#19 Grammy-Winning Mixes with Jon Blass

Podcast Summary

In this episode, we bring you Jon Blass, Grammy Award-Winning Mix Engineer, to discuss his process and perspective for successful mixes.

Jon Blass is a GRAMMY award-winning mix engineer. His mix work has garnered 11 additional GRAMMY nominations, multiple Dove and Stellar awards, and frequently lands atop the Billboard Gospel charts. His mix credits include India.Arie, Naomi Raine Gene Moore, Maranda Curtis, Tweet, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin, Todd Dulaney, Jason Nelson, Brian Courtney Wilson, Melvin Crispell, Donald Lawrence, Shirley Caesar, Fisk Jubilee Singers, and many others.

Jon works in both stereo and Dolby Atmos from his private, Atmos-enabled Limn Sound Studio in Nashville. He has recently served on the Nashville chapter Producers & Engineers Wing and Diversity Outreach Initiative committees for the Recording Academy and the Audio Engineering Society’s local executive committee. Jon is an alum of the GRAMMY NEXT program as well as the Society of Leaders In Development (SOLID).

Today, you’ll hear about how Jon approaches a mix in multiple different genres, automation and compression, using real faders, his Dolby Atmos setup, Jon’s transition to independence, and hear the three things that Jon wishes he’d known sooner.

Episode Timestamps

• [01:00] About Jon.
• [02:08] Jon’s multi-genre approach to mixing.
• [06:17] Automation.
• [09:51] Adding or replacing samples.
• [12:32] Compression.
• [20:40] Jon’s go-to parallel compressors.
• [25:14] Mixing vocals.
• [27:01] Real faders.
• [28:09] Jon’s Dolby Atmos setup.
• [29:39] Switching to Dolby Atmos mixing.
• [34:11] The future of Atmos.
• [37:44] How long does a mix take?
• [38:36] Jon’s average day.
• [44:01] Production quality.
• [47:58] Transitioning into independence.
• [51:28] 3 things Jon wishes he’d known earlier.

Notable Quotes

• “Mixing is feeling.”
• “If it sounds good, it is good.”
• “Don’t overthink it.”
• “What’s meant to be will be.”
• “This is not a gig where you get a job.”
• “Relationships are crucial.”
• “Be open to things you don’t know.”

Connect with Jon

Website:www.jonblass.com.

Instagram:@jonblass.