About john
John Davis is a Grammy winning mix engineer and producer based in Brooklyn, NY. John's seemingly paradoxical passion for both electronic abstraction and acoustic purity has helped him to establish a unique position in the music scene today. His approach can be aggressive and extreme when needed, or completely transparent when appropriate, and this has allowed him to float between the worlds of rock, electronic, jazz, pop and classical effortlessly without imposing an inappropriate aesthetic on the music. The stylistic diversity of his discography and his ability to combine the acoustic and electronic is a testament to his fluency across genres.
Mixing
John mixes exclusively in the Mix Room at The Bunker Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This mix room was designed by Northward Acoustics and features ATC SL110 main monitors, and an amazing selection of the best analog and digital gear. The monitoring environment is incredible accurate, allowing for decisions to be made quickly and with complete confidence in regards to translation. Using a hybrid workflow that combines the precision, flexibility and reliability of digital processing with the depth, power, and musicality of analog summing, John is able to deliver mixes that meet the needs of today’s artists. With this workflow, he is able to offer both unattended and attended mixing, and deliver consistent work that elevates every project. According to the aesthetic of the music, mixes are captured on a variety of formats: 1/4" or 1/2” analog tape, and/or PCM digital (print back into ProTools).
process & medium
Drawing inspiration from Marshall McLuhan's 'The Medium Is The Massage: An Inventory Of Effects', John believes that the choosing the correct process and recording medium can help to convey the artistic intent of a musical work, and in some cases, the process/medium IS the statement. For electronic music and other non-linear styles where the artistic concept and creativity live in a world of editing, looping, and digital manipulation, John is fluent in modern computer based engineering and production techniques. For jazz, rock, and other music where capturing an emotionally meaningful live performance with the best sound possible is paramount, John is a strong believer in both the aesthetic benefits and technical limitations of analog tape. John is an expert in tape based recording techniques, whether in a 'track and dump' analog/digital hybrid situation or making 100% analog records that stay on tape until the mastering process. Regardless of format, John records in Studio A or B at The Bunker, which offer the ultimate tracking spaces for any type of music.