Dana Nielsen - Record Producer, Mixer, Engineer

March 6, 2025 Hey Mix Protégés! This Faders Forever newsletter is packed with gems—from a time-saving Mac utility to deep-dive discussions on compression, limiters, and file delivery workflows. Plus, there’s a new forum section dedicated to the Music Biz & Freelance Life where we’re talking career paths, engineer rates, and how to navigate the industry. Let’s dive in! ⏳ A Mac Utility That Saves Me Gobs of Time Batch-renaming files used to be a tedious chore—until I found A Better Finder...

Faders Forever newsletter Hey Reader! We’ve got some exciting updates and community highlights to kick off your weekend, including valuable mix feedback, a replay of our recent compression webinar, and the second part of an in-depth interview on vocal production. Let’s dive in! 🌊 👂Compression by Ear: Webinar Replay Now Available! In this 90-minute webinar, I dive deep into the art of setting compressors by ear, focusing on practical techniques that go beyond just the numbers. This session is...

Faders Forever newsletter Hey Reader, Hope your week's off to a great start! 🕺🏻 We've got some exciting content lined up for you, including a special FREE live event TOMORROW at 11am PDT that you won’t want to miss. Let’s dive into the details! 🌊 👂 Featured Event: How to Dial in Perfect Compression Settings by Ear Join us for an exclusive live Zoom event where I'll walk you through my process for perfect compression settings by ear. This event is free and open to the public, but you’ll need...

Faders Forever newsletter Hey Reader, Happy Wednesday! 🎉 We're back with some of the hottest content from Mix Protégé to keep your creative juices flowing. Check out these highlights and join the conversation with your fellow music producers. Let's dive in! 🌊 🎤 My Top Tips for Mixing Indie Folk Vocals Catch the replay of my recent livestream with singer-songwriter (and fellow Mix Protégé) Cammy Kurtzman. Cammy originally posted her song "Tangible" in our Member Spotlight forum seeking advice...

by Dana Nielsen Hey Reader! Ever wondered how I use reference tracks or manage my mix bus before mastering? 🤔 This week at Mix Protégé, we’ve been unpacking these questions with practical insights and real-world examples. Catch up on these vibrant discussions, member achievements, and the exciting new releases I’ve mixed for The Avett Brothers and Nir Felder. Let's gooooo! 👂How important are reference mixes? This burning question in our Mixing Forum got me all fired up! 🔥 Check out my video...

Hey Reader! You won't want to miss these recent Mix Protégé gems 💎 including how I got my start as a 20-year-old Pro Audio sales guy at Guitar Center and wound up mixing #1 albums for iconic artists like SZA, Neil Diamond, The Avett Brothers, and more. 🎛️ How I "made it" in the New Music Business The face I made when I got the call to work with Rick Rubin I’m so excited to share my journey as an engineer, mixer, and producer on Ari Herstand’s New Music Business podcast!!! Ari is a legend - a...

Hi Reader, Mix Protégé has been buzzing with activity and inspiration recently, and I can’t wait to share the highlights with you! Our Member Spotlight forum is brimming with fresh mixes, and I’ve dropped a quick-tip on limiter loudness that’s a game-changer. Plus, my latest podcast appearance delves into the philosophies of recording and mixing that drive us. And we're thrilled about a debut single from a promising artist, a collaboration born right here in Mix Protégé. 🔊 Finding Your...

🗺️ Tempo Mapping - FREE Tutorial! Dana, identifying beats in his natural habitat My latest video shows how I create a tempo map in Pro Tools to sync with a natural, non-clicked recording. Watch my entire tempo mapping process as I prepare for overdubs on a song by singer-songwriter, Zelda. This is one of my best-kept secrets for recording natural live performances: let the artist record freely, without a click, then build a custom click track that follows their performance for use during...

Dec 24, 2023 Your weekend Mix Protégé recap by Dana Nielsen Cheers 🥂 to another inspiring, productive week on Mix Protége! The highlight for me was hearing some stunning in-progress mixes by our uber-multi-talented members. What a thrill! Plus some fantastic forum discussions, free plug-in alerts, and some exciting new releases to put on your holiday radar! Read on, Reader, for all the deets.... Some links require login • create your free account today 🧐 Is this what your vocals are missing?...