Childish Gambino - "Sober"

Grammy-winning mixer Andrew Dawson opens the mix of “Sober” by Childish Gambino, revealing how he balances emotion, space, and precision in one of Donald Glover’s most sonically layered productions.

In this first episode, Andrew focuses on vocal treatment and spatial design, walking through his approach to EQ, reverb, and harmonic saturation to create intimacy without losing punch. Using tools like the AMS RMX16, Thermionic Culture Vulture, and Pro-Q, he demonstrates how to shape warmth and character while keeping Donald’s lead vocal clear and present in the mix.

He also discusses multi-band compression on vocals to control low-mids without thinning the tone, and how to blend printed delays and reverbs to serve the original performance. This episode is a masterclass in how to mix vocals in Pro Tools, revealing how to combine analog tone with modern balance and depth for emotional storytelling.