Rob Kleiner (Sia, Atlas Genius, Labrinth, ZZ Ward)

Rob Kleiner is a 4 time Grammy nominated songwriter, producer, mixing and mastering engineer. Based in LA, Kleiner has established himself as a pre-eminent creative whose collaborations can be heard with artists such as Sia, Labrinth, Cee Lo, Andra Day, Foxy Shazam, Atlas Genius, Haley Reinhart, ZZ Ward, and LP. As the owner of SE Mastering, Kleiner has done mixing and mastering for HBO's Euphoria, The Deadpool soundtrack, and more.

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'm a music listener before I'm a music maker. I don't think creativity can exist in a vacuum. I make it a point to listen to music everyday. That's where my inspiration comes from.

Tell us about your current studio set-up?

I work out of a few different studios in LA: Serenity West, Conway, Westlake. As for my home studio, I'm using Barefoot monitors, antelope converter, some Neve pre’s and API's, some 1176's. The room was built and treated by an acoustician for optimal sonics. I work in Pro Tools and Ableton.

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 start by listening and understanding the song. Lot's of A/B ing with other mixes. Then I go through stem by stem (track by track). It's like cooking: making a great dish starts with prepping each ingredient the right way.

How does the mixing work come to you these days?

Word of mouth and networking. There's so much need for content these days. The possibilities are endless.

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

Collaborate. The more people you work with, the more diverse and extensive your skills and knowledge will grow.