A TRIBUTE TO MIKE WELLS
It was my first winter NAMM as an emissary for Dangerous Music, jockeying for position amongst the booth fraternity when I met Mike who was also on his maiden voyage. His confidence and perspicacity petrified the posturing like a 5kHz test tone.
He was slugging it out up in the Bay area back then and when he dropped down into the LA circus, he called to brainstorm about jump starting the business. We ended up hosting a few off site events, shooting video footage, arranging panels at NAMM and somewhere along the line an arcane audio dialog sprang up that alchemized into a friendship.
I would come to describe Mike as irreverent, relevant and informed. He refused to be seduced by the mastering engineers cliched anathema- the holy priest’s diatribe about the client’s -0.1dB audio sacrament violations.
Instead he’d jettison it somewhere useful- where are things going and shall we direct the course of events or look wistfully over our shoulders while the ravens pluck our skeletons bare?
We’d discuss LUFS adoption, the non-stardization miasma of Mastered for iTunes vs. Spotify vs. YouTube, and dare I mention it- stem mastering.
At times he would disappear- ghosting in today’s vernacular. I chalked it up to LA chameleonation, except where it intersected with commitments, which did happen on one memorable occasion. Later I learned of his epilepsy, grand mal seizures and how he had come by them; at the hands of men with bats.
Recently we had a long text exposé about substituting books for speaker stands and the properties they would engender: Descartes for greater mix density, Danielle Steel for Pop vapidity, the Koran on the left and the Bible on the right for Linda Blair spatialization and of course mash ups- what has enough gravitas for the LFE? Moby Dick or War and Peace? We even explored automating real time eBook title changes during the mastering process (“Top of the World” to “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”), but finally drew the line at 5.1 and never made it to Atmos.
Mike was the perfect Mid Side Matrix of science and sentiment.
Brother, who’s going to master my quiet screams into life’s vacuum now?
Go gentle into the night, into the black, into the infinite dynamic range of the stars.
-marek
A celebration of Mike’s life is scheduled for Saturday, March 28th 2022 in San Francisco, CA. For more information and to RSVP, please CLICK HERE.
Stem Mastering Series (2017)
Experience ‘Stem Mastering’ in a new way, in this 3-part video series by top LA mastering engineer Mike Wells (Green Day, John 5, Prince) . Get an insider’s look at a controversial yet powerful way to master music. Mike explains the crucial elements to success and demonstrates how Stem Mastering delivers the maximum sonic impact while retaining the original mix engineer’s intention and the artist’s vision for the music.
Compression Tips (2017)
Discover valuable tips for using compression to master a stereo mix. Engineer Mike Wells demonstrates what to listen for, and how to adjust your compressor settings like ratio, attack and release, high-pass filter, and more.
Filters for Smoothing (2016)
Audio mastering engineer Mike Wells demonstrates how to smooth out the top-end while preserving and tightening the bottom after adding lots of gain to an R&B track from artist Preston Scales.
Small EQ Moves Big Results (2016)
Mastering engineer Mike Wells shows how he uses the BAX EQ to help a mix of the rock band “Electrets” song Falling Awake sound even better
Mastering with BAX EQ (2014)
Mike Wells of Mike Wells Mastering explains how the BAX EQ has helped him get better masters.
Mastering Seminar (2010)
Mike Wells gives a seminar where he discusses the use of Dangerous Music gear in his daily work. He touches upon the new Bax EQ, and how to master with mid-side processing.
Stem Mastering Livestream (2020)
Join marek stycos and Mastering Engineer, Mike Wells (Green Day, John 5, Prince) LIVE to discuss Stem Mastering with the Dangerous System.
NAMM Show interview (2019)
Mastering Engineer, Mike Wells gets interviewed by marek stycos from Audio Alchemist at the 2019 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA.
NAMM Show interview (2010)
Mastering Engineer, Mike Wells provides an overview of Dangerous Music mastering equipment at the 2010 NAMM Show.
