Working Audio Tools: Produce Like A Pro Lianne Kay Remix Contest

July 29, 2023·45 min·4 clips

Warren explains why he started his remix with a massive drum fill to grab Leanne's attention.

The ad read comes first. DistroKid gets a long setup, with streaming stores, royalty splits, upload speed, artist verification, lyric delivery, HyperFollow links, promotional artwork, and annual pricing all getting time. Then the tools come out. The episode moves into a Working Audio Tools critique, and the mix is treated like something still on the bench, not something sealed and admired from a distance. The vocal is the center of it. The speaker hears a very pretty voice, but it is sitting a little too politely. They want more character, more aggression, and more mid range push. That is not a takedown. The point is simple: the artist has to lead. A vocal can be technically clean and still feel tucked behind the track. Presence becomes the test. Diction, clarity, and forward motion matter because the listener needs to feel the singer carrying the song, not floating on top of it. Width gets attention too. The speaker wants more spread in the vocal and the lead guitar picking parts, while leaving room for the fact that some of that may be their own listening setup. The drums only need a small adjustment. They feel a touch loud in spots, maybe around a dB, but that is enough to tilt the mix. The snare gets more scrutiny because the sample and drum seem to separate in places, briefly sounding like two snares inside one part. Pre delay gets a thumbs up when Ed points out a vocal effect that adds space without taking over. The master helps a lot. By the end, the critique is mostly tiny detail work, probably coming from small mix issues rather than a failed master. The close stays loose: Academy members are sent to the multitracks and episode page, Paul leaves his phone on, and the show ends with a working studio laugh.

As heard by us

A practical remix-contest listen about vocal presence, drum balance, width, and the fine line between polish and overproduction.

Produce Like A Pro uses the Lianne Kay remix contest as a chance to listen past the usual "good mix" shorthand and get into the small choices that decide whether a track really lands.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For when you want mix notes that sound like two engineers at the console.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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