Mar 12

Mar 12 SUMMING-UP WITH JUSTIN PAUL HILL - FUNKY JUNK

Interview excerpts below shared from the original interview with Funky Junk - 02.25.21

For music producer, mixer, and mastering engineer Justin Paul Hill, the move from stage to studio was a logical transition. Having begun his musical journey touring the world as vocalist and producer for the band SikTH, Justin’s experience of life on the road as a performer was fused with a comprehensive understanding of the tools and techniques necessary to make great records; a combination both rare and advantageous when building an effective working relationship with artists. Ultimately, after spending much time center-stage, the desire to get behind the faders on a more permanent basis was just too strong. Justin has since gone on to become a well-established engineer in his own right, working with some of the top names in rock, metal, and alternative genres.

Any ground rules/philosophy you adhere to when approaching mixing? What are your favorite ‘go-to’ pieces of gear that get used most frequently?

Recently I’ve been approaching all my mixes with the “top-down” process which has sort of crept into my workflow over the last year. I have a setting for the 2-BUS+ and CONVERT-2 which I leave as my starting point, and similarly have a series of plug-ins set up and running on my buses right from the beginning that I import from a template. As my starting point is always the same I can get my bearings quickly which gives me more time to be creative later on in the mix where the more detailed work comes in.

In terms of my favorite gear I’d say the 2-BUS+ and C2 are the first things to get powered up and the last to be switched off, so when I’m mixing they are really getting used. I’m also impressed with the Two-Notes Torpedo, it’s a clever bit of kit and really helps me interact with valve guitar amps on another level. Then there’s my RND 543 which is a real workhorse, it sounds smooth and slick so I’m often using it on vocals, bass or even room mic’s on drums

What does the 2-BUS+ bring to your setup? What is it you like about it and what features get used the most?

I often produce bands in commercial studios, by the time I’m wrapping up a session I’ve got the tracking spread out all over the console so I’ll print a version for reference of where we’re at. Then I’ll relocate to my own studio to do the mix, but it was often frustrating hearing how different it all sounded without the board. For a while I was opening it up on my DDA console – I like the EQ on it but I was never a fan of the summing. That led me to try out a few summing mixers and realize I could capture that size and depth I was getting from a high-end console but in a much more convenient space. From testing out a few of the leading units on the market it was clear the Dangerous 2-BUS+ was the one for me; its sound and functionality stood out a mile from the rest. I love how it can handle anything I throw at it and always retains its crystal clear sound. Even when I drive it hard it never falls apart, it’s always adding that depth you’d expect from high-end summing that makes your mix shine and feel that bit more special. Saying that I’m a huge fan of adding saturation to a mix – sometimes I want just enough to glue and pull it all together, other times I’m looking for character and vibe. I love how this unit gives me two controls (harmonics and x-former) so between them, I can dial in a sound that’s appropriate for each project.

Finally, the Paralimit is the icing on the cake. I’m a huge fan of FET compression, I use it all the time to add punch and bite throughout my mixes but to have it “all buttons in” running in parallel on my mix bus is genius. I’m not sure I would have thought to try this out myself, but as soon as heard it in action I was sold. To my ears it adds a very musical knock and smack in the mid’s and tightens up the low-end. I prefer to dial in just a small amount of it as it has the power to crush and mangle if you set it to, but if you add just the right amount it feels perfect.

Interview excerpts above shared from the original interview with Funky Junk - 02.25.21

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW