Danny "Danymal" Lee

Editing, Mixing & Production

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10 Reviews
Danny "Danymal" Lee on SoundBetter

Hello! I've been a pro audio engineer (mostly freelance) for about 20 years now, specialising in the use of Avid ProTools. I am an alumnus of Schenectady County Community College where I earned my AAS degree in Music Industry with concentration on guitar and keyboard performance. I also graduated from Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, OH.

Top-notch editing (time/pitch correction) and mix services at a competitive price, using all the latest and greatest state-of-the-art gear/software and techniques!

My mix rig boasts the muscle of Universal Audio's Apollo interface, along with their SSL and Neve console channel strips and tape emulations to get your mixes big and warm. I use the most powerful combinations of both vintage and modern compression, EQ and FX to bring your mix to the next level and meet today's demands for edgy and aggressive mixes.

Regarding editing: if you need live drums cut to a grid (quantised), drum samples layered or replaced, vocals time or pitch corrected, I can do that for you and retain a very natural vibe in the performance!

Contact me today to learn more about what I can do for your next project!

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

10 Reviews

Endorse Danny "Danymal" Lee
  1. Review by Lou Hannoe
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    Danny turned in excellent mixes on Rival Order's upcoming EP, but to say that only tells half the story.
    The record was tracked by a group of musicians who are sprinkled all over the globe—Megadeth's Dirk Verbeuren, Mutiny Within's Chris Clancy in England, Pat Reilly in New York, and Joey Rival and myself in California.
    Danny went above and beyond, keeping in touch by phone and email across continents and timezones, and perfectly balancing everyone's requests to ensure that everyone's creative vision was realized on the record.

  2. Review by Carm Grasso, Guitarist, Composer & Recording Artist
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    by Carm Grasso, Guitarist, Composer & Recording Artist

    Danny is an outstanding pro audio engineer who is customer-focused and produces excellent results. I consider myself fortunate to have found Danny and highly recommend him to anyone looking for recording, editing and mixing services. His extreme talent, know-how in all aspects of a project, strong work ethic, tremendous results and great personality make him a joy to work with. Danny is awesome!

  3. Review by Tearle Ashby, Musician/Producer Creative Outlet Productions
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    by Tearle Ashby, Musician/Producer Creative Outlet Productions

    It was a great experience working with Danny!! He has an awesome ear and his mixes were amazing. It's very difficult to find an engineer that can construct a truly shared vision of a project the way Danny can. I look forward to using Danny for many more projects!

  4. Review by Marc Fuller
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    by Marc Fuller

    I had the pleasure of having Danny at my studio, Edie Road a few times now. He's always a pleasure to have here. He knows his way around the gear and gets the results his clients are looking for.
    -Marc Fuller
    Grammy nominated engineer and owner of Edie Road Recording Studio

  5. Review by Tim Graham
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    by Tim Graham

    Danny is totally on point his skills as a mix engineer are excellent and his turnaround for project time from start to finish is very impressive. I will be using his services time and time again.

  6. Review by Bill Henderson, Azimuth Mastering
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    by Bill Henderson, Azimuth Mastering

    I've mastered quite a few of Danny's mixes now, and it's always a pleasure to be able to work on his projects. He's a great communicator, very accommodating, and his mixes are always top notch. It makes my job easier as a mastering engineer to have a great mix to work from, and I always know that's what I'll get from Danny!

  7. Review by RickRossa
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    by RickRossa

    Danny cranked out a 30 song triple album for us and he immediately embraced the artists vision / emotion. We had a very tight deadline and Danny Worked with us on a daily basis for about 3 months and the communication could not have been better. He did a great job to make it seamless for us to view different versions, etc. Def. work again w/ him

  8. Review by Michael Deej
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    by Michael Deej

    Besides Danymal being one of the most professional, honest, and hard working engineers around, he is willing to go the extra mile at any cost and up for the challenge to make your music the best it can be. I find that to be rare nowadays in the music industry and have considered myself very lucky that he was recommended to mix my record recently.

  9. Review by GV
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    by GV

    I've worked with Danny on several albums and have always been very happy with his work. He is attentive to what I'm looking for and has consistently achieved the sound I was after. He is very easy to work with and very accessible. I would definitely recommend him to anyone who is looking for a sound engineer. You will not be disappointed

  10. Review by Keith Zink-Managing Partner-BigfootTown Productions LLC-Member of ASCAP as a Songwriter and Producer
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    by Keith Zink-Managing Partner-BigfootTown Productions LLC-Member of ASCAP as a Songwriter and Producer

    I have worked with Danny for many years now. He is my "go to" guy when I need audio engineering services. His abilities are superb and he is a true professional in every aspect of the process. Danny has had numerous projects of his mastered by the best in the industry. In my case, Andy VanDette. Give Danny your business. You won't be disappointed!

Interview with Danny "Danymal" Lee

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

  2. A: The "Ataraxia" double-album by Michael Deej, which I mixed. It was a set of 22 songs, and apart from drums being done in a studio with a session drummer (Mike Dawson of Modern Drummer Magazine), the entire record was cut on the artists' iPad via GarageBand. Some of the source material wasn't stellar, but I managed to pull it together into what many have said is a phenomenal sounding record. It's diverse and the material is beautifully written and arranged which can greatly aide in the ability to effectively mix the project. It was a welcome challenge and I'll never forget it.

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

  4. A: I recently wrapped production on an LP entitled "Simpatico" by an artist called Tearle Ashby. It was mastered by Andy VanDette (ex-Masterdisk) and awaiting a release date. I am currently in the early stages of consulting with a band called Tribal Soul for whom I will be mixing as they conclude the engineering portion of their current EP. I have already mixed one song which the band absolutely loved, as it was previously mixed by another engineer in my locale which they felt was sub-par, given the engineer's longevity and reputation in the area. It's always nice to win, especially when it greatly benefits the artist in the long run!

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

  6. A: Yes! The one and only David Tyo. He's a local colleague of mine and a pleasure to speak to, hang with and talk shop. He's a phenomenally talented musician, producer and mixer.

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. A: Digital, simply out of modern flexibility and practicality, especially in the mixing arena. My best example being, a mastering engineer friend once said "analogue is great, but if you have to perform a recall for a client, there's no guarantee any given piece of gear will sound the same next time, regardless the settings."

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

  10. A: I absolutely love the creative side and realising a vision an artist sets forth with their material. It's particularly moving to follow the progress and transformation a song might take from raw tracks to a final, polished mix where it's become an entity unto itself, complete with a message, personality and attitude.

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

  12. A: The most common question is if I can also master the project. My honest answer is, no I can't. I don't know the first thing about the art/science, nor do I have any equipment that can touch what the professionals can do. If you need a mastering engineer, I have relationships with at least three with whom I work regularly and know what they're getting from me, and I them. Let's talk!

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

  14. A: I feel, without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest misconception about my role as a mixer is that the craft can be learned "overnight" simply by watching tutorials and reading books. The truth is it's the polar opposite. It's an art form and science that takes years of honing, developing an ear along with the appropriate instincts and knowledge of how to receive a song, discern the qualities of the material and how best to serve that material to showcase its strengths and maybe even mask its weaknesses.

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

  16. A: As best you can, please make sure the material is actually ready for mixing: any editing or tuning has been done, takes have been comped to masters and tracks appropriately labeled. This takes the guess work out of the equation for me and I know that what I'm listening to and looking at is the final arrangement of the song. All I want to do is focus on building your song and making it larger than life, so I can give you the product you deserve to have.

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

  18. A: To follow the contemporary cliche, I wanted to be a rockstar recording artist as a teenager, but during my tenure at music school in college, I fell in love with the tech side of things which put me on the road to a dedicated audio production school. I've been generally working in the business for about 12 years, though I've been a serious engineer mixer for the past 8 years.

  19. Q: How would you describe your style?

  20. A: In a nutshell, I'd say I'm hard-hitting. And by that, I mean I'm pretty aggressive with my drum and vocal processing. I like the music to have attitude and power, accentuated by intricate use of ambience and FX.

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

  22. A: It would be my life's achievement to have the honour of working with Metallica. Since the late 80s, have I never heard a band with such size and power and in their productions and writing and I'd absolutely love to have a hand in that process with them. I feel James Hetfield is an unsung hero in the vocal/lyrical aspect of the metal world and I've always admired their drum and guitar sounds.

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

  24. A: Labeling Tracks: when submitting songs to be mixed professionally, please label the tacks in a practical manner, ie - if there's only one vocalist who happens to be male, please don't write stuff like "creamy male vocal 1/2." That adds confusion for the mixer because, depending on how many of these exist in succession in your song, we have to be distracted and waste time discerning who the lead is and who are backing vocals. If it's the lead vocal, just write "LV" with a numeric designation, "BV" for backing vocal tracks, etc. That helps us identify its role in the song so we can maintain our focus on the task at hand.

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

  26. A: Currently, my two mainstays happen to be hard rock/metal and live-concert gospel remixes.

  27. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  28. A: Most might agree that my strongest skill tends to be handling of the rhythm section and creating excitement via ambience and special FX treatment.

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

  30. A: I feel I tend to bring power and size to a song, via well-crafted enhancements with my attentional to detail and tasty choices of FX.

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

  32. A: Upon receiving a session or set of tracks, is to organise, label and create a nominal gain structure across the board. I will then play through the song getting an idea of its vibe, sense of direction, clean up any noise or unnecessary space between audio clips, all while taking notes as to what my instinct tells me regarding treatment of the song (eg. certain highlights, "main character" elements, etc).

  33. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  34. A: My setup consists of a Mac running Avid ProTools and a plethora of audio processing by Universal Audio, Metric Halo, SSL, Neve, Slate, Waves, etc. I have a Universal Audio interface, Avid Artist Mix (controller) and several sets of monitoring, including my prize Dynaudio speakers.

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

  36. A: My "holy trinity" (if you will) of music production professionals is comprised of Bob Rock (producer), Randy Staub (engineer/mixer) and Chris Lord-Alge (mixer).

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

  38. A: The most common type of work I do for my clients is mixing, but with a fair amount of editing thrown in where need be. More often than not, I'll receive files, most of which might be 95% "there" but might require an additional timing nudge to better fit the pocket of the song, or a guitar or vocal might be just a hair off pitch-wise.

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Rival Order "Next In Line"

I was the Mixer & orchestral arranger in this production

Terms Of Service

Please allow 24-48hrs for initial product turn-around. 3 mix revisions, typically, though open to discussion if necessary.

GenresSounds Like
  • Five Finger Death Punch
  • Metallica
  • Alice In Chains
Gear Highlights
  • Universal Audio Apollo
  • Avid ProTools 2018
  • Dynaudio BM5A
  • Avid Artist Mix
  • Slate Digital
  • UAD
  • Waves
  • Guitar & Bass Amp processing by Positive Grid Bias FX and IK Multimedia Amplitube
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  • Rival Order EP!Jun 25, 2021

    Rival Order have officially released the first two singles off their forthcoming EP. The songs are "Next In Line" and "Another Life." I'm super proud to have mixed these tracks and provided a few symphonic elements to the tracks, featuring Megadeth drummer, Dirk Verbeuren!


    Check out the lyric video for "Next In Line" here! \m/


  • New Carm Grasso Record!Feb 09, 2019

    The new Carm Grasso record has just come back from mastering and sounds phenomenally huge. It was a total pleasure to coproduce and mix this second effort with Carm! Please check out his website below!

    Carm Grasso Music

  • Kingscastle record!Oct 24, 2018

    I'm especially proud to have recently mixed the vast majority of the songs on the new Kingscastle record, entitled "For Those Lost At Sea." This is more indie rock than I typically handle now a days, which was a welcome challenge and I learned a lot in the process. Please check it out and contact me if you're a similar artist looking to have your material mixed. Cheers!

  • Corevalay- Forever EP out now!May 07, 2017

    Hey, folks! I'm very pleased to announce that the new record by Corevalay, entitled "Forever," is out now on iTunes! I was once again called upon to mix this little gem and I'm super proud of the outcome! Please check it out at your leisure! Cheers!https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/forever-ep/id1230178890

  • Virtuosic Guitar Instrumentals!Jan 24, 2017


    I've just begun prelim mixes for a local (Albany, NY, USA) guitar virtuoso by the name of Carm Grasso. In the mean time, please visit the link below to grab your copy of Carm's prior solo effort, "Soul Stealer!"
    http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/carmgrasso


  • Pre-Order "Simpatico" by Tearle AshbyDec 12, 2015

    Tearle Ashby's new LP, "Simpatico," is officially available on iTunes for pre-order, with a release date of Jan 26! See the link below to get your copy! 
    https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/simpatico/id1066919431



  • "Simpatico" by Tearle AshbySep 08, 2015

    Just wrapped mixing on an extremely dynamic post-progressive rock LP by upstate NY musician, Tearle Ashby. The record is entitled "Simpatico," whose title track will hopefully end up as a single. The record is currently in the capable hands of mastering engineer, Mr Andy VanDette (ex-Masterdisk). 
    http://www.tearleashby.com/index.html

  • Benjamin Moore & Co. corporate VODec 16, 2014

    Beginning in January, I and my company, Danymal Sound, have received new contract VO work by home decor/paint company, Benjamin Moore. The content is comprised of PowerPoint training materials featuring a full narrative featuring the voice talents of upstate NY's own Hal Houghton and I will be engineering, editing and mixing the VO content per the corporation's specs. 

  • Corevalay in-studio radio interviewNov 07, 2014

    This Sat, 11/8/14, Corevalay's Phil and Gerald will be live in-studio at the site below for an interview regarding their band and first record, "This Beautiful Ride," which I mixed a couple years ago!
    http://wmscradio.com

  • New Slate piece added to my arsenal!Oct 01, 2014

    After years of manual drum layering/sample replacing, it's high time to entered the automated approach to the same art form, as my client demands have grown! As of today, Danymal Sound now offers Trigger 2 by Slate Digital, to assist with all your drum enhancement needs!

  • Remixing for Church Sound Solutions in High Wycombe, EnglandSep 22, 2014

    One of my newest regular gigs will be remixing live multi-track concert recordings for London-based Church Sound Solutions out of High Wycombe, England! Great guys to work with and never a dull moment. It's amazing what the net and technology allows us to do! If you're based in the UK and would like to book their services to have your concert mixed/recorded/remixed, visit the link below and contact Mr Tim Graham!
    http://churchsoundsolutions.co.uk

  • Debut Corevalay record is officially released!Sep 13, 2014

    Debut Corevalay record is out now! Getting radio play, along with some critical acclaim!

  • Michael Deej triple record, "Ataraxia," released on iTunes!Sep 13, 2014

    My most recent mix job for the artist, Michael Deej, is officially available on iTunes at the link below. 30 songs for your listening pleasure!
    https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ataraxia/id918610157

  • Corevalay debut CD release approaches!Sep 03, 2014

    Just a little update, my buddies in NJ-based band Corevalay have their debut CD release Friday, 9/12 at Dingbatz in Clifton NJ! I look forward to meeting the rest of the band, as I only know a few of the members in person and all the mix work was handled remotely. 
    Very exciting to see these guys take shape and progress as they have!
    You can find their debut album on iTunes below or purchase a physical copy through www.corevalay.com 
    https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/this-beautiful-ride/id909087786

    Check these guys out if you can!

  • ProTools 11 is here!Aug 29, 2014

    I've officially upgraded to the co-installation of Avid ProTools 11 to both enjoy and offer the power of 64-bit goodness to all my clients!

  • Michael Deej triple record, "Ataraxia," is finished!Aug 23, 2014

    Hey guys and dolls!
    We've officially wrapped and received the masters back (Azimuth Mastering) for Michael Deej's debut triple record entitled "Ataraxia." It will be on iTunes shortly in 3 volumes (30 songs total). The bulk of the project was recorded in Garageband on the artist's iPad, drums were recorded live at drummer Mike Dawson's home studio (Modern Drummer Magazine), mixed by me and mastered by Bill Henderson of Azimuth Mastering. Check it out!