Spike Stent, the acclaimed mix engineer whose credits include artists such as The Beatles, Beyoncé, and Ed Sheeran, is attempting to bring his expertise to a much wider audience through Spike AI, an innovative AI-powered mixing plug-in that will function inside a DAW. Set to launch in early 2025, this cutting-edge tool promises to revolutionise the mixing process.
Unlike other AI-driven audio tools, Spike AI does more than simply automating technical aspects, but the makers say it also captures the artistic nuance which a skilled engineer can bring to a mix. A unique feature in the software is the ability for users to interact with a chatbot trained on Spike’s specific expertise, meaning mix adjustments can be made using natural language. This intuitive, conversational approach allows even those without deep technical knowledge to fine-tune their mixes, providing a new level of access to professional-grade results.
Joshua Stent, Spike’s son & Spike AI co-founder: There are tens of millions of tracks released annually, but only a few hundred top engineers available to work on them. Spike AI is our answer to that problem - it gives everyone the chance to have a mix that feels and sounds like it was crafted by one of the industry’s best.”
Spike Stent, who has always embraced new technology in the studio, believes Spike AI is the next logical step in his career. Reflecting on his work with the AI-enhanced Beatles project, Stent sees tools like Spike AI as the future of mixing.
“We wanted to offer something unique that everyone can access. That’s what’s so brilliant about Spike AI. It lets people create something new that will help artists and producers who don’t have the option of hiring someone like me.”
The AI model is built upon one of the largest and most sophisticated mix datasets ever created, made exclusively from Spike Stent’s body of work. Artists can also benefit from Spike AI’s token-based credit system, where one minute of mixing equates to one token, providing a cost-effective way to access top-tier mixing quality.
We visited Spike Stent for a feature published in SOS January 1999, read it here.
Price & Availability
The official release is planned for early 2025, with price information not yet announced. Visit the Spike AI website for more information and to subscribe for updates.
