Episode 188

Phil Ek: Establishing the Vibe of a Record

Phil Ek is an American record producer, engineer and mixer. Ek began his career in Seattle, Washington in the early 1990s recording live sound in clubs. He then moved into studio recording, recording small projects and demos for local bands. Around this time, Ek was frequently working with influential producer Jack Endino. Producing Built to Spill's second album, There's Nothing Wrong with Love, proved to be Ek's mainstream breakthrough (the album has since ranked in the Top Ten of Spin Magazine's top indie records of all time). Phil Ek has worked with such indie rock bands as Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Built to Spill, Duster, 764-HERO, Big Business, and Mudhoney.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

  • Working in Seattle during the 90’s
  • Prioritizing instruments when recording
  • The legacy of Build To Spill’s “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love”
  • Overdubbing vs. recording live off the floor
  • Getting the right scratch tracks in order to capture the true energy of a song
  • Editing for feel vs perfection
  • Should you track with or without reverb?
  • Setting up room mics for options
  • How to make reverb sound big but without being muddy
  • Creating a 3D sound

To learn more about Phil Ek, visit: https://philek.com/


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About the Podcast

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About your host

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Mike Indovina

Mike Indovina is a recording, mixing, and mastering engineer who has worked with hundreds of artists in multiple genres ranging from acoustic, pop/rock, hip hop, and more. In his time, he's been fortunate to work alongside artists such as KISS, Collective Soul, Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies), David Usher, and many more.

He's also the author of two Amazon #1 Bestsellers on music production, "The Mixing Mindset" and "The Recording Mindset.