly Pultec-style tube EQ's just to get the transformer juice. I get in and out with Apogee converters. Also have tons of instruments, pedals, keys, etc... on the production and tracking side of things. I work out of the basement of my townhome so my commute is minimal :)

  31. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  32. A: The list would be too long to fit in here, but some mixing engineers that inspire me would be Andy Wallace, Serban Ghenea, Manny Marroquin, Andrew Scheps, Neal Avron, CLA, Rich Costey, Noah Shebib, and on and on... Production-wise I'm a big fan of Jeff Bhasker, Joel Little, Benny Blanco, Greg Kurstin, Joe Barresi, David Bottrill, GGGarth Richardson, Max Martin / Shellback / Cirkut, Jack Antonoff, Alex Da Kid, Ryan Tedder, Rick Rubin, etc...

  33. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  34. A: Overall I would say the most common type of work I do for clients on this site is mixing.

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Terms Of Service

I can provide my full terms with regard to mixing or production - just shoot me a message and I'll send them over in a PDF. I consider acceptance of proposal as an acceptance of my terms.

GenresSounds Like
  • Lana Del Rey
  • Disturbed
  • Lorde
Gear Highlights
  • Pro Tools
  • ADAM monitors
  • Apollo x16
  • WA-76
  • Warm EQP-WA
  • UAD
  • SoundToys
  • fabfilter
  • Waves
  • Slate
  • Softube
  • Brainworx
  • Valhalla
  • etc.
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SoundBetter Deal

Willing to work with new clients and earn your business, open to first-time discounts if budgets are tight. Nothing is set in stone, I'd love to negotiate and earn your business!