DERECK BLACKBURN

Producer · Mixing Engineer · Songwriter

Recording Academy P&E Wing · AES Boston GrammyU Mentor

Boston, Massachusetts/New England Region

I’ve spent the better part of 25 years in studios—as an engineer, mixer, mastering engineer, and producer—working across genres, budgets, and timelines.

That path has taken me through some of the most respected studios in the country, shaping how I hear records 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 work with artists who care about that difference.

Work with me

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.

I have 4 of these mics because they’re $20 each. It sounds FANTASTIC on snare. Pretty much as good as a 57 but more like an SM7B. I realize this is a wild claim - that’s fine. There’s something about this mic that just WORKS when it

quiethouserecording.substack.com - This question comes up frequently in conversations I have with other producers and studio owners. Not because we are trying to maximize profits. Most people who run studios know that is rarely the reality of the bus

quiethouserecording.substack.com — On paper and in my eyes, it has exactly what I needed: Instrument jack, input gain, decent headphone amp, lightweight, USB-C, bus powered. Then it had a few things that surprised me - Z-Tone variable impedance

QUIETHOUSERECORDING.SUBSTACK.COM — If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been using Steven Slate Audio’s VSX headphone system for a while now. The premise is compelling for anyone doing serious mixing work: a closed-ba

QUIETHOUSERECORDING.SUBSTACK.COM - I made this list for people who are interested in sync licensing and don’t know where to start. I am going to make it as simple as possible, all information from personal experience or information I’ve c

They’re here and they are very very very good. @stevenslateaudio gave us something very special here. First thing I will tell you is the lower mids and bass are really incredible. You can really hear and feel the differences between the differe

Happy Black History Month! I’d like to share with you some things that I have read that have made quite an impression on me, starting with this book about Huddie Ledbetter. I can promise you if you have even a passing interest in the history of

Happy 30th to yet another record that challenged me as a young man and made me more curious about how “real records” were made. This is a real fucking record, produced by Tori herself. A personal statement, a sword untouchable. We wore th

Great session with @couchcrash at @wondersmithaudio yesterday! 10 songs tracked and stacked, happy birthday Joey!

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

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

More Mastering Credits at Muso.ai