BZ Lewis on Mixing with Bark 24|Dyn The Emmy-winning composer and producer on why this psychoacoustic tool belongs in his mix chain.

Introduction

Composer, producer, and Emmy-winning sound designer BZ Lewis has spent his career crafting music and sound for television, film, and broadcast. Known for his refined ear and thoughtful approach to mixing, Lewis relies on tools that enhance clarity while preserving musicality.

One tool that has recently become part of his workflow is Bark 24|Dyn, FSK Audio's psychoacoustically modeled multiband dynamics processor. Designed around the Bark scale, which reflects how humans actually hear frequencies, the plugin functions not just as a dynamics processor, but as a precision mixing tool for shaping tone, balance, and energy across a mix.

In this interview, Lewis explains why Bark 24|Dyn works so well inside the mix process and how it helps him make more musical decisions.

Q&A with BZ Lewis

Q: You've had an incredible career in music and sound, including Emmy wins. What keeps you exploring new mix tools?
Mixing is always evolving. Even after years of doing this, and being lucky enough to win a few Emmys along the way, you're always searching for tools that help you hear things more clearly.

A great mix tool should help you solve problems quickly without killing the musicality of the track. If something gives me better control of tone and dynamics while still sounding natural, I'm always interested in trying it.

Q: When did Bark 24|Dyn first enter your workflow?
I was introduced to it through the FSK Audio team when we were discussing psychoacoustics and mixing approaches.

What stood out immediately was that Bark 24|Dyn isn't just another compressor or multiband processor. It's really designed as a mix-shaping tool. Because it's based on the Bark scale, it splits the spectrum according to how humans perceive sound rather than using arbitrary frequency bands.

That approach makes a lot of sense from a mixing perspective.

Q: What was your first reaction when you used it on a mix?
My first thought was that it felt very musical.

Some dynamic processors can sound mechanical when they react to transients or changes in level. Bark 24|Dyn reacts in a way that feels more organic because the bands correspond to perceptual frequency regions.

So when you're adjusting dynamics, you're actually shaping how the mix feels to the listener, not just changing numbers.

Q: How do you typically use Bark 24|Dyn during the mixing process?
I primarily use it as a mix control tool.

Sometimes I'll insert it across a mix bus or stem to manage the overall energy of the track. It lets me gently balance different spectral areas so nothing jumps out too aggressively.

Other times I'll use it to tame problematic areas in the mix, like when certain frequencies start building up or competing with each other.

What's nice is that you can smooth things out without flattening the mix.

Q: What makes Bark 24|Dyn particularly effective as a mixing tool?
It's the psychoacoustic design.

Because the bands are based on the Bark scale, they reflect how our ears naturally group frequencies. That means when you control dynamics in one region, it feels connected to the rest of the mix rather than isolated.

In practical terms, it helps you shape timbre, density, and balance all at the same time.

For a mixing engineer, that's incredibly useful.

Q: Does it change how you approach balancing elements in a mix?
Yes, because it encourages you to think in terms of perceived sound rather than technical frequency divisions.

Instead of saying, "I need to compress this frequency range," you're thinking about how the mix feels across different perceptual regions.

It's a subtle shift in mindset, but it can lead to much more natural-sounding mixes.

Q: Where do you see Bark 24|Dyn fitting into most mixing workflows?
It's really versatile.

You can use it as a problem-solver, like when certain areas of a mix become too aggressive. But it's also great as a final mix-shaping tool, something that gently tightens everything together.

I like tools that can help you refine a mix without making it sound processed. Bark 24|Dyn does that very well.

Q: Final thoughts for producers or mix engineers curious about Bark 24|Dyn?
Think of it as a mixing tool first, not just a dynamics processor.

Try it on a full mix, a bus, or a dense arrangement and listen to how it shapes the energy across the spectrum. It helps you guide the mix rather than forcing it.