Ep. 74 - Sean O’Keefe - Producer and Mix Engineer

In further proof that our friends are *way* cooler than we are, this week we welcomed Grammy-nominated Platinum producer and mix engineer Sean O’Keefe to the show. Sean is thoughtful, insightful, and generous throughout the chat, leading us through his musical background, getting his start with his brother’s guitar (that also made it onto some famous Fall Out Boy recordings), taking a break to join This Is Me Smiling, and ultimately learning to listen to his calling as a first-call music maker. Some of the topics we covered: the wild story of Hey There Delilah, the joy of car testing a mix, working in Gravity and Smart Studios, mixing in the box with an analog 2-buss, using trim plugins to control gain staging, solo vs. in-context tones, using samples, and building up a clientele via the scene you’re in. Because we’re sentimental fools, we also had to get in a little reminiscing about how we all met as young(er) pups. Also discussed: Jim Croce, Captain Beefheart, and the magic of Jon Brion. Now go home and memorize ya’ ****in’ patchbay.