Ryan West (music engineer) talks to iStandard 1

Ryan West Recording Engineer for Dr. Dre, Ghostface Killahs and more. Fifty million records sold, five Grammy nominations, stacks of platinum and gold records and an impeccable industry reputation can attest to Ryan West’s quick rise from struggling engineer to first-call mixer in just 10 years. Having significant experience in several genres, modern digital and vintage analog recording gear and technique, live and orchestral sessions, conventional, electronic and virtual production and spot on sample replays all keep Ryan in demand and ahead of the cutting edge in today’s music industry. Ryan has played piano and keyboards since the age of nine, picking up bass, acoustic and electric guitar along the way. As a teen he began to hone his recording and mixing skills while pulling double duty for the bands he played with. Finally, after a move to New York City in 1997, a chance to work as a freelance recording engineer allowed him to skip “mandatory” intern/assistant footwork and dive straight into the industry on his own. In 2003 he sought out the services of manager Neysa Camacho and her company NQC Management, which also manages super producer Just Blaze. Since then, he has worked closely with Just Blaze while maintaining a robust freelance career. He has mixed and recorded songs with industry heavyweights such as Jay Z, Dr. Dre, Diddy, The Game, TI and Jim Jones while also balancing his resume with an array of independent artists. Ryan has been profiled by magazines such …