We have been trying to record a feature with excellent mix and mastering guy Mike Cave for several years and then we get to shoot several all at the same time! Russell Cottier visited with the camera to both interview Mike to find out more about his growing international reputation and to record several 'top tips' for a new series that we are rolling out for RP.
The full Mike Cave video interview will be here shortly but for now some recording and mixing tips have been made into seperate videos, here are the links for these:
Mike Cave technique videos
Mike Cave's Mixing Tips - Video One - Getting a better bottom end in a mix
Mike Cave's Mixing Tips - Video Two - Getting great vocals in a mix
Mike Cave's Mixing Tips - Video Three - Mix buss processing
This first video segment is a quick look at preparing to mix and creating space in the bottom end to help give bass instruments more power and space in a mix.
Mike Cave is a musician who turned mixer/producer started his career playing guitar, keyboards and the drums in a selection of bands in Liverpool from the age of thirteen and bythe time he had turned fifteen he was engineering sessions for his own bands - and others in the area.
After studdying at the London College of Music a band he was in had a major record deal with Mercury giving him the to spend a few years working in the studio with some of the top guys, Mike Neilsen, Jeremy Wheatley, Kevin Bacon and Jonathan Quarmby. Soon after a long in-house engineer stint at Parr Street Studios followed with Mike working with people including Ken Nelson, Jeremy Wheatley and Brendan Lynch.
After Mike went freelance he opened his own Loft Studios in the centre of Liverpool and Mike has built a solid reputation as a mixer / producer / mastering engineer and has worked with The Zutons, The Coral, The Charlatans, Professor Green, Elvis Costello, Noisettes, Tinchy Stryder, James Vincent McMorrow, John Martyn, Yuksek, Bob Dylan and Echo & The Bunnymen. Mike's had a string of top ten albums & singles and several multi-platinum, gold & silver sales awards.
Mike Cave Credits
James Vincent McMorrow – Early In The Morning (LP) – Believe [GOLD]
Lisa Lois – Smoke (LP) – Sony [DOUBLE PLATINUM]
The Charlatans – Up At The Lake (LP) – Island [GOLD]
Nicole Scherzinger – Killer Love (LP) – Interscope [GOLD]
Bodyrockers – Bodyrockers (LP) – Mercury [SILVER]
MIKE’S TOP TEN ALBUMS & SINGLES
James Vincent McMorrow – Early In The Morning (LP) – Believe [NO1 ALBUM]
Lisa Lois – Smoke (LP) – Sony [NO1 ALBUM + 2 x NO1 SINGLES]
The Charlatans – Up At The Lake (LP) – Island [No1 ALBUM]
Nicole Scherzinger – Killer Love (LP) – Interscope [No3 ALBUM + No8 SINGLE]
100% – Just Can’t Wait “Saturday” (Single) – CR2 [No1 SINGLE]
Noisettes – Contact (LP) – Add Prod/Add-Rec/Mix – Absolute/Mono-Ra-Rama
I Am A Camera – Factory Boys(Single) – Add Prod/Mix/Mastered – Columbia
Rochelle – You vs Me (LP) – Add Prod/Mix – Sony
Tiro Lark – Hollywood (EP) – Prod/Mix/Mastered – Two Dogs
ALB – I Beg For The Summer (EP) – Mastered – Peugeot/Universal
Miyavi vs Yuksek – Day 1 (Single) – Mastered – EMI
John Martyn – Heaven And Earth (LP) – Rec – Absolute
Tinchy Stryder – Oh No (Single) – Add Prod/Mix – Island
Sandy Denny/Gilmore – Don’t Stop Singing (LP) – Co-Prod/Mix/Mast – Island
Yuksek – Living On The Edge Of Time (LP) – Add Prod/Mix/Mastered – Fiction
James Vincent McMorrow – Early In The (LP) – Add Prod/Mix/Mastered – Believe
Nicole Scherzinger – Killer Love (LP) – Mix – Interscope
Enrique Iglesias – Heartbeat (Single) – Mix – Polydor
Delta Maid – Spend A Little Time (LP) – Add Prod/Mix/Mastered – Future
Think About Life – Havin’ My Baby (Single) – Add Prod/Mix/Mastered – Opak
Bob Dylan/Various – Chimes Of Freedom (LP) – Co-Prod/Rec – Fontana
Delta Maid – Thats The Way It Is (Single) – Prod/Mix/Mastered – Future
September – Me And My Microphone (Single) - Mix/Mastered – AATW
Thea Gilmore – John Wesley Harding (LP) - Mix/Mastered – Fullfill
Delta Maid – Without You (EP) – Prod/Mix/Mastered – Future
ROX – Memoirs (LP) – Mix/Mastered – Rough Trade
Thea Gilmore – Murphy’s Heart (LP) – Co-Prod/Mix/Mastered – Fullfill
Bicycle Thieves – Stop To Start (EP) – Prod/Mix/Mastered – Loog
Lisa Lois – Smoke (LP) – Add Prod/Mix/Mastered – Sony
John Martyn – On The Cobbles (LP) – Rec – Independiente
Thea Gilmore – Strange Communion (LP) – Co-Prod/Mix/Mastered – Fullfill
Thea Gilmore – Recorded Delivery (LP) – Co-Prod/Mix/Mastered – Fullfill
Isolated Atoms – Tell Me What I Want (EP) – Prod/Mix/Mastered – Weekender
The Zutons – Tower Of Strength (Single) – Prod/Mix/Mastered – EMI
Thea Gilmore – You Spin Me (Single) – Prod/Mix/Mastered – EMI
Alana Levandoski – Lions & Werewolves (LP) – Mastered – Blue Lily
Icicle Works – The Lost Tapes (LP) – Add Prod/Mix/Mastered – Universal
Joan Baez – Day After Tomorrow (LP) – Rec – Proper
Elvis Costello – Don’t Throw Your Love Away (Single) - Mastered – EMI
Thea Gilmore – Come Up (Single) – Co-Prod/Mix/Mastered – Fullfill
Vib Gyor – We Are Not An Island (LP) – Prod/Rec/Mix/Mastered – Universal
Thea Gilmore – Liejacker (LP) – Co-Prod/Mix/Mastered – Fullfill
Various – Liverpool Number Ones Project (LP) - Prod/Mix/Mastered – EMI
Brian Houston – Sugar Queen (LP) – Co-Prod/Mix/Mastered – BHS
Ian McNabb – Philharmonic Live (LP) – Rec/Mix/Mastered – Universal
Joan Coffey – Struggles & Lulls (LP) – Co-Prod/Mix/Mastered – CD Baby
Sandy Thom – Rainbird (Single) – Co-Prod/Rec – Island
Katy Lied – Late Arrival (LP) – Co-Prod/Mix/Mastered – Universal
The Charlatans – Forever (LP) – Rec/Add Prod – Island
Yousef – Underwater Solo (LP) – Co-Prod/Mix/Mastered – Ministry
The Open – Remember (Single) – Add Prod/Mix – Loog
The Open – Get Away (Single) – Add Prod/Mix – Loog
The Open – Drown (Single) – Add Prod/Mix – Loog
The Open – Brown Paper (Single) – Add Prod/Mix – Loog
Ian McNabb – Before All Of This – Co-Prod/Mix/Mastered – Universal
Alfa 9 – Then We Begin (LP) – Prod/Rec/Mix – Blow Up
Thea Gilmore – Loft Music (LP) – Co-Prod/Rec/Mix/Mastered – Fullfill
Martin Harley Band – Drum Rolls (LP) – Co-Prod/Rec/Mix/Mastered – MHB
Yousef – My Own Best (Single) – Co-Write/Prod/Rec/Mix/Mastered – Circus
The Charlatans – Up At The Lake (LP) – Add-Prod/Rec – Universal
Bodyrockers – Bodyrockers (LP) – Add-Prod/Rec – Mercury
Ian McNabb – Gentleman Adventurer (LP) – Rec/Mix – Universal
Echo And The Bunnymen – Slideling (LP) – Rec/Mix – Echo
Thea Gilmore – Avalanche (LP) – Co-Prod/Rec/Mix – Hungry Dog
Thea Gilmore – Cover Me (Single) – Co-Prod/Rec/Mix/Mastered – Uncut
The Coral – Calendars & Clocks (EP) – Rec – Deltasonic/Sony
The Coral – Oldest Path (EP) – Rec – Deltasonic/Sony
100% – Just Can’t Wait “Saturday” (Single) – Co-Write/Prod/Mix - CR2
The Rain Band – The Rain Band (LP) – Co-Prod/Rec – Island
The Rain Band – The World Is Ours (Single) – Co-Prod/Rec – Island
The Rain Band – Knee Deep And Down (Single) – Co-Prod/Rec – Island
The Rain Band – Art Of Mass Destruction (LP) – Co-Prod/Rec – Island
Big Yoga Muffin – My Idea Of Fun (Single) – Rec – Echo
Medusa’s Spite – Life in 2001 (EP) – Add-Prod/Mix – Baby
Cracatilla – What Do I Know (Single) – Co-Prod/Rec/Mix – Honey
Cracatilla – You’ve Got It All (Single) – Co-Prod/Rec/Mix – Honey
3rd Dan – Guess I Wanted More (EP) – Prod/Rec/Mix/Mastered – Honey
Armani – Milan Fashion Show (5.1) – Write/Prod/Mix – Armani
Futurebound – Red Lights (EP) – Co-Write/Prod/Rec/Mix – Infrared
Contact Mike via his website mikecave.co.uk
