Mix Secrets

Drake’s atmospheric, brooding sound has revitalised hip-hop, selling millions in the process. The man behind that sound is Noah '40' Shebib.

Tony Bennett’s continuing success showcases the value of old-school recording techniques — and the talents of his engineer son Dae.

The multitracks for Evanescence’s third album were so big that they required two maxed-out Pro Tools rigs to play back!

Audio files to accompany the article.

Fabian Marasciullo’s mixes for the latest Lil Wayne album were so valuable he had to guard them at gunpoint.

A new Incubus album is always an event, especially when produced by the legendary Brendan O’Brien...

Paul Simon’s album So Beautiful Or So What is a dazzling return to form — and a return to working with production legend Phil Ramone.

Audio files to accompany the article.

Adele’s second album, 21, has broken sales records all around the globe. Mixer Tom Elmhirst and producer Paul Epworth explain how they created its multi‑platinum lead single, ‘Rolling In The Deep’.

Feeling that something was missing from their latest album, the Beastie Boys decided it needed remixing — by a “crazy Frenchman”...

Alison Krauss persuaded mix specialist Mike Shipley to return to engineering after a 10‑year gap — in a genre he’d never tackled. The result was a creative and commercial triumph.

The Strokes’ comeback single was the product of three years of songwriting, 18 months of recording — and 30 minutes of mixing!

With a little help from producer/engineer Tucker Martine, the Decemberists' latest album went from barn to barnstormer...

Through his work with David Guetta, Rihanna and now Katy Perry, Sandy Vee has taken the French house sound to the top of the US charts. He tells us how it's done.

Mumford & Sons have dragged acoustic music out of the folk clubs and straight to the top of the charts, with a sound sculpted by producer Markus Dravs and mix engineer Ruadhri Cushnan.

Taylor Swift has become country music's biggest mainstream star, thanks in part to a stellar production team. Producer Nathan Chapman and mixer Justin Niebank lift the lid on Swift's latest hit album, Speak Now.

Phil Collins began recreating the classic Motown sound as a form of therapy. With the help of engineer Yvan Bing, the results gave Collins his first number one album in 17 years.

Thirty years after Led Zeppelin ended, Robert Plant has reached a second career high. His latest hit album was tracked and mixed by Mike Poole, using a mouth-watering selection of vintage equipment.

Despite self-imposed limitations, the multitrack sessions for Arcade Fire's latest album grew to epic proportions. Craig Silvey nevertheless mixed it on a vintage desk with no automation.

Eminem's Recovery has been one of the biggest hit albums of the year, spawning two number one singles — all recorded and mixed by Eminem's long-term engineer, Mike Strange.

Legendary Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne is still rocking in his sixties. The musical powerhouse behind his latest hit album Scream is producer, engineer, songwriter and instrumentalist Kevin Churko.