Chris Kimsey (The Rolling Stones, Duran Duran)

Chris Kimsey has worked in the recording industry for 45 years having started his career at Olympic Studios under the tutorage of Keith Grant, Jimmy Miller, and Glyn Johns. Within his first few years, he had worked with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and B. B. King. His association with The Rolling Stones lasted over 25 years. Other credits include The Psychedelic Furs, Yes, The Cult, Duran Duran, INXS, and 5.1 sound for Elton John, Dire Straits, Genesis, and Phil Collins.

Tell us about your current studio setup.

Pro Tools, with PMC Monitors. Original Olympic Studios 1967 and 1979 modules. Plugins include TG 1234, UREI 1176 LA 2A PYE Compressor PULTECs, Valhalla reverbs, Slate Audio, SSL, Abbey Road Plates and Fab Filter.

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

I have been all around the world and recorded so many genres of music. I love all music. I love all great performers. I’m not bound to any genre. I enjoy finding, cultivating, original and authentic music. We’ve each been given talents and capabilities, which we can develop, but we don’t do it alone. There are attributes, which each person has, that are all a little different and you have to be aware of this.

How do you typically approach the mixing of a song?

I push all the faders up to listen to the song and the vocal. I then find the best arrangement of instruments and vocals, creating soundscapes for each instrument. I also spend time working on the vocal sound and dynamic but I never use Autotune.

What advice do you have for aspiring mixers or producers looking to get a break in the industry?

Be unique in your sound, do not copy. Be inspired to find your own galaxy of sound. Mistakes are your best friend!