The latest episode of UNSUNG welcomes acclaimed recording and mix engineer Bainz, who joins hosts Jocelin and Matt Soczywko for an in-depth conversation about his career, his long-standing creative partnership with Young Thug, and the process behind mixing some of the biggest records in hip-hop.
Bainz shares how years spent recording, mixing and travelling with Young Thug have created a unique level of trust and creative understanding, allowing him to instinctively know what an artist wants from a record.
He also reflects on building a career behind the scenes, working under intense deadlines, collaborating with other leading engineers, and why being in the room when a song is created can make all the difference when it comes time to mix.
Together they dive deep into Bainz’s approach to vocals, from clip gain and detailed vocal cleanup to controlling harshness and keeping every word upfront and intelligible. He breaks down his hybrid mixing setup and the systems that allow him to move quickly across huge projects without sacrificing creativity.
The conversation also explores working with artists including Young Thug, Lil Baby and Jordan Adetunji, collaborating with engineers across major records, mixing remotely with Audiomovers, analogue versus in-the-box workflows, the importance of maintaining an artist’s signature sound, working closely with mastering engineer Joe LaPorta, and why trust, relationships and collaboration remain at the heart of making great records.
➡️ Learn more about Audiomovers – https://audiomovers.com
UNSUNG is a podcast from Audiomovers exploring the untold stories and creative processes behind the music we love.
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UNSUNG Podcast Timecode:
00:00 Going to NAMM vs. being on NAMM
02:50 Working so fast there's no time to talk
06:14 The relationship is the ultimate cheat code
07:43 I would still do this if I wasn't getting paid
08:36 Why you need to be in the room when inspiration hits
10:08 Does being there for the creation give your mix an edge?
12:20 Handling messy files and endless track counts
14:48 Adapting to Atmos and the remote mixing reality
15:24 My hybrid setup: mixing with the real deal gear
18:57 Breaking down my master mix chain setup
20:41 How to get vocal clarity without making it sound clinical
24:10 Streamlining my workflow using a Stream Deck
25:26 Custom quick keys that save my creative momentum
25:54 When session prep becomes a massive teamwork puzzle
28:16 Thriving under intense pressure for major label records
31:22 Dealing with crazy parallel album deadlines
32:20 Knowing when to stay in your lane as an engineer
33:48 How modern technology is changing studio collaboration
36:52 The Miami session crisis: mixing in an unfamiliar room
38:17 Using Audio Movers to bridge cross-system sessions
42:05 The specific tools I use for vocal processing
43:26 Strict template boundaries and managing client feedback
45:15 Using reference tracks and working with mastering engineers
48:54 Quick fire round: studio essentials and gear picks
50:06 Starting a pro audio lifting team in the studio
51:04 Gym stories, ego lifting, and who won on bench press
51:20 Where to find more and wrapping up the episode
