New York City’s Sound Lounge is an independent, artist-owned audio post production studio that provides mixing, sound design, ADR and VO casting services for commercials, branded content, film and television.
“We’re fortunate to collaborate with some incredibly talented filmmakers, agencies, editorials and brands,” says mixer and sound designer Pete Crimi, who started his mixing career at Sound Lounge in 2012 and, after a short stint at NYC’s Hyperbolic Audio, returned to Sound Lounge in 2020. Besides his work for major brands such as Hellmann’s, Bud Light, Amazon and Nike, Crimi’s credits include the features Serena and Four Good Days as well as the HBO series How to With John Wilson and the animated series Winner Winner Dinner Dinner.
Let’s hear from Crimi…
Titans
What does the job of mixer and sound designer entail?
My job as a mixer is to take every individual audio element (dialogue, voiceover, music, ambience and sound effects) and shape them into one cohesive experience. A great mix isn’t something audiences necessarily notice, but they absolutely feel it.
Sound design is where I get to be even more creative. Sometimes it’s building an entirely new sonic world, and other times it’s finding one subtle sound that gives a moment more emotion or impact.
What would surprise people the most about what falls under those titles?
People assume it’s all technical, but once you’ve mastered the tools, the job becomes much more about communication. Every client describes sound differently, so a big part of what I do is translating creative ideas into something everyone can hear and react to.
I think of myself as a creative facilitator. My goal is to understand what the client is imagining, even if they don’t have the technical language for it and bring that idea to life quickly and confidently.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
The fact that every project starts as a puzzle. Maybe it’s cleaning up dialogue, finding the perfect sound effect, recording a voiceover or making a transition feel effortless. I love solving those problems because you can hear the transformation in real time. Taking something that’s almost there and helping it become the finished product is incredibly rewarding.
What’s your least favorite?
The biggest challenge is helping people understand the value of professional audio. Budgets get tighter every year, and audio can sometimes be viewed as something to trim rather than something that elevates the entire project.
Great sound isn’t just a finishing touch. It directly impacts storytelling, emotion and, ultimately, how audiences connect with the work.
What is your most productive time of the day?
10am. I’ve had my coffee and I’m ready to be creative.
If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
If I didn’t have this job, I think I’d still be doing something in the creative or tech field, whether that would be playing music or being a front-of-house audio engineer.
My other dream would be to own a sandwich shop.
How early on did you know this would be your path?
I knew pretty early that I wanted a career centered on audio, but I wasn’t sure exactly what that would look like. In college at William Paterson University, I studied both music and sound engineering, originally thinking I’d end up recording and mixing music. During my senior year, I was offered an internship at an audio post production studio, Audio Engine, and everything clicked. After my first day, I knew this was where I wanted to build my career. I loved the pace, the variety of projects and the collaborative nature of the work. Every day brought a new creative challenge, and that’s what has kept me passionate about it ever since.
What inspired you to become an audio post pro? Are you a musician? Do you come from a musical family?
Absolutely, and I grew up in a very musical family. My dad is a jazz pianist who’s been playing in bands his entire life, my siblings are all musical, and I spent years studying classical trumpet. Music was always a huge part of our house.
In high school, I also started running live sound for my dad’s cover band. I loved being behind the console and realized I enjoyed shaping what the audience heard just as much as performing. That experience sparked my interest in audio engineering and ultimately led me to pursue sound professionally. Even though I ended up in post production instead of music recording, that musical foundation still influences how I approach every mix today.
How have you seen the industry change over the years — the good and the bad?
The biggest change has been the explosion of content. There are more places than ever for stories to live, which creates exciting opportunities for us. At the same time, technology has made it easier for anyone to produce content, and expectations around quality have shifted. More people are willing to accept “good enough.” I think that’s where experienced mixers can really make a difference. Great audio isn’t about making things louder or cleaner. It’s about helping people feel something. That never goes out of style.
Can you name some recent projects you have worked on?
I’ve worked on campaigns recently for brands including Modelo, AT&T, Crown Royal, Cash App, DraftKings, Norwegian Cruise Line and The Farmer’s Dog, to name a few.
What is the project that you are most proud of?
Commercially, I’m especially proud of the recent Modelo campaign. It celebrates both life’s biggest milestones and the everyday moments worth recognizing, and I think everyone involved created something really special.
Modelo
Over the course of my career, mixing Seasons 2 and 3 of How to With John Wilson was another highlight. It pushed me outside my comfort zone, introduced me to a different workflow, and remains one of the projects I’m most proud to have my name attached to.
Did you have a mentor? Are you a mentor? What advice would you give to someone starting in the industry?
What’s great about this industry is that there really is a community of mixers you can learn a great deal from. One of my first mentors was Rob DiFondi, who played a big part in my career. Rob was the first mixer who gave me the opportunity to become his assistant. I learned an enormous amount from watching not only his technical skills, but also how he approached sessions.
I’ve also been incredibly lucky to work alongside Tom Jucarone for so many years. Tom is a true legend in our industry, and he’s taught me just as much about working with people as he has about mixing. One of the biggest lessons I took from both Rob and Tom is that being a great mixer isn’t enough; you also have to make people want to work with you again.
I’d like to think I’ve become a mentor myself. Lots of people reach out to me, whether they’re graduating students or people interested in what I do. I know how difficult it can be to break into this industry, so I’m always happy to talk with students, answer questions or show people around the studio when I can.
My advice is simple: Never stop building both your skills and your relationships. The technical side is incredibly important, but so is your reputation. Be curious, be dependable, be someone people enjoy being around, and always stay eager to learn. You never know which conversation or connection will open the next door in your career.
Name some pieces of technology you can’t live without.
Pro Tools is at the center of my workflow. RX and dxRevive have become go-to tools for dialogue cleanup, and my Kensington trackball is something I’ve used for so long that I couldn’t imagine working without it.
What do you do to de-stress from it all?
I love to golf, and it really helps me to get away from the stresses that can come with deadlines and client expectations. It’s a very challenging game, and when you feel yourself improving, there’s nothing better.
I’ve recently really enjoyed walking the course instead of riding in a golf cart. That simple change has slowed my pace and given me more time to think through each shot. Surprisingly, that mindset has carried over into my work as well. In a world that constantly demands faster results, better performance and flawless execution, there’s real value in slowing down just a little bit.
Sometimes it’s better to take the extra minute to take a breath, gather your thoughts and then execute.
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