F. Reid Shippen (Pink!, Cage The Elephant, Steven Tyler)
With eleven Grammy Award-winning albums and more than a hundred number one singles to his name, F. Reid Shippen is a mixer, engineer, and producer based in Nashville. He’s worked with a vast range of artists across all genres, including Kenny Chesney, Pink!, Steven Tyler, and Cage the Elephant. Shippen is an owner of The Music Playground and a co-founder of SongFarm, a charity that builds recording studios in underserved high schools. (Photo by Max Hsu)
How do you stay excited about working on new music every day?
Some days are easier than others. I think the key is to remind myself of two truths: one, someone worked incredibly hard on this song, it’s an expression of their art and self, and it’s important. I’m not here to judge the music, I’m here to to help them achieve their vision and make the song feel - and sound - as good as possible. Two, I get paid to listen to music all day, which is kind of the best … job … ever!
Tell us about your current studio setup.
It’s in flux. I own an SSL desk but I’ve only been using a small footprint of it. I’m going to move that to a rack and get rid of the big desk. My DAW is Pro Tools. It has to be, I get stuff from all over.
I use outboard gear that works for the song: anything from a copper time cube to a guitar pedal.
My room was designed by Gary Hedden and it sounds incredible. I know, everyone says that. But I’ve had a lot of people comment on it, and have been in a lot of rooms since that are a struggle. Come by and listen for yourself! So, it’s treated to sound good - dimensions, non-parallels, cloud. Also, my room is stereo and 9.1.4 immersive.
How do you typically approach a mix?
It’s set up the same way every time: color-coded, with noise, bad edits and junk removed. My process, after years of doing this myself, is to have my assistant do it so I can walk in, press play, and think creatively and not administratively.
I make whatever edit decisions I hear for the song and arrangement: sometimes small, sometimes big. If the client doesn’t like it, hit undo.
How does the mixing and production work come to you these days and do you have suggestions for young mixers looking to get the word out about what they can do?
People find me. Stuff comes from all over. Some are existing relationships - especially with larger companies or labels. Some are off the Internet.
There’s a ton of stuff you can do. The biggest is hustle. Go find bands you like. Reach out to producers that you know, or like. Ask advice. Remember: you’re not a person, you’re a brand.
If I were starting now, I’d make a list of my favorite engineers and make an internship happen. Also, do the same with producers.
Get really good at vocal editing, tuning, and so on. Look outside the box for the opportunity. Invest in yourself and your community, and if you’re in a place where you can’t experience growth, move.
And above all, inhale all the great info that’s out there. I mean, look at all the badass people on SongChecks! What a great resource. Also PureMix and Mixing with the Masters. There’s so much great info out there.
What's one piece of advice you can pass on to aspiring mixers and producers looking to get better at their craft?
Work hard, and learn new shit every day. Pros work, amateurs wait.