What Do Harry Styles, Lil Nas X, and Tyler the Creator Have in Common? Mix Engineer Mike Miller

Mike Miller is one of today’s hottest mix engineers. A trailblazer in the world of Dolby Atmos surround mixing and Apple Spatial Audio, Mike has collaborated with superstars like Lil Nas X, Harry Styles, and Tyler the Creator, among others. Recently, Mike and his partner Candace Kendall visited Sweetwater Studios’ Atmos Room, which Mike put through its paces — testing its limits — with a groundbreaking recording session. Despite their ambitious workload, Mike and Candace were gracious enough to sit with us to talk about Mike’s history in the music industry, why they believe Dolby Atmos is the future of mixing, and how immersive audio propelled Mike’s career into the major leagues.

A Prodigious Musician

Mike grew up in Rochester, New York, where he started formal music education at a young age. “I started playing classical piano when I was four,” he recalls. “My parents forced me.”

While Mike wasn’t exactly enamored with the piano, learning with the Suzuki method profoundly impacted him. “Instead of learning how to read and play from what you’re reading, they teach you to play by ear,” he explains. “It makes a lot of sense to me,” he continues. “After all, you don’t learn how to read and write before you learn how to speak and communicate.”

That’s part of the reason Mike expresses unending gratitude to his parents for making him stick with it. “I attribute everything to my parents,” he says. “They put me on the path that led me to my current success.”

By the time Mike was 13, he had begun playing guitar. “I played for six or seven hours a day,” he remembers. “I couldn’t think about anything else.”

Mike was a fast learner, and he progressed quickly. “I would go into guitar stores with my dad, and people would ask how long I’d been playing,” he recalls. “My dad was like, ‘A year, but really like 10 years.'”

Within a couple of years, Mike was working as a touring guitarist in a band.

Getting from Point A to Point B

Mike recalls the moment he was bitten by the studio bug. “We went to the studio to record for an album,” he remembers. “And I just fell in love with the whole process of producing and recording.”

As Mike was finishing high school, he began to ponder what to do next. “I was trying to figure out if I was going to go to college or not,” he explains. “One of my friends had a recording studio where he was producing bands and recording — he was really great at it,” Mike recalls. “He ended up going to Berklee.”

Mike remembers the dean at Berklee saying his friend was already too advanced for their program. “And my friend told me that I was ahead of where he was at the time the dean told him that,” he continues.

Then, Mike’s parents took his college tuition and built a studio in their home. “It was the best way to learn,” he relates. “You learn by trial and error — by doing it.”

Thanks to their unconditional support, Mike credits his parents for helping get his career off the ground. “They’ve always been supportive,” he says. “They helped me get from point A to point B — I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Is Dolby Atmos the Future of Mixing? Sweetwater Believes So

Building His Music Career

When Mike put together his first studio, he enlisted the help of studio design leader Larry Swist. “He was designing the Eastman School of Music in Rochester,” Mike recalls. “Larry came over and heard what I was doing, and he was really excited about it.”

Mike’s first studio contained a bevy of high-end gear, including a Solid State Logic AWS console and an enviable cache of analog outboard equipment.

“We just kind of got to work and tried to make connections,” Mike explains. “I was out in New York City a lot, and then I came back here and also spent a lot of time in Atlanta.”

Then, about 10 years ago, Mike moved to Los Angeles. “I moved out there and just tried to make it as a producer,” he remembers. “But I really started falling in love with mixing.”

Mike explains that the more he delved into mixing, producing became less of a focus for him. “Producing seemed less and less enticing,” he expresses. Learning the art of mixing wasn’t without its frustrations, however. “I was all self-taught,” he explains. “I didn’t have a mentor or anything.”

Mike explains that, even though he had an excellent ear for mixing, it took him some time to learn how to bring to life the sounds he heard in his head. “I could hear the differences, and I knew the differences between what was happening with what I was doing,” he recalls. “I knew what I wanted to hear, but I didn’t know how to get there.”

That’s when Mike met Jon Castelli, a well-respected mix engineer based in Los Angeles who has worked with Khalid, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Ke$ha, and many other A-list artists. “He was the one who kind of took me under his wing and taught me how to mix,” says Mike. During this time, Mike also developed a close professional relationship with Jon’s frequent collaborators, Ron “Spider” Entwistle and Ruairí O’Flaherty.

Mike really took to Jon, Spider, and Ruairí’s mixing methodology. “It really resonated with me,” he advises. “It’s very simple — it’s the straightest path,” he continues. “You get in a flow state, and you don’t let anything get in your way.”

Thinning the Herd

Thanks to the trio’s influence, Mike got rid of a lot of his gear since he viewed it as a distraction. That said, during this gear purge, Mike became a die-hard Hazelrigg devotee. “The Hazelrigg Industries and D.W. Fearn stuff is unparalleled,” he gushes. “It always sounds good on whatever you put it on, and it gives you the thing you were looking for — even if you don’t know what you’re looking for.”

Mike is all about a streamlined workflow. “If I twist a knob, I shouldn’t wonder if it sounds better or not,” he advises. “That takes you out of the flow state and makes you start questioning things. You should get the gear that allows you to move faster and freer.”

Consequently, Mike is very meticulous about monitoring. “You should get your room sounding as good as possible and get the best speakers you can get.” And, according to Mike, the best speakers are made by British loudspeaker manufacturer PMC.

“You should never have to wonder if you’re hearing something right,” Mike advises. “These kinds of doubts just stop you from getting to where you need to be.”

Getting Immersed in Immersive Audio

Mike advises that he was first introduced to Dolby Atmos by Nick Rives and Maurice Patist at a PMC studio launch event in LA. “I thought it was a huge step in what music is about,” he recalls. “It allows you to connect emotionally in a way that even the best stereo mixes can’t because, with Atmos, you can do it in a mix that’s all around you.”

Candace, who has been with Mike for 12 years, recalls his initial reaction to the format. “I got to witness when he first went into an Atmos room,” she remembers. “I was amazed at how much fun he was having once he started working with the software,” she continues. “I told him, ‘You should go down this route.'”

Despite its virtues, Mike notes there’s a lot of initial skepticism about Dolby Atmos. “People were like, ‘How is anyone going to listen to this? No one is going to put a $300,000 room in their house’ — then Apple got onboard.” Even with all the naysayers, Mike was savvy enough to see what was coming. “I knew something was happening,” he recalls. “So, I started putting things in motion.”

After Apple launched its support for Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, Mike observed an intense, industry-wide attitude of resistance to the format. “I started seeing this whole trend,” Mike explains. “Everyone was mad about it — they didn’t understand what it was, why they had to do it, and they didn’t want to have to pay more money for it.”

But, despite industry opposition, the format soldiers on. “Labels started saying you need to deliver this because Apple was saying they needed to,” Mike states.

Candace agrees. “Apple is making the Atmos mix the default mix that people first hear,” she advises. “So, producers and everyone involved really care what people are going to hear — they want to make sure it’s in good hands.”

What Is Apple Spatial Audio?

Spatial Audio in Everybody’s Pocket

Part of Mike’s success is because he fully embraces Apple’s Spatial Audio; he understands that this is how nearly every Apple Music subscriber with a set of AirPods will experience his mixes. “I mix for Spatial Audio because that’s how everyone will hear it,” he explains. “As mind-blowing as it might be, most people won’t be listening in a Dolby Atmos room.”

Mike has a realistic understanding of how the music industry works. “The labels are being driven by Apple,” he expounds. “Apple has this technology, the code is embedded in their headphones, and it helps them sell millions more of their AirPods.”

According to Mike, Apple is deeply invested in Dolby Atmos, and this is likely just the beginning for the company. “Apple has probably been thinking about this for 20 years,” he speculates. “This is the next evolution of music — like when we went from mono to stereo or from tape to Pro Tools.”

Mike recalls how, in the late 1990s and early aughts, engineers who knew how to use Pro Tools had an advantage over those who rejected the then-new technology. “And now all the biggest, most successful mixers use Pro Tools,” he states. Mike explains that he wants to leverage a similar advantage with Dolby Atmos. “If all the big mixers don’t want to invest in this, I’ll figure it out and take the risk,” he states.

Now that all the big labels are banging down his door, Mike’s gamble has clearly paid off.

Seizing a Golden Opportunity

Because few other mix engineers wanted to touch Dolby Atmos or Apple Spatial Audio, much less specialize in them, Mike saw a golden opportunity for himself. “I’m in threads with big mixers, and they’re like, ‘It sounds terrible — we need to talk to Apple,'” Mike states. “I’m thinking, ‘How are you going to fight with Apple? Do you think Apple cares about what you think?'”

So, with the mix engineers and recording industry in low-level chaos, Mike decided he would be the “go-to guy” for Spatial Audio. “I knew if I could be the only one to figure out what Apple’s doing and could also make it sound good, I could work with Apple instead of against them,” he advises. “I figured I could create a service where the labels don’t have to worry about it.”

In doing so, Mike knew he would become an invaluable asset: the ultimate Spatial Audio problem solver. What’s more, he was confident he would come out ahead by partnering with Apple rather than by fighting them. “I’m in partnership with Apple,” he explains. “It’s my main goal.”

Unlike many other industry pros, Mike doesn’t view Spatial Audio as a hurdle to overcome — he’s an emphatic supporter of the format. “Spatial Audio provides the ultimate listening experience on AirPods,” he exclaims.

According to Candace, artists have also begun to get excited about the format. “They come to the room, and some of them are getting teary eyed,” she exclaims. “They’re saying, ‘How can I go back to two speakers after this?'”

Candace also notes that this level of excitement translates very well to headphones, enabling everyday listeners with AirPods to get in on the action — no expensive Atmos room required. “They’re getting to experience that emotional connection, as well,” she says.

Crossing the Threshold

Mike has successfully positioned himself as a leading authority on mixing in Apple Spatial Audio. “I partner with labels, and they know they can come to me,” he explains. Mike expresses that Columbia Records has been his staunchest ally as far as major labels go. “Columbia was the first to recognize the quality of my work,” he advises.

Mike observes that Apple is doing everything they can to give priority to Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos content. This makes supplying a well-crafted Dolby Atmos mix absolutely vital. “I figured out how to translate to Spatial Audio,” he claims, “because if you don’t give Apple an Atmos mix, your stereo mix gets ‘spatialized’ by their own algorithm, which — to say it nicely — sounds very, very bad.”

Mike expresses humble admiration for the seasoned pros who he calls the “superstar mixers,” such as Mark “Spike” Stent, Manny Marroquin, and Serban Ghenea. “They mix the biggest albums, and there’s no opportunity to cross that threshold until those guys quit,” he laughs. “That’s why I jumped on this new format — it was my opportunity to cross that threshold.”

Mike further advises that he makes helping others cross the threshold a huge priority. “I frequently bring friends in on my projects,” he explains. “Especially ones who wouldn’t have a chance to be able to mix big songs — there are many talented mixers out there who haven’t gotten their break yet.”

Nailing the Mix

Understanding a technology is one thing, but, at the end of the day, you must deliver great-sounding mixes to succeed. In the case of Mike Miller, he’s done the work — and it shows. So, what’s the secret to his success?

“I just kept at it,” he states. “I just tried a zillion different approaches until I figured out how to maneuver around the unwanted effects of Spatial Audio so I can maximize its sound and push the format forward.”

Mike states that many of the negative descriptions of Apple Spatial Audio mixes — they sound like they have reverb on them, they sound washed out, their low end’s not there, and other similar complaints — have workarounds if you know what to listen for. “I figured out my way around that: I just do it intuitively,” he explains. “I just used trial and error until I figured out how it works.”

Mike’s approach appears to avoid what most other mix engineers have complained about concerning Spatial Audio: Apple’s proprietary binaural renderer makes it extremely difficult to hear what your mix is going to sound like on their Apple Music platform.

“I know what it sounds like,” Mike maintains. “And I know how to send files to people so they can hear exactly what it’s going to sound like on Apple.”

Delivering the Goods

Mike emphasizes that labels have very rigid requirements regarding how Dolby Atmos files are delivered and that a successful Dolby Atmos mix engineer must conform to those. “There are so many things with Atmos files that people don’t understand,” he explains. “Some people think you can just mix it on headphones — they don’t realize all the guidelines.”

Mike explains that, with stereo, you have a ton of wiggle room. “You can be as loud or as quiet as you want, or you can have stuff muted,” he notes. “With Atmos, you can’t have stuff muted,” he continues. “You can’t have unused objects — you have to meet all these specific criteria.”

Mike relates that inexperienced mix engineers often miss deadlines because they fail to conform to all the Atmos requirements. “They’ll send it on, and then they get all these QC notes because they didn’t realize all the guidelines they have to meet,” he states. “Then the Atmos mix doesn’t come out on time because the label is still trying to get in touch with the mixer to fix the QC issues.”

According to Mike, timeliness is vital in the age of streaming. “Apple has created this whole thing with playlists,” he explains. “They’re putting huge banners announcing when artists are releasing material in Spatial Audio, and the labels like it because they’re getting extra promotion.”

To make matters even more pressing, the deadlines are super-tight. “I’ll be mixing a song and doing notes the day before it comes out at midnight,” he states. And that’s exactly what makes Mike’s expertise so invaluable. “If you need a song done, I’m going to get it done — on time — and it’s going to be right,” he states. “It’s going to come out the same day, then you’re going to get the looks on Apple so you can get playlisted, you’ll get more promotion, so the song does better, and you’ll make more money.”

Mike credits Candace with keeping this overwhelming workload practicable. “She’s the backbone of the whole operation,” he explains. “She manages me and all the engineers — she handles everything.”

Top-shelf Gear Equals Top-shelf Mixes

Mike currently maintains three mirrored studios. “I’ve always been bicoastal,” he says. All his studios are jam-packed with top-flight gear, including PMC speakers, an Avid MTRX, a couple of VLC mic preamps/equalizers and VNE compressors from Hazelrigg Industries, a D.W. Fearn VT-5 equalizer, a D.W. Fearn VT-7 compressor, and an UnderToneAudio Unfairchild 670M II compressor. “If you cheap out, you’re missing out,” Mike exclaims. “If you’re trying to get ahead of other people, you need to have the tools necessary to be the best — it’s one of the things that sets you apart from everybody else.”

Mike employs a 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos system with PMC speakers. “Having great speakers and great room acoustics is of the utmost importance,” he reiterates. “It makes your job easier — I don’t want to question or doubt.”

Mike is excited about Spatial Audio, and he’s eager to keep pushing the format forward. “It’s where music is headed,” he exclaims. “It’s the future.”

To learn more about Mike and to explore his impressive discography, go to https://www.mikemillermixes.com/.

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