Mark Needham (The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Moby)

Mark Needham is a mixer, producer, and engineer, with eleven Grammy Award nominations for his work on music by Shakira, Pink, Chris Isaak, Chris Tomlin, and The Killers (famously, he mixed Mr. Brightside in approximately 40 minutes). His credits also include work for legendary artists like Fleetwood Mac, Imagine Dragons, Dolly Parton, Walk the Moon, Moby, and Airborne Toxic Event. (Photo by Mark V. Lord)

Having mixed and produced so many songs over the past few years, how do you stay fresh and excited about making music every day?

I try to come up with new ways to approach a mix so that I don’t get in a rut doing the same thing every time. I also work with, and develop, artists across a variety of genres.

Tell us about your current studio setup.

I have studios in Los Angeles and Nashville and they have the same setups: Dual MTX Slate Ravens, ATC 45s and an ATC sub, Pro Tools, and 6 UAD Octo cards. Also, Lavry D to A converters, Neve 1081 preamps with UA 1176s, and EAR compressors. The rooms both have a lot of windows with views as I start work before sun up and like to see the sunrise!

How do you typically approach a mix: what's your process for setting it up? How often are you making big editing decisions in your mixing?

I just listen to the reference mix and usually have a pretty good idea where I want to go with the mix. Then I just start at the top, work through the tracks to get the sounds I’m looking for, turn everything off and go through levels again, then automate and tweak. I will edit songs and move parts around depending on the song and artist.

How does the mixing work come to you these days?

My workflow over the past ten years has probably changed from 70/30 labels vs indie through our website to 30/70. Even bands on labels seem to contact me through the website quite often. Also, since 2004 about 30% of the income is from bands I have developed, and the press from that probably drives another 30%.

What's one piece of advice you can pass on to aspiring mixers and producers looking to get better at their craft?

Mix and produce all of the time! Don’t wait around for a big project to come in, but dig them out yourself. Get a monitor system you are comfortable with and listen through that most of the time.