Micah Smith on SoundBetter

Strong, creative, rich mixes & masters for indie rock, electronic, pop, psych, dance, etc. Well-reviewed, very experienced, affordable engineer.

I build mixes that provide warmth, clarity, excitement, and energy. I aim to bring out the texture, dimension, color, and space in your music. I try to make creative choices that exceed expectations. Do you love to mix your own music? I also offer high quality mastering to give your tracks a final technical polish and balance.

My influences are mix engineers like Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, MGMT, Spoon), David Wrench (Caribou, Arlo Parks, Jungle, The XX) and Ariel Rechtshaid (HAIM, Vampire Weekend). Please check out some of my recent work in my audio sample to the right and the "more samples" playlist below. Full portfolio: micahsmithsound.com

Micah Smith is a freelance mixer, producer, and composer located in Los Angeles. He has worked on many types of projects including music production, engineering and original music composition for visual media. He is a multi-genre mixer, producer and writer specializing in: indie / lofi / dream pop, psych rock, electronic dance, and creative synth/groove music of all types.In 2011 he completed a bachelor’s degree in Audio Production and Design from Columbia College Chicago. Corporate Clients: Comedy Central, CrossFit, Dezeen, Blick Art Materials, W Hotels

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

Credits

94 Reviews - 21 Repeat Clients

Endorse Micah Smith

by 7mod91
Verified
Always a pleasure working with Micah ! Puts a lot you effort in keeping your tracks as authentic as possible
by Malcolm B.
Verified
Micah did a fantastic job on the mix for my track! He was incredibly thorough and consistently amendable to my requests. His responsiveness, sonic insights, and easy-going approach to the mixing process made for a great experience. Highly recommend!
by 7mod91
Verified
Always a pleasure working with Micah !
by 7mod91
Verified
One of the best mixing engineers you can work with ! great communication and really respects the rough mix.
by Engraver
Verified
Micah did a great job mastering my EP. The songs sound miles better than the originals and make me feel excited to release them. He also did me a huge favor of sharing each step he did in the mastering process which gave me more confidence working on my mixes in the future. Would recommend!
by Jenia A.
Verified
Collaborating with Micah was awesome! He took note of all my preferences, and the final result provided some cool insights into getting the master just right. Thanks for your work!
by Watanabe D.
Verified
Good communication, high technical skills, absolute commitment to make your song sound exactly as you want. If I compare my initial home-made mix to Micah's final mix, there is a majestic difference in terms of sound quality. Strongly advised.
by Indigo E.
Verified
Easy to work with, flexible, cordial, great end result!
by gregoryjkane
Verified
This was my third time collaborating with Micach on a batch of songs. He understands my genre and usually comes quite close to my vision--or exceeds it--on the first mix after I provide my reference demo and complete Micah's pre-mix survey. He is good at taking notes and making adjustments in a timely manner, carefully tracking time along the way. Micah also mastered the tracks after mixing. Everything sounds great. Once again, I'm very pleased.
by Matt M.
Verified
A consummate professional, ally and sounding board, this Micah kid has his act together! Fantastic work as always!
by Matt M.
Verified
Micah is a consummate professional and audio wizard who never ceases to provide the best possible results for an affordable price. I can't imagine using anyone other than Micah for my mastering needs.
by Matt M.
Verified
Wonderful work, as always!!
by Malcolm Bamba
Verified
As a first-time recording artist, Micah facilitated a conducive space for dynamic responsiveness around my record. If you’re looking for a creative with expertise in all things sound + someone who is efficient and timely, look no further than Micah. He will bring your track to life (and more)!
by Matt M.
Verified
I'm convinced that Micah Smith is an audio WIZARD! Like with a cape and everything.
by Gregory Kane
Verified
This was my second time working with Micah, this time on 3 songs for both mixing and mastering. Micah is very skilled at getting all of the parts in my heavily textured songs to live comfortably together and create a vibe. He is very accommodating with revisions to try to meet my vision for the songs. And he speedy with revisions, always tracking time, leaving me with an opportunity for multiple rounds of revisions. I plan to work with Micah again, which should tell you all you need to know.
by Matt M.
Verified
Micah continues to blow me away with his ear, work ethic and reliability. If you need an audio engineer for any reason then he’s your man
by Matt M.
Verified
Another successful mix/master with the audio wizard here. He always goes above and beyond the call of duty and truly nails the atmosphere I'm going for. Thanks Micah!
by Matt M.
Verified
Another wonderful sonic experience with one of the best in the game! Thanks Micah, brilliant as always!
by Matt M.
Verified
Micah is an audio wizard! He's quick, insightful and provides superior results!
by Matt M.
Verified
This was a very difficult song that Micah absolutely crushed with his tremendous skill and acuity. Can't recommend him highly enough!

Interview with Micah Smith

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: I ask about any specific things they are looking to do to their song as well as any reference tracks that are guiding them. I also have a list of pre-mix questions I ask every artist.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been doing this for 18 years. In that time I got a bachelor's degree in Audio Production and Design from Columbia College Chicago. I've worked in all types of roles: composer, band producer, guitarist, remixer, dj, live mixer, location sound mixer, singer, recording engineer. I have been working as a freelance mixer for 8 years
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Kendrick Lamar. He constantly innovates his sound and isn't afraid of changing it up. Some of the most interesting production in the last ten years.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a sound-treated mixing room with professional Adam A7X + Avantone monitoring and digital to analog conversion. I do all my mixing in the box using high-end products by companies like Waves, Fabfilter, Sound Toys, Avid, Ableton, Valhalla and Arturia.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I do full song and album mixing + mastering for bands and artists of all genres.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both. They both have their own sound that can be used to create a wide range of styles and textures.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: We will get it to a point where you love it no matter how long it takes.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Try me out and see if I can make your stuff sound better than you can. Everyone thinks they can do it themselves and sometimes that works for your style. But sometimes people with training and experience can really take your stuff to the next level. Give me a shot for one track and see if it's a good fit.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Spatially aware, playful, dark, warm, jazzy.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Synth Music, Dance music, Hip Hop, Electronic, Singer-Songwriter, Soundtracks
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My ears. Hearing where a sound should end up and the steps and knowledge to get it there. Knowing how a song fits into it's genre and style. Innovating inside those parameters to surprise expectations.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: 3D space, dramatic movement, color enhancement, textural enhancement. Basically bringing out the best, most powerful qualities of each instrument and making sure they fit and reinforce the mix perfectly.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I like to get wav files of the client's audio tracks at 24bit and 48khz. I drop them into a new project and start to mix usually starting with drums, bass and then vocals. I like to do EQ and compression and really find the problem areas to make sounds more appealing. I can usually do a first draft of a track in less than 5 hours. Most mixes can take anywhere from 6-10 hours depending on how in-depth a client would like me to go.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: My influences are mix engineers like Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, MGMT, Flaming Lips), David Wrench (Caribou, Jungle, The XX) and Derek Ali (Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples).