Neil Perry

Remote Alt./Rock, Mix/Master

Neil Perry on SoundBetter

Pro mixer, producer, engineer with Grammy-nominated projects, millions of sales/streams, and mainstream radio airplay looking to work with you on your project! Smashing Pumpkins, Everclear, Five for Fighting, David Bowie, Mariah Carey, Pat Metheny, and many more. Open to talk with any artist about mixing their work.

I’m a pro mixer, produced and engineer with a long and successful track record with well-know artists. Take a look/listen to my work on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. I’m sure you’ll recognize many of the tracks/albums by name. I’ve recently renovated and updated my mix room at home around ADAM monitors and an SSL interface with both Pro Tools and Logic as the main software packages. I also can mix to analog, if desired, as I have an Otari MTR-12 1/4” deck for stereo mixdown. I have a discography full of alt. rock, classic artists, jazz, pop, electronic dance music, even hip hop and r&b, but don’t hesitate to ask about working in any genre. I work remotely from my home studio but I’m perfectly happy to make personal contact and have deep project discussions to make sure you get what you want. Looking forward to hearing from you and working on a project together.

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

Languages

  • English

Interview with Neil Perry

  1. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  2. A: I did a rough mix on a well-known album that made the final cut, after a trio of other very talented mixers tried and failed to match it.

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

  4. A: A feature documentary film.

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

  6. A: I just arrived here so I’m not sure yet.

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. A: Either. No reason to choose.

  9. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  10. A: That the finished product is sonically competitive.

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

  12. A: Working with artists and helping create an artistic tradition that they find satisfying and representative.

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

  14. A: How did you get that sound/performance? Great studios, talented artists and well maintained gear help but vision, confidence, and collaboration matter more.

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

  16. A: That it’s fast, easy, or free. It should be none of those things.

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

  18. A: What kind of statement do you want the mix to make? Are you establishing a sound? Introducing a new path? Trying to get gigs? Get a deal? All paths forward need some consideration to execute properly.

  19. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  20. A: If you’ve spent the time tracking and making sure your sounds and performances are what you want, there’s no reason we can’t get a great mix. Make sure you start strong.

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

  22. A: Great speakers, a laptop, small interface, a guitar, and a keyboard controller.

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

  24. A: I started as a teeny in the very late 1980’s so more than 35 years.

  25. Q: How would you describe your style?

  26. A: I prefer performances that are full of character rather than perfect technique and look to pair those with mixes that are immersive.

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

  28. A: Paul McCartney because he’s Paul McCartney.

  29. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  30. A: One mixing tip I use every time I start to mix is to build the initial balance between the vocal, kick, snare, and bass. Starting there makes me confident I have a solid back one with space to fit all the other elements.

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

  32. A: I’m normally attracted to alt. Rock and Indy rock but I love music that crosses over into other genres. My best known work is from the broad rock genre but I work on everything from jazz (Pat Metheny), to new wave (Rick Ocasek), to R&B (Stevie Wonder; Tony, Toni, Tone), to pop (Mariah Carey).

  33. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  34. A: I have many skills learned over decades of work but mixing is the skill I choose to highlight.

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

  36. A: I began my career at. One of the most renowned studios in the world (Hit Factory in NY) during the transition from analog to digital. As a result, I’ve worked with and learned from some of the best artists and production teams in the business. My projects have been Grammy nominated, gained a great deal of radio play, and sold millions of RIAA certified copies. I understand how best to bring creative and commercial balance to projects and much of my work shows that. I’m passionate about working with artists and think I can help them to best serve their own impulses and to present their art in the light that most reflects their creative visions. I also know what will work sonically to get attention from radio, A&R, and fans.

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

  38. A: I prefer to receive multitrack as WAV files (any resolution/bit rate above 16/44.1 will work), in either a project folder or as individual files all of the same length and able to be lined up from the same point. The files should be clean (no plugins) unless a tonal choice has been decided. This helps me not have to undo levels, compression, eq, etc. please include a stereo rough mix for reference and some notes if you want me to refer to them.

  39. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  40. A: My studio is setup around ADAM near field monitors and an SSL interface with analog mixdown capabilities to an Otari MTR-12. I mix in the box (use an original Mackie HUI for moving faders) and have (or will get) any plugin necessary to complete a project. I also use a much desired pair of Apple monitors for checking mixes, as well as Sony, Grado, Beats, and many other headphones for different mix checks.

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

  42. A: Beck, Radiohead, Gaz Coombes, My Bloody Valentine, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Stevie Wonder, IDLES. Tony Visconti, Flood, Bria Eno, Nigel Godrich, Niko Bolas, Bob Clearmountain, Neil Dorfsman.

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

  44. A: Mixing, engineering, producing, editing, sound design, composition.

GenresSounds Like
  • The Smashing Pumpkins
  • David Bowie
  • Five For Fighting
Gear Highlights
  • ADAM
  • SSL
  • Pro Tools
  • Logic
  • Otari MTR-12
  • any necessary plugin.
More Photos