McKay Garner

Sound and Music Explorer

Truly Immersive Dolby Atmos Music Mixing

They’re incredible mixes. I could not be happier!”-Ram Dass Khalsa (Solo artist/Producer, Snatam Kaur)

“And the mix- as to be expected from McKay- is perfect.” -Justin Houchin (Singer, Award-winning songwriter)

Stereo Mixing, Recording, Production

 

 I’ve worked with McKay for nearly 20 years. He’s a great engineer and producer. His professionalism in the studio has always been top tier. He’s also really fun to work with because he allows for creativity and artistic expression” -Rocio Marron (American Idol, The Voice):

“I work on sonically wide-ranging, multi-layered scapes and grooves — McKay handles complex musical and mix challenges gracefully, patiently, and artfully.” –Dan Newman (Solo Artist/ Sound Artist)

“Sounds fantastic…you did magical work on this. I’m very excited to release this.” -Hannah Glass (Solo artist/ Violinist)

Composition and Arranging for Stereo or Immersive Records

“Duuuude I can’t stop listening! It’s so powerful and beautiful.

Has anyone ever mentioned you’re amaaazing at this whole producing/mixing thing?”

-Jesse Loren Strickman (Solo artist)

Creating Outside of the Lines

“His multi-discipline skillset, and easy demeanor, make him a secret weapon…

He’s also been excellent at challenging me to not settle and to get creative, of all things, and experiment.

Can’t recommend McKay enough!” -Joe Markert (Singer/Songwriter/Multi-talent)

Using Proven Creative Methods or New Perspectives and Technologies

“I have had the pleasure of working with Mckay on several projects and utilized his many talents for the different roles needed.

Mckay is a top musician, brilliant when it comes to getting sounds for an album, he is an honest, hard-working, and fun guy to work with.

He also knows how to pop lock.” -Keith Tenenbaum (Animal Cloud, drummer/producer)

Mixing

 I specialize in mixing records for emotional impact in stereo or immersive audio (Dolby Atmos/ Spatial Audio). Lately, artists have been discovering the new format taking over audio called Immersive Audio. I mix in Dolby Atmos for these extra-impactful emotional experiences created by this format. I love it! My years of listening to sounds in spaces help make the speakers disappear in immersive/ Dolby Atmos mixes so that the listener can focus on the feeling rather than just “the sound.” A great mix of a song can make it feel like a room you want to live in rather than one you just pass through. Who mixes your song can be as important as who you choose to sing, play guitar, or play keyboard on it! In our conversations about your music, I learn what your message and vision of the song is, and together we craft the perfect “lighting” for your music. 

Production and Sound Design

I have produced many kinds of records from song-driven pop and rock records to very experimental electronic records, from soul to folk and areas in between. I have spent my life studying the things that work in simple or complex, layered arrangements. My love for an eclectic span of musical styles cannot be overstated! I have decades of experience with hardware and software synthesis and sound design tools along with years of audio engineering and musical training. Perhaps these tools and my perspective on audio and music can help your vision become a tangible reality?

Composition

As an ASCAP-affiliated composer and songwriter, I have written music for myself as a solo artist, several singer-songwriters, bands, as well as numerous television shows, film, games, commercials, and movie trailers. I spent years signed to a record label as a singer/songwriter and understand the many different structures of a song and the craft of lyric writing. I have also composed countless instrumental pieces in varying styles from quirky television themes, to orchestral string and horn arrangements, pop, hip hop, and rock tracks, field recording sound collages, and many styles of electronic music and beyond.

About

 Since studying music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and playing in countless bands as a drummer, guitarist, vocalist, or keyboardist, most of my life has been lived as a working musician, producer, and engineer, and composer. During fifteen of those years I owned and operated a commercial/project recording studio in Los Angeles. My wife and I have now lived in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area for the last several years.

I have been fortunate to have worked as an engineer or mixing engineer on records for up-and-coming as well as familiar, Grammy-winning artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, J Dilla, Michael Buble, Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park), Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead), Zakir Hussain, Flogging Molly, Styles of Beyond, Los Cojolites. and others. I had the honor of working on records with renowned engineers and producers such as Ariel Rechtshaid, Dana Nielsen, Ryan Hewitt, and many others. I have lots of music in television shows, video games and film. For 3 years, I was a consultant for Dolby Laboratories on their Expert Listening Team where I helped develop Dolby Atmos and other technologies for music and beyond. We are now enjoying the explosion of Dolby Atmos music!

Musically, I strive to be a bridge between experimental and traditional music approaches with an ear to new technologies and musical techniques. I build my own electronic instruments and controllers and am always looking for new ways to explore music and sound. I have a deep love for audio and sound design with a solid understanding of varying forms of hardware and software synthesis and signal processing.

I am an integral part of the Bay Area music community and beyond, offering career guidance for musicians and audio pros, and by working on new music with scores of artists. I also served as a voluntary elected leader on the Recording Academy Board of Governors (the Grammys and beyond) where we helped lift the voices of the music community through advocacy and education initiatives, mentor programs, and more. I was fortunate enough to serve two terms as co-chair of the SF Chapter Producers and Engineers Wing. I am very lucky to be surrounded by countless passionate and talented people!

Listen (various styles in stereo)

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