Brooklyn MixCon Preview: Kevin Killen – The Sparse Mix

Brooklyn MixCon is coming up on December 6 & 7! Five workshops & Q&A’s organized by genre, at the Living Room in Brooklyn—Presented by SonicScoop and the Deli Magazine.

Each day this week, we’ll take a closer look at the mixers who will be sharing their secrets: Matty Amendola (Indie Pop Mix: Focus on Drums);
Marc McClusky (Indie Rock Mix: Focus on Distorted Guitars);
Kevin Killen (The Sparse Mix: Ballads/Clean Instruments);
J. Chris Griffin (Mainstream Pop Mix: Focus on Separation);
Ariel Borujow (EDM Mix, Low End and Loudness)

Today we’ll be talking to Kevin Killen, whose presentation is sponsored by Universal Audio. Experience this mixer’s advice and hard-won wisdom in person at Brooklyn MixCon! Click here to RSVP.

Brooklyn MixCon is made possible by SoundToys, Focal, iZotope, Universal Audio, SPL, B&H, & Eventide.

Mixer Name: Kevin Killen

Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel, U2, David Bowie, Shakira) will be at Brooklyn MixCon on Sunday, 12/6.

Website: http://jdmanagement.com/kevinkillen/

Location: Manhattan, NYC

Clients/Credits: Peter Gabriel, Elvis Costello, U2 , Sugarland, Kate Bush, Tori Amos

Recent projects: David Bowie, Yo Yo Ma & Silkroad, Songs of Lahore, Brandon Flowers & The Vanity

My Mix Angle: My approach over the years has become more streamlined, refined in that I try to get a great balance with a minimum amount of plugins.

I also have a top down approach to mixing and since most of my clients are vocal-intensive I find this works well for them. I am also fascinated by space and the illusion of the soundstage that I am trying to present.

For Example:

At Brooklyn MixCon, I’m Focusing on The Sparse Mix: Ballads and Clean Instruments, Because: With a sparse ballad everything about the performance is crucial. Therefore each element must surprise, support and engage the listener .

Sneak Preview: How to mix with minimum set of plugins.

I Love Leading Audio Workshops Because… Making great records is always been a collaborative effort. Sharing techniques is something that used to happen daily under the old studio system. Nowadays it is more imperative to pass on tips and techniques so that the next generation of engineers can benefit from the collective expertise of those who proceeded them.

Brooklyn MixCon is made possible by SoundToys, Focal, iZotope, Universal Audio, SPL, B&H, & Eventide.

Don’t miss Brooklyn MixCon, December 6 & 7 at the Living Room!

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