Finding His Sound: A Conversation with Alexander Krispin

In the world of professional audio, few engineers embody the perfect blend of technical expertise and human connection like Alexander Krispin, a client whose approach I deeply admire. His unique journey has shaped a mixing philosophy that transcends conventional boundaries. What makes Alex truly special is his lightness, his great vibes, and his human-focused methodology that places emotion at the center of technical decisions, offering valuable insights for freelance mix engineers looking to develop their own authentic approach in this industry.

Your background is quite diverse. How has that shaped your approach to music?

I'm a third culture kid, which is someone who doesn’t fully belong anywhere. My mother is from Nashville and my father is Venezuelan. I grew up both in New Orleans and Caracas. I love American music just as much as I love dancing Salsa and Merengue. There's something beautiful and unique about being suspended in space, existing between lands, and having the privilege of collecting little bits of each culture that I’ve gotten to live within or visit. It’s like having all of these gold nuggets that get to come along for the ride, get shared with the next place, help define the next mix. The only through line for creating as someone with an ambiguous cultural background is feeling. Just make sure you do everything with feeling, because it knows no borders.

When did you first discover your love for recording?

I got Pro Tools and an MBox when after graduating from Adobe ‘Cool Edit’ when I had just turned 13. I wanted to record the band I had with my brother and a couple of friends in Venezuela. Then I started to get asked to record school and theater performances, and then other bands. We were making some very low budget records for the musicians at my school by the age of 14. That whole process was completely transformative for me because not only was I able to be engulfed in music and audio, I was fully in a position of service. At a time when we didn’t have the ease of recording ourselves, I was one of the few people in my world that could help people hear what was in their head.

What drives your creative decisions in the studio?

Is the emotion being communicated? Is the rhythm flawless? Are the sonics pushing us into the future? Am I honoring the human voice?

You spent eight years working with Daniel Lanois. What were the key lessons from that experience?

Daniel's approach to music is so incredibly unique and mind blowing. Sometimes totally absurd and completely unorthodox. Man did I fall in love with that freedom and exploration.

We listened, a lot. Tons of analysis. Had to really learn what my ears do at different times of the day. When working with an artist, it’s really important that the studio personnel (producer, co-producer, engineer) be on the same page. If there is a disagreement, wait until the artist is gone to talk about it - I think that’s really important. Never cut corners. No fluff, no filler. Make sure you can stand behind every second of what you're making. Dream. Allow time and space to do it’s thing. Be kind. Be open. Try everything. Make art.

Dan has deeply changed the fabric of my humanity as well as my existence as a musical collaborator - something I’m so incredibly thankful for.

How has your approach to mixing evolved since then?

When working with Daniel I spent most of my time learning to perfect his sound. There was a comfort in doing that - people would come to him for that thing he does. Once I left his camp, I really had to sit down and understand what my sound was, which was a tough process.

By and large, that camp loved to mix records very dark. I got really good at mixing low midrange, which is the most important area in my opinion, but I had no idea how to mix top end!  I’ve now welcomed high end back into my life. I also spend a lot of my time working with Latinamerican artists these days and I’ll say that there is a big difference between swimming in ambient music and mixing a Dembow record. As of late I've really embraced this aspect of becoming a finisher as a mixer, becoming a bridge between production and mixing. Where does one end and the other begin?

All that to say that I’m always going to be morphing, learning new approaches, immersing myself in the next interesting world I am able to find.

Your new studio represents a new chapter. Tell us about that.

My new studio is a labor of love. There's no part of that studio that was not built by me - the desk, the rack cases, the speaker stands, everything was built by hand. I wanted to build an Atmos room because I really believe in the future of spatial audio. I wanted it to be a place where people feel comfortable to go get acquainted with that technology and start thinking about creating music in a different way.

Looking ahead, what excites you most about your work?

Man, I get to work in music! I get to meet people from all over the world and communicate with them through this universal language that everyone relates to. Music is often the foundation or jump off point for my friendships! I just look forward to doing more of it, you know? I look forward to becoming a ninja in the world of spatial audio. I look forward to helping so many people amplify and finalize their music to then be able to share with the world. It’s the best.

What advice would you give to others in the industry?

This is a profession that requires you to constantly be judging yourself and your work. You’re meant to be able to be objective. The moment you get cemented in a way of doing things, you will lose sight of the joy of it. Be kind, be gracious, be grateful. The most successful people I've gotten to work with are some of the most lovely and inviting people I've ever met in my life.

Never forget to make time for yourself. Go on vacation. Get away from the studio. Listen at all hours of the day. Know yourself, know your ears, know everything about you and be open about it. Listen to others, welcome criticism. Only make things that are meaningful to you.