Matt Sim (Nicki Minaj, Big Sean, Pusha T, Rick Ross)

Matt Sim is a Grammy-nominated, award-winning mixer, mastering engineer, producer, and pro audio designer based in Hong Kong. More than 1000 of his mixes were released between 2015 and 2021, covering all genres of music. Matt has worked with a long list of award-winning artists including Nicki Minaj, Big Sean, Jackson Wang, Lexie Liu, Kris Wu, Desiigner, Pusha T, and Rick Ross. In addition, he, co-designed the APS/Germano Acoustic AEON II studio monitor.

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

I found a balance in my career to stay sane. I bounce back and forth between making a living through working with artists and labels with bigger budgets and helping independent artists create great music. I am more inspired working on the indie music because they usually have more creative freedom and can be less hassle to deal with compared to major label artists.

Working on fun and cool music is my ‘vacation” in between all the projects. Aside from that, I try to enjoy life as much as I can outside the studio to recharge my battery. Taking time off to rest is key!

Tell us about your current studio setup.

I have two set-ups: one at my studio and one at home. I spent 99% of my time mixing at home just because I can save the traveling time and mix a few more songs a day. I have a studio set-up in case if any clients want to sit in but thanks to Covid, that never happens at the moment.

I have used every possible analog gear and console on earth and have been involved in design for a few companies during my career. Nothing much really excites me anymore. I have been 100% in the box for more than five years now, working in Pro Tools only.

Given the speed I‘m working at, and the number of mix revisions I need to take care of, plus the consistency in terms of quality I have to deliver 24/7, it’s a no-brainer. Fully ITB (in the box) is the only way to go. I cannot afford to waste any time. If one of my tube gears is broken, or this console has a bad channel, I would lose my job. It’s a very competitive world.

My winning formula to deliver 300 mixes a year is simple: my 2018 MacBook Pro, tons of plugins, any audio interface (although I am using Antelope Zen Tour), Yamaha NS10s, and a pair of Sennheiser HD600s.

It’s a similar set-up for my big studio and my home studio except that at my studio I have an extra Avid S3 control service, a Zoar studio desk, and bit of analog gear for display only (a Distressor, a few 1176, a Cranesong Trakker, a Black Lion Seventeen).

How do you typically approach a mix?

I have two assistants setting up the session for me so we can run 24/7. They do all the audio clean up, making sure all all tracks align and it’s identical to the rough mix with no missing files. Besides that, they color code all the tracks for me and route the tracks to my mix template.

We try to avoid making any big editing decisions because it changes the mix so much. That should be done before mixing, although it does happen sometimes during or after mixing in which case I’ll charge them additional fees because it’s simply a different song with a different arrangement.

It usually takes me 1-3 hours to mix a song after my assistant has prepped the session. Any longer than that and it would mean that the arrangement or the recording quality has got a major issue that I’ll have to fix.

Tell us a little about how the mixing work comes to you these days and do you have suggestions for young mixers looking to get the word out about what they can do?

The majority of the work comes from referral or repeat clients (producers, artists, A&Rs), and 10% of the work perhaps comes from random strangers or fans of my work. I am usually skeptical about working with complete strangers because I’ll have to spend time to learn their preferences and personalities, as well as worrying if I’ll get paid.

I do see young mixers hype themselves up on social media with nice pics and content. That seems to work too to get more clients. But I am old school: I’ll stick to “let your work speak for yourself”. If you hustle and put out good work, eventually people will respect you and your craft.

What advice would you give independent mixers and producers looking to get better at their craft?

The standard is really high these days because everyone seems to be able to mix well. Personally, the lack of musical taste and the tonal distinction between genres is what is separating the pros and the amateurs.

There’s a difference between what feels good and what feels right. So, it can be a ‘good mix’ but it just doesn’t hit right. That’s a common issue with the young mixers and producers. The more I grew as a mixer, the less I cared about the technical aspect of a mix but focused more on getting the emotions right.

I listen to the rough mix or demo and identify what touches me in the song and amplify that during mixing. A great mix is when the audience vibes with it.

So my advice would be to listen to a LOT of music, analyze the mix and production, catch the vibes and implement them in your mix. Through tons of practice, your musical intuition will go on autopilot and the song will mix itself.

That’s my little secret and advice to y’all!