Brian Reeves (Billy Idol, U2, Donna Summer, Selena Gomez)

Muti-Platinum mixer and producer Brian Reeves has more than forty years of experience in the music industry working with producers such as Giorgio Moroder, Jimmy Iovine, Harold Faltermeyer, and Keith Forsey, and artists of the caliber of Billy Idol, U2, Donna Summer, The Pet Shop Boys, Miley Cyrus, and Kenny Loggins. Reeves’s engineering career began at Westlake Recording Studios in Hollywood where he engineered sessions For Billy Idol And Donna Summer.

Tell us about your studio setup these days.

Currently, my DAW is ProTools and I am monitoring with Tannoy Super Golds. I have an extensive plugin assortment including UAD, Waves, Celemony, Antares, FabFilter, IZotope, and many others.

When it comes to gear, I don’t have any particular “go-tos”. I think it’s important to use the tool that’s best for the specific job. In the end, it’s more about the song and the production along with experience and taste. It is important to have the right tools, but good ears matter more than tons of gear.

Having worked on so many songs over the past few years, how do you stay fresh and excited about making music these days?

I love the artform of record making. The collaboration with different, talented people is what keeps it fresh.  Every song and production has unique challenges and is an opportunity for discovery and refinement of my craft. I love making records, learning new tricks, and gaining new insights every day.

How do you typically approach the mixing of a song?

I like to listen to a rough mix to see how the balances, panning, effects, and so on, were all working (or not working) as the production was being finished or left off. Then I just let my sensibilities guide me.

It usually starts from the drums up, but not always. There’s always a heart of the song or production. Something that everything rests on. I look for that ingredient and go from there. It may be a guitar riff in the intro that continues through the song that is that centerpiece. Something like that.

Every song is unique but there are also always influences and references to guide me. I like to know from the artist what influences might be good to check out.

If the song is the second or third in a package or album, or if this is a song from an artist that I’ve previously worked with, I often A/B with earlier mixes from that same project or artist.