{"id":4794,"date":"2020-02-12T20:36:01","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T20:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/soundid-reference\/blog\/?p=4794"},"modified":"2026-09-21T01:10:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T00:10:56","slug":"carlos-king-on-finding-harmony-in-the-mix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/uncategorised\/carlos-king-on-finding-harmony-in-the-mix","title":{"rendered":"Carlos King on Finding Harmony in the Mix"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Grammy-nominated mix engineer uses Sonarworks Reference 4 to \u2018Keep himself in check\u2019<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Los Angeles, CA, February 12, 2020 \u2013<\/strong> Grammy-nominated mix engineer Carlos King has brought his punchy, vocals-forward mix and engineering approach to chart-topping pop artists like Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, Fantasia, and Estelle, among many others. Carefully dialed-in to the charts with a sixth sense for ear-catching detail and vibe, King\u2019s mixes reward repeat listens with his keen ear for balanced sonics and depth. \u201cIf you get the vocal right, that\u2019s the most important thing,\u201d he said. \u201cHowever, my ears have always been drawn to the sonics of \u2018everything\u2019, so I make sure not to lose sight of the details that can make a track special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putting your best foot forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

King\u2019s sonic specialties were first and foremost born out of his passion as a listener, something that ultimately drew him to engineering when he started to explore his career options post-graduation. Undaunted by the fact that he didn\u2019t play an instrument, he wanted to learn how the music he loved so much was put together. \u201cI had no experience other than just listening and enjoying,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I was always so invested in music and kept coming back to it, so that led me to go to Bloomfield College in New Jersey for music technology.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After completing his studies and returning to his native Los Angeles to intern, he met and developed a relationship with hit-making producer Harmony Samuels. This ultimately led him to working on what would become his first calling card as an engineer: Ariana Grande\u2019s Top-10 hit \u201cThe Way\u201d. \u201cWhen you\u2019re working in the studio you don\u2019t really know what\u2019s going to happen once you\u2019re done, so the fact that it was this huge hit was a surprise to all of us,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat I got from that experience was that you never know what can happen, so you always have to make sure you\u2019re always putting your best foot forward and make every opportunity count.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For King, putting his best foot forward starts with developing close working relationships with his artists, ensuring that he understands their intent and vibe and how best he can bring his sonic signature to bear on the music that he mixes, be it for A-listers or up-and-coming artists. \u201cThe bigger stuff is more demanding and there\u2019s less time to work on it because there\u2019s so much money behind it and the expectations are high,\u201d he said. \u201cIn those situations, I make sure that I\u2019m asking all the right questions so that I understand everything the artist or producer is after.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI go off of what feels right. It\u2019s important to be on the same page as the people you\u2019re working with,\u201d he said. \u201cEach situation is different, and I try to make sure that I can accommodate anyone\u2019s vision while still bringing my own touch to it. It\u2019s a mental battle sometimes because I\u2019m very detail oriented, but sometimes when you are working within the limitations of what an artist or producer gives you, you can really accomplish a lot.\u201d
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Clarity and translation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

King currently mixes out of his own room in Van Nuys. He works in Pro Tools without a console, using high-end converters and UAD saturation plugins such as Neve and SSL channel strips for an analog feel. As ever, his intent is to ensure a strong vocal presence with punch and intelligibility. \u201cMy mixes are very clean, and people love my vocal clarity,\u201d he explained. \u201cWhen I get the right chains going, most of my mixing is just riding the vocals and paying attention to make sure that nothing else in the mix is interfering.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

King uses Yamaha NS10 and KRK monitors for mixing, as well as Direct Sound Headphones. He calibrates all of these devices with Sonarworks Reference 4 to ensure accurate audio and the best possible mix translation. \u201cWith Reference my mixes instantly became so much clearer,\u201d he said. \u201cI noticed all the flaws in my room right away and suddenly it became obvious why I wasn\u2019t hearing certain things. Suddenly I was getting all this detail back and it made me trust my mixes so much more. It really helped keep me in check.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to trusting what he hears in the studio, King says this has also helped his mixes to translate in any listening situation, something that he feels is crucial for any music to be successful. \u201cYou can get more details in headphones and it\u2019s often a lot punchier,\u201d he said. \u201cGiven that people listen more this way, you want to ensure that the mix translates in those situations. I trust Reference 4 to help me do that every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about Carlos King, please visit: http:\/\/www.lossounds.com\/<\/a>For more information about Sonarworks Reference 4, please visit www.sonarworks.com\/reference<\/a>.\u00a0
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