Alumni Update: Kevin Dietz, Audio Production & Engineering
Graduated From: Audio Production & Engineering Diploma (2006)
In the ultra-competitive realm of audio engineering, it takes a certain degree of pleasant persistence, not to mention skill, to amass a sizeable list of credits after just a few short years in the business. Metalworks Institute alumnus Kevin Dietz began building that credit list shortly after graduating MWI’s Audio Production & Engineering Program back in 2006, and the list has grown steadily over the ensuing years. More recently, Kevin has added the credit of ‘producer’ to that list, as he explores a new facet of what’s already been a successful young career.
Kevin began interning at Metalworks Studios shortly after graduating, which quickly turned into full-time work as an assistant, and ultimately, an appointment as the studio’s head engineer in 2011. During his tenure at Metalworks Studios, Kevin worked with a host of notable artists, including Alexisonfire, Placebo, Circa Survive, Protest the Hero, The Glorious Sons, and The Cranberries. He was fortunate to work with some of the premier engineers and producers in the industry, including David Bottrill, Kevin Shirley, Stephen Street, James Brown, Nineteen85, and Demacio ‘Demo’ Castellon.
Although he elected to go freelance in 2014, Kevin continues to work a great deal out of Metalworks Studios, including recent work with the band Parkway Drive, Irish singer/songwriter James Vincent McMorrow, and two projects with former Tea Party frontman Jeff Martin.
This past year (2016) found Kevin working with Toronto-based pop duo Tiger & Bloom as co-producer and engineer on their debut release. That project took Kevin to Los Angeles last January to work with producer Brian West (Nelly Furtado), and he was recently back in LA to mix the record with noted mix engineer Mark Needham (Imagine Dragons, The Killers).
Kevin also found time this past year to produce and record the full-length debut album from Barrie-based rock band The Alpacas, who won the 97.7 HTZ-FM Rock Search in 2015, and have subsequently shared the stage with Big Wreck, Finger 11 and Hollerado.
