Ryan Davies – RCD Audio

7 Years as an Independent Professional Mixing & Mastering Engineer – What I’ve Learnt

Ryan Davies — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 11:33:49 +0000

I didn’t start out as a professional mixing and mastering engineer. My career began in marketing. Music was always a passion, but when it came to paying rent, it didn’t pay the bills, so it had to take a backseat. Fast forward to today: I’m in my mid (okay, late) 30s, and I’ve been working as an independent professional mixing and mastering engineer for seven years. It’s been a journey of earning…

Source

One of the Most Underrated Mixing Tips

Ryan Davies — Mon, 19 May 2025 14:10:42 +0000

I know we love to know about vocal chains and who uses what compressor and what settings for a certain type of pop production and blah blah. But the thing about that stuff is context. Their settings and chains might not work for your production, your microphone, your song etc. So rather than focus on plugins and settings and all that nonsense that people on YouTube will tell you at length why…

Source

Watching ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ & Wider Reflections On Music Today

Ryan Davies — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 15:21:30 +0000

Last night I watched Becoming Led Zeppelin, the documentary about the origins of the British supergroup, at an IMAX cinema. It was an incredible film. Wonderful archive footage, sincere and emotive interviews and of course, glorious rock n roll. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was a classic documentary. There was no need to turn the narrative up to 11 (when the amps already are). It’s a fun…

Source

Black Friday: A Word of Warning For Home Studio Producers

Ryan Davies — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:28:00 +0000

Black Friday will soon be upon us and if you’re a home studio producer this can be dangerous territory. Many items may have enticing prices like studio hardware, microphones, interfaces, but of course the one thing that really stands out is plugins. Many outlets have already started running deals! They’re cheap (and maybe even cheaper now) and are instantly available once you purchase them making…

Source

New Dolby Atmos Mix of Ziggy Stardust: First Impressions

Ryan Davies — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:31:00 +0000

I was fortunate enough to recently go to a special hearing of David Bowie’s album Ziggy Stardust, remixed in Dolby Atmos at what once was Trident Studios. In attendance was producer Ken Scott, the man who originally produced the record in 1972, as well as producer Emre Ramazanoglu, who both played their roles in remixing the iconic album. Trident studios is a legendary space where many of the…

Source

Should I Put Reverb on the Insert or Send of a Track?

Ryan Davies — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:38:00 +0000

When it comes to learning to mix music in your home studio, I get asked a lot of questions around specific ways to mix. And, I’m going to answer one I hear quite often: Should I apply reverb on the insert or send of a track? Both ways have their uses and understanding the difference between these two approaches can help you get the sound you’re looking for for your mix.

Source

How To Work With A Mastering Engineer: Essential Tips

Ryan Davies — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:35:00 +0000

After working on over 200 plus projects as a mastering engineer, I’ve gained valuable insight on how to get the best experience for you and your music – So, here’s how to work with a mastering engineer to get the most out of your music. Below is a short list of what to do and what not to do when working with a mastering engineer. This is by no means a list of grumbles as a mastering engineer!

Source