Mixing & Mastering — Boston's North Shore
Your music deserves to sound as good as the songs that inspire you.
I'm Dereck Blackburn — mixing and mastering engineer with 25 years of professional experience and a deep commitment to making records that last. I work with artists who care deeply about their music and want a collaborator who does too.
““Dereck is a rare mix of top-tier quality engineer and openly generous with his time; feedback is honest, culturally sensitive, and always pushes the music forward.””
AES Boston Treasurer
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Recording Academy P&E Wing
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Boston Music Awards Nominee '23 '24 '25
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NEMA Nominee '23 '24 '25
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Host — The High Pass Podcast
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GRAMMY U Mentor
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AES Boston Treasurer | Recording Academy P&E Wing | Boston Music Awards Nominee '23 '24 '25 | NEMA Nominee '23 '24 '25 | Host — The High Pass Podcast | GRAMMY U Mentor |
About
I've spent the better part of 25 years in studios: as an engineer, mixer, mastering engineer, and producer. I've worked across genres, budgets, and timelines, from intimate solo recordings to nationally recognized releases.
My career has taken me through some of the most respected studios in the country. Those experiences shaped how I hear music and how I think about the relationship between artist and engineer. What separates a good record from a great one is rarely gear or software. It's judgment. It's listening. It's knowing when to push and when to get out of the way.
I take a limited number of projects at a time by design. When I'm on your record, I'm on your record.
I believe in the pursuit of the sound you’re after.
MASTERED AT QUIETHOUSE
There is a reason why so many artists trust Dereck to Master their music.
Balance • EQ • Dynamics • Spectral Repair • Fades • QC
Stem mastering • DDP w/ CD-Text + ISRC • Alt masters (acapella, clean, instrumental) • Vinyl/cassette pre-masters • Apple Digital Masters Certified • Multiple Revisions • 3–5-day turnaround or less
Testimonials
Mary Dumont (Roser) –”Dereck keeps sessions fun yet disciplined, listens deeply to “vibe”-level feedback, and makes my band feel like his top priority from tracking to final master.”
Wyn Doran (Wyn and the White Light) – “Dereck is the most responsive pro I’ve met; his mastering took our album to the next level and I’d hire him again instantly.”"
Muhammed Seven – “Dereck provided excellent mastering and help with issues at the pressing plant, you can stop looking and hire him today.”
Kiara Oliver – “Dereck is my personal mastering engineer. I appreciate his fast turnarounds, hassle-free revisions, and genuine enthusiasm for my music.”
Kevin Kline (Valleyheart) – “Dereck is a rare mix of top-tier quality engineer and openly generous with his time; feedback is honest, culturally sensitive, and always pushes the music forward.”
Ryan Breen (Lucy Spacehead) – “Working with Dereck is the best experience I've ever had with an audio engineer. He quickly produced incredible results - mastering my album in a few days - and provided thoughtful feedback and revisions when asked.”
Quentin Moyer (True Faith) – “Dereck was actively involved in the creative process but not intrusive, which always made the demands of studio tracking much more enjoyable.”
Phil Golyshko – “He really listened to my ideas and was willing do whatever it took until I was happy with the final product. Listen to our record and notice the depth, clarity and low-end punchiness. A lot of the material I track and mix on my own and his knowledge and expertise has always been invaluable to me.”
Meira / Jo Strogatz – “Songs simply sound different when it has Dereck's touch. Dereck has mastered four songs for me, and each one has come out sounding even better than I imagined. Not only that, but he is also considerate, professional, and reliable – something that can be hard to find in the music industry. Working with Dereck has always been such an easy, positive experience.”
Zach Page (Husbands / Candlepin Records) – “I have been a loyal client of Quiethouse Recording for the past 7 years and I couldn't be more pleased with the service and professionalism I have received over the years. The studio has always been welcoming and accommodating to my needs as a musician.”
John Snyder (Ember Wreath / Electronic Audio Experiments) – “Dereck is a warm, highly competent engineer who seamlessly wrangled two years of stems into a cohesive new record. Really happy with the results!”
Eric Blomster – “I reached out to Dereck for critique while mixing an album I was having trouble finishing. Had a lot of self doubt about the quality and felt trapped in a bubble. Upon sending tracks to Dereck he quickly responded with detailed invaluable advice, critiques were constructive and honest. He was able to find technical issues with my drum mix which was something I couldn’t recognize until I muted all other tracks. Impressive! Dereck didn’t just tell me what needed to be fixed but also gave detailed examples of what he thought worked and related the sounds and mixes to other artists and songs. This helped a lot with perspective. Working with him is an inspiring experience and I know I can always count on him when I get stuck.”
June Isenhart (Recording Engineer) – “It was really wonderful getting to take part in Dereck’s mentorship program. Dereck is knowledgeable and patient, always willing to explain any aspect of engineering, artistry, or business to the best of his ability. The fact that he is willing to take time out of his day for 8 weeks to talk to somebody new in the industry should tell you whatever you need to know – Dereck cares about helping to build the kind of scene we all want to be a part of, starting by giving a helping hand to audio engineers from all walks of life trying to break into an intimidating and arcane career. Dereck is now a friend, one that I am still bothering with audio questions, and I can easily recommend his mentorship program to anybody who is interested without caveat.”
Michael Cataldo (Recording Engineer) – "Speaking with Dereck, over the last eight weeks has been drastically beneficial for me. Dereck has helped me by providing a magnitude of insights and knowledge on how to be the best producer I can be and have a successful business recording, mixing, and mastering music. Dereck is a kind, intelligent, and thoughtful mentor who has provided an environment that has helped me get into the right mindset and attitude to advance my career. This mentorship has made a monumental improvement to my mental health and provided affirmation that I can succeed."
Emma Newton (Producer / Engineer) – "Not only is Dereck a deeply knowledgeable and talented audio engineer, he is also a kind soul who cares immensely about the audio and music community in New England and beyond. In the 2023 Mentorship program, I’ve learned a blend of technical advice about engineering, artistic advice, and how important it is to connect with my community. We talked drum recording hacks, building a clientele, business tips, how to make a living doing what you love, DIY audio building, and helping New England’s music scene become more welcoming and diverse. Dereck takes great care to include folks historically left out of the audio industry and invest in their success, and I’m thankful for his advocacy."
Quiethouse Recording is the private residential studio of audio engineer
Dereck Blackburn, who is focused on the art of recording, mixing, and mastering audio.
We are proud to work with a diverse client base who represent the best of the audio and music industry from Grammy Award-Winning artists to local DIY bands and songwriters. We provide full service end-to-end from music production and engineering to mixing and mastering audio.
We are located in the Boston Massachusetts Metro area but have the ability to provide recording, mixing, and mastering services remotely.