Designing A Dolby Atmos Room, Running An LA Studio, and Trading Up Gear with Mike Post (Local Natives, Orion Sun, Alice Cooper)
Love Music More · hosted by Luke F. Walton (Scoobert Doobert)
Guest: Mike Post
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Topics discussed
Host note
Mike Post runs MooseCat Recording in mid-city LA: sessions with Local Natives, Orion Sun, Alice Cooper, and a new Dolby Atmos room he built to keep pushing mixes forward. The through-line is access: every house should have a guitar or piano, he stacked five or six internships before LA stuck, and he learned by watching engineers he admired make mistakes on his own time.
We talk MooseCat as the lab, quiet, no fans, craft-first: how vibe does half the work before you touch a fader, trading gear without chasing the wrong genre, and why the best mixes often sound amazing right in the room before they leave the building.
Selected moments
- Mike Post introduces MooseCat Recording 1:40 The lab, a quiet space devoid of fans, where you try to craft what you're going for.
- The role of vibe in recording 3:01 Creating a comfortable atmosphere for artists at MooseCat.
- Early musical influences and decisions 4:17 A calling to work on music, and the early experiences that shaped it.
- The importance of studio access 5:32 Having music around growing up, and why access matters.
- Preparing for a recording session 10:58 Anticipating what's going to happen next and being ready for that moment.
- Strategies for creating a good recording environment 14:52 The best mixes are the ones that sound amazing right in the room.
- Innovative ways to inspire creativity 20:29 How gear can inspire different creative processes.
- Dolby Atmos room setup 51:28 Mike's new Atmos mixing room and what it makes possible.
- The evolution of mixing creativity 54:13 Creating innovative mixes and pushing boundaries in music.
- Reflecting on the love for music 56:51 Why Mike continues to pursue music.
Selected excerpts
It's the lab. It is the quiet space devoid of fans... where you try and craft what you're going for.
I've been running MooseCat Recording here in mid-city LA since about 2016 now.
I always felt like I had a calling to work on music and to try to make music.
I was just trying to write songs in a very odd way, tough to explain why. But I just... had that calling.
Having music around was really important for me growing up.
I probably did maybe five, six different internships... I just was dying to learn as much as I could... worked for free for probably a cumulative criminal amount of time.
You just try to anticipate what's going to happen next and be ready for that moment.
The best mixes are the ones that sounded amazing right in the room.
FAQ
Who is Mike Post?
Mike Post is an engineer and producer based in Los Angeles, known for his work at MooseCat Recording and collaborations with artists like Local Natives and Alice Cooper.
What is Dolby Atmos mixing?
Dolby Atmos mixing is an advanced audio technique that allows sound to be mixed in a 3D space, providing a more immersive listening experience.
How can I get into recording music like Mike Post?
Start by finding mentors, gaining hands-on experience through internships, and learning the technical aspects of recording and production.
Curated notes only — no public transcript. Listen on the links above.