DERECK BLACKBURN
Producer · Mixing Engineer · Mastering Engineer
Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing · GRAMMY U Mentor
Treasurer, AES Boston · Co-Founder, Audio Builders Workshop
Boston, Massachusetts / Remote Worldwide
I've spent 25 years in studios helping artists turn strong ideas into finished records. Recording, mixing, mastering, production; I bring what most projects actually need: experienced ears, honest feedback, and the judgment to know what serves the song. Along the way I've advised audio companies and helped educate the next generation of engineers, but the work always comes back to the same thing: making music that connects and lasts.
Services
Mastering
Whether you're releasing to streaming, vinyl, or cassette, mastering is where a record gets its final shape and weight. As an online mastering engineer working with artists across genres, I offer full digital masters optimized for streaming platforms including Apple Digital Masters certification, which ensures your music translates accurately across Apple's ecosystem. For artists pursuing Spotify editorial placement, I understand what those masters need to do and how to get them there.
Mixing
I mix remotely for artists and labels who want a fresh set of ears and a defined point of view. My background is deep in indie rock, and I'm particularly at home in the textures that define shoegaze, dream pop, and adjacent sounds — dense guitars, layered atmospherics, and vocals that sit inside the music rather than on top of it. That said, the approach is always song-first: what does this track need, and what's getting in the way of it?
Production
Some projects need more than a single service. I'm available for broader production involvement; shaping arrangements, advising on song structure, and helping artists make the kinds of decisions that determine whether a record actually lands. If you want an experienced set of ears before you commit to a final mix or release direction, that's exactly the kind of conversation I'm built for.
Selected Work
How I Work
Production / Recording
Working directly with artists to shape performances, arrangements, and the overall direction of a record. Engineering great vocal and drum recordings here at my private studio or a handful of beautiful rooms in the US. Making a bad ass cup of coffee or tea.
Mixing
Taking finished productions and pushing them into something cohesive, intentional, and emotionally resonant. Preserving the intention of the artist and production team.
Mastering
Final-stage translation, making sure the record holds up across systems, formats, and real-world listening. Making great records even greater. Specializing in vinyl and cassette pre-masters.
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.
Kevin Klein
Valleyheart
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
