Analyzing Dave Kutch's Master of Janelle Monáe's 'Make Me Feel': Brightness with Warmth
“Analyzing other engineers’ work teaches you more than their specific moves. It teaches you to listen differently, think creatively, and trust your instincts when the standard approach isn’t enough.”
Most engineers think you can't have both.
Bright highs or warm sound. Pick one.
Dave Kutch didn't get the memo.
Each morning, I reverse-engineer masters by top engineers. Not to copy their moves exactly—but to discover my own ways of solving problems. The real value isn't in the specific technique. It's in developing your ear to hear what needs fixing and your creativity to find new solutions.
Last month, I was analyzing Janelle Monáe's "Make Me Feel"—mixed by Serban Ghenea, mastered by Dave Kutch.¹
The track had been brightened considerably. But when I tried to match it with straight EQ, something was missing. Using MetricAB, I could see obvious dynamic processing on the high end.
Standard EQ wasn't going to cut it.
To recreate the effect, I used the Weiss DS-1 in split-band, parallel mode. Heavy compression on the top end, then blended it back in.
This brought out the highs without harshness. It gave them a lovely, pillowy texture—softer than straight EQ boosts. I could open up the track without sacrificing the warmth below.
I don't know exactly how Kutch approached it. What matters is that my method worked sonically. This process isn't about copying techniques directly—it's developing your own ways to achieve the same result. This deeper understanding beats any preset someone could hand you.
I don't use this approach often. It's not right for everything.
But when it works, there's nothing quite like it.
Last week, I had a rock track that needed more dimension and height. Bringing out the top end often adds spaciousness—makes everything feel bigger. But boosting highs on rock mixes is tricky. Too much, and the cymbals get harsh fast.
So I tried this technique.
Perfect. The whole track felt bigger and wider without getting harsh or thin. And because I didn't use a widener effect, it didn't weaken the centre—vocals, kick, and snare stayed strong.
You don't need Weiss gear for this. Any multiband compressor with parallel capabilities will work.
Here's my step-by-step approach:
1. Start with the parallel mix at 0%: Set the high band's parallel mix/dry percentage to zero. You're building this effect from scratch.
2. Set aggressive compression on the high band: Hit it fairly hard. You want the signal you're adding to be heavily compressed, ensuring harsh, spiky content like vocal sibilance and cymbal crashes doesn't become distracting.
3. Blend in the compressed signal: Turn up the parallel mix control gradually. This is where you balance the compressed highs with your main mix.
4. Trust your ears: Blend until the top end feels right to you. There's no magic number—use your taste and judgement.
5. A/B against straight EQ: Always compare with a simple EQ version. Often, the simpler approach sounds better. Make sure you're using the right tool for the job.
As mentioned, this process isn't about copying techniques directly—it's developing your own ways to achieve the same result.
Analyzing other engineers' work teaches you more than their specific moves. It teaches you to listen differently, think creatively, and trust your instincts when the standard approach isn't enough.
¹ When analyzing this track, I was working from stems that I sum to recreate the original mix. Serban Ghenea’s stems tend to sum very accurately. This gives me something very close to what the mastering engineer would have received.
