Forensic ears. Intuitive tools.

Tommy Rush is a multi-platinum producer, mixer, and songwriter based in LA.
Originally from Chicago, he’s worked with The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Beyoncé, and Madonna—often behind the scenes mixing in Dolby Atmos or writing from his synth-filled studio. A longtime Sound Radix user since the early Auto-Align days, Tommy brings a feel-first, no-frills approach to every project—balancing raw creativity with technical precision.

What's your current setup like?
My setup is more of a writing and production room. I have a bunch of old vintage synths and drum machines and some new ones—anywhere from a Juno 60 and even old Soviet synths to the latest Moog Messenger, which is awesome. I’ve got a couple racks to the side of my desk with a bunch of Apollo Xs, a 1073, TG2, CL1B, and Radial mic switchers so I can choose between different mics pretty easily.

Lately, I’ve mostly been using the C800G. I monitor through NS10Ms and Guzauski-Swist speakers, which I love! If I’m mixing Atmos, I go to Mike Dean’s house where he built an Atmos room stacked with Amphions that sounds amazing. Other than the Atmos work, I’m over there most of the time! Some months even more than in my own house!

Do you have a template or blueprint when starting a mix?
All my synths are set up in a template, so any time I open Pro Tools, it's ready to go. I've got my go-to master chain and a few FX sends in there too. That’s about it. In Ableton, I used to just start from scratch with one audio and one MIDI track. I still do that sometimes if I'm working in someone else’s studio and they don’t have real synths—just to quickly pull up a VST and lay down a part.

SurferEQ makes it way easier to shape the low end no matter what note the 808's hitting!

When did you first come across Sound Radix?
The first time I used Sound Radix was probably around 2011. I was tracking drums and needed to fix phase alignment issues. I was doing it manually, which was frustrating, so a quick Google search led me to Auto-Align, which was a game changer. I think I also used Muteomatic around that time too. And the rest is history!

Another Sound Radix tool I used a lot was 32Lives. That thing saved a lot of sessions for me back in the day! I think in 2013!

I don’t really record live drums that much anymore, but any time I do, I’ll still use Auto-Align to tighten up the phase. But I probably use SurferEQ the most, especially on 808s. It’s super clean and the pitch tracking is awesome! Makes it way easier to shape the low end no matter what note the 808’s hitting. I’ll usually boost or cut around the fundamental and dial in a little harmonic boost to help it cut through smaller speakers. It just works. You don’t have to overthink it—it just follows the music! Very useful!

Any moment where a Sound Radix plug-in saved the day?
Me and Mike were in Milan for a The Weeknd concert and were working on something for Travis Scott's Utopia album backstage. Unfortunately, I can't go into specifics, but we ended up using a few Sound Radix plug-ins to save the day!

How do you usually build trust with the artists you work with?
I don't like to force it. I usually ask the artist how they're feeling that day and get to know them before we do anything. And if they’re not in the mood to work, we’ll go out and do something fun together - the next session we'll get in and do something great!. I'm also pretty selective about who I work with. Sometimes you just don't vibe with someone and that's ok. You're there to help them realize their vision, not the other way around.
I think making the studio a sanctuary and respecting the artists' privacy is really important. I don’t usually do interviews even though I’ve had a fair share of requests. My whole team is on that vibe. We're all pretty chill and would rather be in the studio than out partying or talking too much to media.

Are you noticing any trends in how records are being recorded or mixed today?
A lot of the underground music these days is super raw. Most of it’s just done on a laptop and distorted to hell. Kids are putting out what they feel and not worrying about the technical side. I kinda like that—it reminds me of the old days when I was playing in and recording metal bands. Raw emotion. I think there's no wrong way to do it as long as it sounds good to you and the fans love it.

How do you see the future of music making?
Hopefully AI doesn’t mess everything up, but there are definitely some exciting new tools on the way. Not sure—I don’t want to be a pessimist, but if things keep going like they are, the landscape could look really different in a few years.

Are there any tools you wish existed that could make your work better?
Sometimes I wish the computer could just read my brain and instantly make the edits or play back the exact melody or sound I’m thinking of! Having to use a mouse and keyboard is a little frustrating sometimes because it's slower than how your brain thinks.

Dream Collaboration?
Honestly, I think I’ve worked with just about everyone I’ve ever wanted to in some capacity—though I’m probably forgetting someone and that list will definitely change over time. My team is super lucky to have a mentor like Mike Dean. He’s the best in the world—insanely talented, but also just a genuinely great guy. I’ve learned so much from him and still learn from him every day. Blessed to have him as a best friend!
Dream collab-wise, Mike Dean, The Weeknd, and Max Martin was that for me. But I'd still love to work with Max on more projects! He's awesome and I’m always inspired when I hear something he’s done.
Lately, I’ve been wanting to work with newer artists who are 100% focused and really in tune with what they want out of their project. Other than that, maybe I’ll become a director or actor and collab with some of my favorite actors I grew up watching!

What's next on your plate?
We just wrapped up The Weeknd's "Hurry Up Tomorrow" album earlier this year, and I signed a co-pub deal with Sony Music and MWA Music. I'm actually skipping a bit of The Weeknd / Mike Dean tour this year so I can be in more sessions and focus more on producing and writing for other artists. I’m stoked to work with smaller artists and help them build up their careers, but it's also cool to just be able to do something different for a little while! Tour is my favorite—I definitely miss it and can't wait to go back!

What advice would you give?
I think it's super important to be self-aware at all times and know where you fit in. Always try to add value in everything you do! Be 100% focused on what you wanna do—you gotta want it bad enough! Don’t waste time on stuff that doesn’t matter. Parties can wait. When I was younger, I skipped most parties because I was so focused on getting to the point where I could do music for a living. And those were usually my most productive nights! Still wild to think about.

Please share a radical studio story.
While working on The Weeknd's album, Mike and I thought it would be funny to set up a giant 10-person tent in Conway's live room to throw Abel off guard. It was very random. So we had the runners grab us a tent, and the next day it was all set up. We had Tannoys playing campfire sounds in the room 24/7 to make it feel cozy, and it actually worked! I think Abel liked it lol! It ended up being a lot of people's favorite getaway in the studio.
We'd sometimes eat dinner in there. I actually tracked the acoustic guitars for the title track "Hurry Up Tomorrow" inside that tent!

You can keep up with Tommy on Instagram and his website, and check out just a sample of his extensive credits on Muso.