Ryan Mannebach

Versatile Guitarist & Engineer

Ryan Mannebach on SoundBetter

I am a session musician, mixing & mastering engineer, producer, and songwriter. Degree in Audio Engineering from Columbia College Chicago Past Clients: House of Blues Chicago, Mystery Street Recording Company, Sofar Sounds Chicago, Hard Rock Cafe, and many more.

Ryan Mannebach is a hard working music maker. He has written and recorded a lot of music, pesonally, and at the service of others. One of his specialties is making sonic textures never heard before with a wide array of guitar tones and synth sounds. He is an accomplished funk guitar player that has played on everything from Hip-Hop to Gospel records. He loves building vocal harmonies from the ground up and creating lushness within a song. He is an accomplished mixing engineer and tends to make a piece of music sound emotional and dynamic as opposed to stagnant. As an artist himself, he has a deep understanding of the importance of getting something to sound as the artist intended, and for that reason, he goes the extra mile to make a piece of music not merely just passable, but make it "live and breathe" through the speakers.

He went to school at Columbia College Chicago (one of the best production schools in the country) and got his degree in Audio Design & Production in under 3 years. He studied under Ron Gresham who has worked with everyone from Michael Jackson to Don Henley to Snoop Dogg.

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

Languages

  • English

Interview with Ryan Mannebach

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

  2. A: My newest EP, Noble Bautista's EP, and Professor Blue's debut album.

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

  4. A: Yes.

  5. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  6. A: I love both and the combination of both yields the most interesting results!!! If I could only work in one though, it would to be analog because it just sounds better, as of now.

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

  8. A: I promise to go above and beyond 100% effort. I seek to get better at what I do with every single project that I work on. That will never go away for me. I just love music and sound too much to ever stop learning about it.

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

  10. A: I love the physical and emotional labor that goes into making any great piece of art. Tapping into that part of me is the most important part of the process.

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

  12. A: That I only shred rock and funk guitar. I pride myself on my ears and mixing and mastering abilities. I also love producing Hip-Hop beats (and other instrumentals) that have my own unique swagger imprinted on them. I also love songwriting, and co-songwriting. It is one of my favorite musical activities.

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

  14. A: What is the overall vision of your project? What is your goal with this body of work? How important is the live performance of your music compared to a more meticulously layered approach? How important is experimentation / improvisation to you with this project? What is your timeline for release? What is your budget? Do you need a particular recording environment to excel at what you do? What do you picture my role in this production to look like from your perspective?

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

  16. A: 3 electrical generators, a giant Marshall full stack, and a Fender Telecaster. That way if I saw a rescue boat in the distance........ I COULD TURN UP TO 11!!!

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

  18. A: I started guitar at age 8. Started teaching guitar age 15. Went to audio school age 18 (Columbia College Chicago). Learned a hell of a lot. Worked at House of Blues running live sound for a wide array of artists. Quit. Worked in many studios. I have played a lot of live music shows in my lifetime and have played on many records. More than I can count. Music has constantly been there for me as a source of joy and vitality.

  19. Q: How would you describe your style?

  20. A: Funky, emotional, bluesy, intentional. My style also includes paying attention to detail.

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

  22. A: I suppose Kendrick and I would be a dream collab. I feel my beats and guitar style could sit alongside his expression well.

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

  24. A: Trust your ears AND your gut. If it doesn't feel right where the song is at, change things around and experiment until you get closer. It's like building a sonic sculpture. Also, mistakes in a live performed recording are not always bad. Allow the character, the pain, or the joy of the music to shine through in its purest form if possible. People can hear the difference between real, in the moment expression and manufactured emotion.

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

  26. A: I bring all of my musical, mixing, and producing talents I've gathered over the years up to this point.

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

  28. A: It varies widely. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy to making a great piece of recorded art. I do whatever needs to be done, and I trust my musical instincts.

  29. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  30. A: I have a humble home studio but with very high quality preamps, microphones, Macbook with an M1 chip, and a full band arsenal of guitars, drums, basses, keyboards, midi sample pads, and synthesizers. The high ceilings and wood in my apartment provide a great natural ambience and is great for recording all kinds of sound.

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

  32. A: Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, eevee, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Rubin, Sounwave, Omar Rodríguez López, Haitus Kaiyote, Eddie Kramer, Jimi Hendrix, J Dilla, Silas Short, Pharrell Williams, Nirvana, Gary Clarke Jr., Jack White, Mac Miller, Canned Heat, and many others.

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

  34. A: The kind of work I do varies by client, but generally speaking I help my clients bring their sonic vision to life by providing an outside perspective, ear, and contributing my musical, mixing, and production talents in any way I can.

Terms Of Service

1 Revision is allowed free, 3 more revisions allowed at $70 per revision.

GenresSounds Like
  • Tame Impala
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Joey Bada$$
Gear Highlights
  • Aston Stealth Condenser Microphone
  • Focusrite Clarett Preamps
  • Macbook Pro with M1 Chip
  • Les Paul
  • Peavey Prowler Tube Amp
  • Roland Rhodes MK-80 Electric Piano
  • Hendrix Wah Pedal
  • J37 Abbey Road Tape Machine Emulator
  • UAD LA2A
  • Waves OVox Synth Plugin
More Photos
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SoundBetter Deal

25% off first service purchased from me! (applies to my first 10 Soundbetter customers)