A CONVERSATION WITH MILLION DOLLAR SNARE: THE MASTERING ENGINEER BEHIND ‘THE BOX’ BY RODDY RICH

The job of a mastering engineer is both essential and complicated. We spoke to Million Dollar Snare, the hit mastering engineer behind songs from DaBaby, Roddy Rich, Usher and Kendrick Lamar. King Wizard, a Billboard Charting producer described him as “The secret element behind so many of your favourite songs.”

How has mastering changed over the years?

“Other than change of formats (vinyl, tape, CD, digital), we are limited by the available technology. I can recall analog settings digitally with some of my newer gear. Streaming and loudness normalization have signaled an end to the “loudness wars”. I submit quieter masters now that are sounding louder and fuller than other big records when they hit streaming platforms. Louder no longer equals better sounding. Big punchy bass is where we are headed, and consumer systems are becoming better at reproducing lower frequency information on smaller and smaller devices.”

What are some common mistakes amongst newer engineers?

“Louder doesn’t equal better. Sometimes bringing a limiter down introduces much needed dynamics that make a record perceivably better. I go for the best sound first. If people want me to turn the record up, I will.”

What would be your advice to aspiring mastering engineers?

“I tried to master as much material as possible, even for free in the beginning. It is…