Dave McNair is a multiple Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer based out of Winston-Salem, NC, USA! In our conversation Dave and I go deep on the following: His journey in audio and mastering Why mastering engineers work so quickly How bass and vocals are paramount in a mix Mastering with mixing in mind and vice versa Correcting a good mix made with bad monitoring Dave’s journey in Hi-Fi The relationship between Hi-Fi and pro audio Moving the studio into his living room and his current set-up When to go out of the box and when to stay put Leaving lots of headroom out of the box Staying healthy Why you shouldn’t be afraid of failure Work on music you like Don’t give up And so much more! You can learn more about Dave at http://www.davemcnairmastering.com/styled-3/index.html You can follow Dave on Social Media IG - https://www.instagram.com/mcsnare/ ***Thanks to our sponsors!*** Carl Bahner's resources for studio professionals - https://www.carlbahner.com/resources Progressions with Travis Ference - https://www.progressionspodcast.com/listen ***Join the Secret Sonics Discord community here(!) - discord.gg/UP97b72W6t ***BRAND NEW!*** SECRET SONICS PATREON - patreon.com/benwallickmusic References: Episode on the Attack and Release Show - https://attackandreleaseshow.fireside.fm/135 Scott Hull - https://www.benwallick.com/podcast-episodes/2023/4/30/secret-sonics-182-scott-hull-mastering-stellar-records Acora Acoustics - https://www.acoraacoustics.com/ Snarky Puppy - https://open.spotify.com/album/6a1HtLhd3zNccXRNUZ23ge?si=5El4fyDoQAGrnG9zkzjq4Q Charlie Hunter - https://open.spotify.com/album/1PU5pGYM7iglfvhAPkdCou?si=DX_7Q1--Qf2dKwonMk8l_w Bob Schneider - https://open.spotify.com/album/2FGW9TD4aWhdSIo0oQx6qu?si=vzKKHxWCQHO6yX-iTZ0Gkg Consider rating and reviewing our show on Apple Podcasts and sharing this or any of your favorite episodes with a friend or two. Thank you to Zvi Rodan, Mendy Portnoy, and Yakir Hyman for contributing to the podcast theme music! Thanks to Gavi Kutliroff for editing this episode! You can find out more about Secret Sonics and subscribe on your favorite podcast app by visiting www.secretsonics.co Have a great week, stay safe, and dig in! -Ben