Elizabeth McClanahan on Creating Mixes That Stand Out from the Crowd

With over a decade of experience in audio post-production, Elizabeth McClanahan brings a refined ear, technical expertise, and a passion for audio storytelling to Machine’s New York team.

Elizabeth’s journey in sound began in her hometown of New Orleans, where she recorded jazz musicians, before relocating to New York to work in audio post. Over the past decade, she has worked at some of the city’s most prestigious studios, spending nine years at Heard City and four years at Barking Owl. During this time, she shaped the sound on campaigns for major brands including Google, Pepsi, Airbnb, and ESPN, while also leading sound design and mix on award-winning films.

She sat down with LBB to discuss the composers and electronic/electroacoustic music pioneers who inspire her, what it means to be a self confessed ‘vinyl nerd’, and discovering new music through travelling…

LBB> When you’re working on a new brief or project, what’s your typical starting point? How do you break it down and how do you like to generate your ideas or response?

Elizabeth> The most important thing in a mix is making sure that the story comes across clearly, so my starting point is always dialogue and/or VO. Clean, understandable dialogue and VO helps the viewer connect with the characters and also builds a solid foundation for the mix. After addressing dialogue and VO, I move on to the music edit, and then continue with backgrounds, SFX, and other details.

LBB> Music and sound are in some ways the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity - what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to work solo or with a gang - and what are some of your most memorable professional collaborations?

Elizabeth> I agree, and I’m a big fan of collaboration, especially if Foley is involved. Some of my most memorable sessions involve Foley teamwork. If we’re recording exploding soda cans, ripping orange peels, squeezing relish and soap from a bottle, or capturing detailed cloth movements, working together to add texture and detail to a Foley performance is always a fun process!

LBB> What’s the most satisfying part of your job and why?

Elizabeth> For me, the most satisfying part of my job is the puzzle-solving aspect. Whether technical (hiding noisy dialogue behind the perfect car-by), or creative (building the sound of a melting alien tentacle), I enjoy crafting a good mix by solving whatever challenges come my way.

LBB> As the advertising industry changes, how do you think the role of music and sound is changing with it?

Elizabeth> Music and sound play a vital role in capturing audience attention – a scarce resource in today’s saturated media landscape. Grabbing and maintaining attention is more challenging than it’s ever been. The right music cue or sound effect is the perfect tool to quickly convey a brand’s vibe and message. I think the most important thing we can do to engage viewers is to make sure everything sounds clear on multiple platforms/playback devices, in order to make an immediate impact. Focusing on a mix that really pops will help the film stand out from the crowd.

LBB> Who are your musical or audio heroes and why?

Elizabeth> I really gravitate toward composers and electronic/electroacoustic music pioneers like Delia Derbyshire, Suzanne Ciani, Wendy Carlos, Harry Partch, Francis Beby, and Pierre Henry. All of these artists have created wonderful music, but they were also responsible for incredible technical innovations.

LBB> And when it comes to your particular field, whether sound design or composing, are there any particular ideas or pioneers that you go back to frequently or who really influence your thinking about the work you do?

Elizabeth> Audio engineer Bruce Swedien had a famous saying, ‘Compression is for kids’. While I do use compression and limiting in my mixes, I really make an effort to preserve transients and not solely rely on compression to find and maintain clarity in a mix.

LBB> When you’re working on something that isn’t directly sound design or music (lets say going through client briefs or answering emails) - are you the sort of person who needs music and noise in the background or is that completely distracting to you? What are your thoughts on ‘background’ sound and music as you work?

Elizabeth> I usually like things quiet if I’m reading or parsing information, but I often put on music at the end of the day for fun!

LBB> I guess the quality of the listening experience and the context that audiences listen to music/sound in has changed over the years. There’s the switch from analogue to digital and now we seem to be divided between bad-ass surround-sound immersive experiences and on-the-go, low quality sound (often the audio is competing with a million other distractions) - how does that factor into how you approach your work?

Elizabeth> Some of my favourite mixes are ones that sound good anywhere! I try to focus on maintaining clarity and crisp details that translate from a large space to a phone.

LBB> On a typical day, what does your ‘listening diet’ look like?

Elizabeth> On my commute, I either listen to a history podcast, some music, or I read a book. When I get home after work, I love putting on a record to relax.

LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds and what shape does it take (are you a vinyl nerd, do you have hard drives full of random bird sounds, are you a hyper-organised spotify-er…)?

Elizabeth> I’m definitely a vinyl nerd! My collection is mostly made up of jazz, punk, ska/rocksteady, electronic/experimental, and world music.

LBB> Let’s talk travel! It’s often cited as one of the most creatively inspiring things you can do - I’d love to know what are the most exciting or inspiring experiences you’ve had when it comes to sound and music on your travels?

Elizabeth> Outside of music and sound, one of my favourite things to do is travel, and I love collecting vinyl. Each time I visit a new country, I make an effort to stop by a record shop and pick out a few things. People who work at record stores are wonderful to chat with, and they often have excellent recommendations! It’s a terrific way to discover new music.

LBB> As we age, our ears change physically and our tastes evolve too, and life changes mean we don’t get to engage in our passions in the same intensity as in our youth - how has your relationship with sound and music changed over the years?

Elizabeth> I’ve begun to enjoy listening to a wider variety of genres, but I think the most important thing I’ve been focusing on lately is finding the time to really sit, focus, and enjoy an album in its entirety.