River Rock Records

Mix Engineer & Composer

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27 Reviews (27 Verified)
River Rock Records on SoundBetter

A Nashville-bred engineer, I specialize in making acoustic-based music shine. As a classical pianist and composer myself, I can approach projects with both an artist's and an engineer's ear.

Having the ear of a classical musician allows me to pick up on musical nuances and subtleties beyond the typical technicalities involved with being an engineer. As an award-winning composer, I have extensive knowledge of a variety of instruments and know how good music is supposed to sound—and with my years of engineering experience, I know how to achieve that sound in a recording. As a producer, I love to combine my musical and technical expertise to bring all aspects of an artist’s vision to life.

A Voting Member of the GRAMMYs® / Recording Academy Producers and Engineers Wing, I've been working and learning in studios since I was thirteen years old. Today, my mixing services are in-demand for artists from multiple states and countries, and I'm proud to own Central Virginia's only studio dedicated to acoustic music. Since 2019, I've also been a frequent collaborater with Chicago-based classical recording companies Atlas Arts Media and Peckham Media Productions. I hold a B.S. in Audio Engineering Technology and a B.M. in Music Composition with Highest Honors from Belmont University in Nashville, TN—one of the world's leading audio engineering programs.

For additional services in piano, arranging, and composing, check out my musician profile: https://soundbetter.com/profiles/427242-shelby-lock

Se habla español también. Contácteme para hablar sobre su proyecto.

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

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Shelby Lock
  • Shelby Lock
  • Ostrega Uhl Project
  • Michelle Areyzaga & Dana Brown (6)
  • Andy McCutcheon
  • Ostrega Uhl Project
  • Michelle Areyzaga & Dana Brown (6)
  • Andy McCutcheon

27 Reviews - 5 Repeat Clients

Endorse River Rock Records
  1. Review by Christopher D.
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    I wouldn't hesitate to work with Shelby again. She mixed the first project that I've ever sent to an outside mixer and I am 100% satisfied. She has a keen ear for acoustic instruments - my project included an autoharp, which had some unflattering harmonics, and she exceeded my expectations not only in treating that, but with the mix overall and the entire project. Her communication was also prompt and professional. For all these reasons, she earned a five star review.

  2. Review by Isabella D.
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    This is the third time I've worked with Shelby and she did an incredible job yet again. She totally understood the sound/aesthetic I was going for on my project and made any revisions super quickly. She's fantastic to work with: an incredibly nice person and very talented engineer and pianist!

  3. Review by Brad B.
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    Great work especially with quantizing the instruments!

  4. Review by Pierre B.
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    Always a great professional who will bring all her talent to your music, making it even better than you imagined.

  5. Review by Pierre B.
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    Shelby is a fairy who can read your mind and transform your artistic intention in the exact sound you imagined. She also added an amazing piano track to my song. Her added value on a production is outstanding.

  6. Review by Pierre B.
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    Shelby is a great professional, combining technical and musical excellence with real human qualities. She perfectly understood and realized the sound I was looking for and polished my song like a true craftswoman. It was both a thrill and a pleasure to work with her. I can't wait to relive this experience with my other songs!

  7. Review by Isabella D.
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    Shelby did a fantastic job on my mix! She took everything that I had mentioned about where I envisioned the track going and produced a final product even better than what I had imagined! She communicated quickly and clearly, and gave me multiple options to work with. Would love to work with her again!

  8. Review by Emily C.
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    Shelby was great to work with! She made the process easy and was happy to answer any questions and make adjustments as needed. So happy with my song now!

  9. Review by Stirling C.
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    Thank you again to Shelby for another amazing mix that sounds fantastic!

  10. Review by Andrew L.
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    Amazing job! super friendly and easy to work with!
    definitely bang for your buck.

  11. Review by Alfredo F.
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    Amazing work! She was able to take the song to the next level. Very supportive and proficient. Totally recommend it

  12. Review by Stirling C.
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    Thank you to Shelby for working her magic on my song and finding the that right balance with vocals, guitars, bass, and everything! So happy with the end result. Thanks again!

  13. Review by Andrew M.
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    It's always a pleasure to work with Shelby at River Rock Records. She has great communication skills and can turn the most esoteric requests into great mixes that make perfect sense to the ears! I've completed over 15 songs with her and am thrilled with everyone one of them!

  14. Review by Stirling Crow
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    Thank you again to Shelby for a fantastic mix! She's extremely easy to work with, very helpful, super professional, and I'm so happy with the mix. Highly recommended!

  15. Review by Andrew M.
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    Another amazing mix from Shelby at River Rock Records! Shelby's keen ear as a musician and composer compliment her technical expertise as an engineer, resulting in nuanced mixes unique to the needs of each song. Always a pleasure to work with, Shelby has great communication skills, and she always meets her deadlines. I highly recommend her!

  16. Review by Andrew M.
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    Another great mix and master from Shelby at River Rock Records! She's always open to ideas and brings her own musical sensibilities to her expertise as an engineer. Great communication and top quality work. I highly recommend working with Shelby!

  17. Review by Stirling C.
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    I just want to say thank you to Shelby from River Rock Records for the amazing mix and master on my song. It was super easy to work with her, she's detail oriented but also gets the big picture, and she has that unique ability to bridge the technical and creative pieces so that everything comes together to sound like magic. Highly recommended!

  18. Review by Andrew M.
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    Another great mix and master from Shelby at River Rock Records! Shelby is a pleasure to work with and always exceeds expectations. I highly recommend her!

  19. Review by Andrew M.
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    Another great mix from Shelby at River Rock Records! Shelby is a delight to work with and always delivers an exceptional product. I highly recommend her!

  20. Review by Andrew M.
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    Shelby always does great work! She's very open to direction but always brings something extra to the mix that I wouldn't have thought to ask for. I highly recommend working with River Rock Records!

Interview with River Rock Records

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

  2. A: Be sure you work with someone who understands your music and what you're about. It's important to hire an engineer with experience in your genre so they know how to achieve the sound you want.

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

  4. A: What is your goal for this project? What did you like or dislike about any past experiences working with a mix engineer? What artists do you like the sound of and why?

  5. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  6. A: My studio is located on a farm near Free Union, VA. It's in a former garage with two-foot thick walls which had surprisingly good acoustics even before I put in the acoustic treatment. The highlight is the view of a river with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. Gear-wise, I use an RME DA converter with a pair of Yamaha HS7s. I'm the only studio in the area with a full-size grand piano.

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

  8. A: I work on a lot of classical recordings for my job as Lead Engineer with Atlas Arts Media. I also do quite a bit of Folk and acoustic music because it's often a similar goal as in classical: make a mix that is as true to the original sound of the instrument as possible. However, I also enjoy when I get the chance to experiment with creating unique textures that are only possible in a recording.

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

  10. A: The vast majority of my work is remote mixing and/or mastering. For my job with Atlas Arts Media, I get to work with classical recordings recorded in a Chicago concert hall. For my own clients, they typically send me a home recording, or something they recorded in a small local studio, and I make it come to life.

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

  12. A: For some reason, I've noticed people call my job "editing." Yes, there's editing involved when I stitch together pieces of different takes into one seamless performance, but being an audio engineer involves so much more than that. Mixing requires a whole other level of creativity to decide how to balance the different instruments in a mix and what effects and techniques to use to do so. And in classical and acoustic genres, it takes a great deal of skill to turn a raw studio recording into something that captures the authenticity of a live performance. Mixing is both an art and a science. Editing is only one tiny part of it.

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

  14. A: I approach every project both from an engineer's and an artist's perspective. Being a solo piano artist myself, I know what it's like to pour your heart and soul into your music and how important it is to feel like the recording reflects your vision. I always try to understand what my artist is trying to say musically, and then I use my technical know-how to make sure it comes across.

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

  16. A: I like having the skills and know-how to bring an artist's vision for their project to life. I enjoy the collaboration involved in the recording and engineering process.

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

  18. A: Don't try to "fix it in the mix." Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. It's always more authentic if you nail a performance in the studio and get the sound right from the beginning.

  19. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  20. A: I'm known to be able to make seemingly impossible edits when piecing together a recording out of differnt takes. I prefer not to edit unless absolutely necessary, but when the client asks for it, I always try.

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Come What May by Andy McCutcheon

I was the Mixing and Mastering Engineer in this production

Terms Of Service

Work begins after job is funded. Full-resolution WAV files provided after job is marked as complete. Two minor revisions for free; subsequent revisions or major revisions are $70/hour.

Gear Highlights
  • Pro Tools
  • Logic X
  • iZotope Music Production Suite (RX10
  • Nectar 3
  • Neutron 4
  • Ozone 10)
  • Melodyne
  • RME converters
  • Yamaha C7 piano
  • AKG C414 matched pair
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SoundBetter Deal

Get 10% off piano tracking when you book me to mix the same song.