Audeze catches up with Gold & Platinum awarded recording and mixing engineer Will Reeves

Will Reeves is a Gold & Platinum awarded Recording and Mixing Engineer. Whilst working as lead engineer at Tape London Studio, Will worked with artists such as Will.i.am, Ella Henderson, Migos, G-Eazy, Steel Banglez, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie & Ludacris. Now a seasoned mixing engineer, Will spends his time working in both stereo & Atmos formats for a variety of artists & genres. He recently received his first #1 award for his work on Stormzy’s album ‘This is What I Mean’ and shows no signs of slowing up, having recently worked on Olivia Dean’s debut album “Messy”.

"As I jump between studios fairly regularly, the LCD-X’s give me a consistent level of accuracy wherever I am." - Will Reeves 

Here's our chat with Will:

Can you pick out any highlights from your work that you're particularly proud of?

A highlight of my career recently was receiving an award for my contribution to Stormzy’s #1 album ‘This Is What I Mean’. Mixing that body of work in Atmos was really special & I felt extremely privileged to be involved. Another highlight from earlier in my career was receiving my very first gold (and then platinum) record with ‘See Nobody’ by Wes Nelson. I remember sitting in a studio straight out of university at 23 and saying out loud, ‘I want a gold record one-day’! To finally achieve that felt so special because it was something physical I could hold that represented a goal I had set for myself.

How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on these days?

I would say that my main role now is mixing engineer / therapist, although my title is only the former.

How did you get started in music? What kind of music did you listen to while growing up and how has that progressed?

My initial interest in music came from my father. He & I would play through his record collection when I was younger. The Eagles, Dire Straights, Eric Clapton & Bill Withers to name a few. That led to me taking up guitar, playing in bands and ultimately having an interest in recording & mixing.

Can you name any factors that influenced the course of your musical life? Heroes, role models, moments, interactions, etc?

As I mentioned before, my dad had a huge influence on me. Not just on my taste in music but also on my work ethic & drive. He encouraged me to go after the career I was passionate about and what it meant to work for yourself. The second would be Heff Moraes (Annie Lennox, Sade, Grace Jones, Seal) who I was fortunate to have as my mentor at Tape London. He pushed me to learn the important technical skills behind being an engineer & most importantly how to work in a professional studio environment.

Can you briefly describe a moment of frustration from your past work, and what you may have done to overcome the obstacles? Would you approach it differently now?

For me frustration always come when I felt as if I was being held back. I remember getting an internship in a studio and doing nothing but make coffee and lunch runs for the first 8 weeks. It drove me crazy because I felt like I already had a great understanding of how recording sessions worked and that I had more to offer. However, upon reflection I’ve come to realise that pointing the finger at others was not beneficial. It would have been much more helpful to look at myself and ask “What can I do to improve” and “How can I become indispensable to the studio”.

Is there any gear you find yourself turning to most when working on a project? What are some of your favorite tools/instruments recently?

As I work 99% in the box when mixing, the tools I rely most heavily on are my monitors & my plugins. I’ve recently been using PMC 6-2 monitors, which are out of this world. The low end is so focused that it allows me to really understand what’s going on down there.

Do you have any words of wisdom for people who might aspire toward a similar path for their own careers?

An old bar manager of mine once said to me, ”I can teach anyone how to make a martini. But I can’t teach you how to serve it”. What he meant by that, is that you could make the best drink, record the best vocal, mix the best record BUT if you don’t get along with your peers or clients, then no one will want to be around you. So my advice would be, learn your craft and work well with others.

How long have you been working with headphones, and how do you typically use them in your workflow?

I’ve been recording & mixing with headphones since I began studying music technology at 16. Initially they were a tool to track / produce in a room full of other students. That has evolved into using headphones to prep almost every mix and also having a main point of reference for when I travel & take work with me.

How have your Audeze headphones affected your work?

Quite simply, my mixes have improved since implanting the LCD-Xs into my workflow. They have become a vital part of my workflow when I’m mixing. As I jump between studios fairly regularly, the LCD-X’s give me a consistent level of accuracy wherever I am. I particularly like mixing vocals on them as I’m able to dial in to any indiscretions in the performance and make any amendments accurately.

Can you tell us what you've been working on with them recently?

I’ve been having a fantastic time using my LCD-Xs and have been using them consistently for both Stereo & Atmos mixes. Recently I’ve worked on projects for Olivia Dean, Cassia, Maya Delilah, Been Stellar & Lucy Blue in which the LCD-Xs have featured heavily.