Today’s guest/expert is Mike Avenaim…a Los Angeles-based musical director, drummer, producer, composer, and mixer. He really does it all…and does it all pretty damn well. He’s worked with Scott Weiland, Lil Nas X, Tori Kelly, Hailee Steinfield, Nick Lachey, Leslie Odom Jr. and tons more. We discuss the incorrect use of compression styles, misunderstanding routing, mono vs stereo, gain staging and much more. While I usually like to keep these short, Mike is a treasure trove of knowledge and I was happy to let him unload. Because of this, I am splitting our conversation into two episodes…so please enjoy part one.

This episode is sponsored by Clearsound Baffles. Clearsound Baffles are a transparent, acoustic shielding product that dampens loud instruments and significantly improve live sound. Perhaps you’ve seen them at your church or on tour with artists like Khaleed, Zara Larsson, or Gladys Knight, just to name a few. They’re those clear, plexiglass circles that mount in front of cymbals and snares. They dampen harsh, high-end frequencies, eliminate a huge amount of bleed into the open mics on stage, and they let your drum kit breathe the way it was meant to. Check them out at www.clearsoundbaffles.com