<p>Who the hell does<strong> Troy “MixByMail” Hightower</strong> think he is?</p><p>Sure, he’s one of the sharpest studio engineers to ever work a mixing board. Indeed, he has mixed a slew of gold and platinum records for Onyx, Redman, Big Pun, Erick Sermon, Common and many others. Admittedly, Hightower’s engineering resume is untouched; there’s not enough room here to list his credentials. Many of the classic Hip-Hop records that dropped in the 90’s were glazed with the Hightower polish.</p><p>But to quote Janet Jackson, “What have you done for me lately?” Moreso than any musical genre, Hip-Hop is about the moment and Hightower can’t rest on his precious-metal plaques forever. Besides, is a good engineer really necessary to the hit-making process? He just turns a few knobs after the artist and producer do the all heavy lifting. Anyone can do that, right?</p><p>Wrong. An engineer can make or break a record and grandmasters like Troy Hightower do not come a dime-a-dozen. A poor mixdown can sap the potency of even the dopest track. Hightower is a reputable, seasoned vet with a keen ear; a sought-after component for great-sounding records. Recently he’s mixed albums for deejay/producer Presto, Boss A.C. from Portugal and De La Soul, to name a few. At an event called “Future of Music,” Hightower shared his expertise on a panel with Bumpy Knuckles and the legendary DMC, moderated by Harry Allen. In addition, Hightower has put his knowledge of television audio to use by working at networks such as FOX News, CNBC, Court/Tru TV and currently ESPN.</p><p>Hightower also established a company called MixByMail, hence his nickname. Clients from around the globe send him their unmixed songs in a variety of formats and Hightower returns them professionally enhanced. The finished, improved songs are available for download upon completion. From rank amateur to platinum superstar, no one has to have their records sound like crap with Hightower as an option.</p><p>In the comfort of his home studio, adorned with gold & platinum plaques, I interviewed Troy “MixByMail” Hightower and it was very enlightening. Head to the basement and get in the mix.</p><p>SEE MORE AT <strong>THE SPIZZY</strong></p>
