Craig Bauer

Craig Bauer received a Grammy award at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards for mixing The Clark Sisters’ 2007 album, Live: One Last Time and has been recognized by NARAS and the Grammy‘s for over 30 nominations in various categories and genres. He has been nominated twice for Album of the Year.[3]

Craig Bauer was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked through the ranks of the studios there before migrating to Chicago, Illinois in the early 1990s to open his own recording studio.[5] Beyond the technical aspects of being a mixing engineer, he is also musician.[1] He studied Classical Piano and Music Education at Ohio State University and is also a skilled guitar player.[7]

In 1993, he opened Hinge Studios at 320 W. Ohio Street in Chicago, Illinois. Many of his first clients were jazz artists, including, Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Steve Cole and Peter White.[2]

By 1997, Craig Bauer began working with a young rap group dubbed “The Go Getters”, which included a very young Kanye West.[2] Several of the demos that Kanye West recorded at Hinge Studios were built into tracks on the album The College Dropout. Bauer later mixed “Heard ‘Em Say”, “Roses”, “Bring Me Down”, “Addiction” and “Late” on Kanye West’s Late Registration Album which was nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy Award at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. He also mixed on Kanye's follow-up album Graduation, which was nominated again for Album of the Year at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.[5]

Craig Bauer mixed Lupe Fiasco’s debut studio album Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor in 2006, which received four Grammy Award nominations at the 49th Grammy Awards, including Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. In 2007, he mixed the majority of Fiasco’s second album, Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool, including the hit single “Superstar” which peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Cool was nominated for 4 awards at the 51st Grammy Awards.[8][9]

In 2008, Craig Bauer won his first Grammy award for mixing The Clark Sisters album Live: One Last Time at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Later that year he moved Hinge Studios to 1719 S. Clinton Street in Chicago. Today, Craig Bauer and Hinge Studios is located in Los Angeles, California.[2]

At the 2018 Winter NAMM Show, Bauer hosted an Avid Mixing Master Class with the Avid S6 & MTRX Interface, featuring his work on "Narcissist" performed by Allison Iraheta and Halo Circus. Over the summer he also hosted a Master Class for Avid in Nashville. Bauer is also a beta tester for the Avid S6 control surface and complementary software.[10]

Craig Bauer is an artist endorser for Hear Technologies, Plugin Alliance and Brainworx. He has also developed a line of custom presets.

Opened by Craig Bauer in 1993, Hinge Studios was a premiere Midwest recording and mixing facility located in Chicago, Illinois. Hinge Studios was a pioneer in ushering in the world of digital recording with one of the country’s first Euphonix CSII digitally controlled recording consoles and the very first Otari RADAR 48 track hard disk recording system.[2]

In 2014, Hinge Studios relocated to Los Angeles, California, where the studio was temporarily operating at the historic Devonshire Studios in North Hollywood. Hinge Studios is now permanently located in Los Angeles, California, in a highly acclaimed Northward Acoustics designed room. The studio features an Avid S6 control surface and ATC speakers.[7]

Hinge Studios Chicago was once dubbed “Kanye West’s fortress of solitude in the late ‘90s” by MTVNews.[11]

In 2012, Ed Sheeran performed at Hinge Studios Chicago for “The Live Room” video series powered by the Warner Music Group.[4]

• 2019: J GRGRY, Open Roads — Mixing
• 2019: Soleil Moon, Warrior — Mixing
• 2019: Michael Thompson Band - Love & Beyond — Mixing
• 2019: Donald Lawrence & The Sri-City Singers, Deliver Me- Feat. L’eandria Johnson — Mixing
• 2019: Donald Lawrence & The Sri-City Singers, YHWH — Mixing
• 2019: Anita Wilson, Here's To Life — Mixing
• 2018: Halo Circus, Robots and Wranglers — Mixing
• 2018: The Nghbrs, All or Nothing — Mixing
• 2018: Low Swans, Break Up — Mixing
• 2018: Anna Mae, You Might Be Better — Mixing
• 2018: B. Howard, Nite and Day 3.0 — Mixing
• 2018: Halo Circus, Robots and Wranglers — Mixing
• 2018: Bill Champlin, Bleeding Secrets — Mixing
• 2017: Ted Winn, Stand in Awe — Mixing
• 2017: Anita Wilson, Sunday Song — Mixing
• 2016: Hezekiah Walker, Azusa: The Next Generation 2: Better – Mixing
• 2016: B. Reith, Heart on My Sleeve — Mixing
• 2015: Justin Young, Burn Me Down — Mixing
• 2015: Genevieve, Take Me Down — Mixing
• 2015: Karen Clark Sheard, Destined to Win — Mixing
• 2015: James Maslow, Lies — Mixing
• 2015: B.Howard, Don't Say You Love Me — Mixing
• 2014: Anita Wilson, Vintage Worship — Mixing
• 2014: Common, Nobody's Smiling — Vocal Engineer
• 2014: Kanisha K, Bring Me Home — Mixing
• 2014: Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Originals — Mixing
• 2014: Aleem, Need You Here — Production & Mixing
• 2014: Cowboy Troy, King of Clubs — Mixing
• 2013: Donald Lawrence, 20 Years Celebration, Vol. 1: Best for Last – Mixing
• 2013: Hezekiah Walker, Azusa: The Next Generation – Mixing
• 2013: Michael Thompson, Future Past – Mixing
• 2012: Anita Wilson, Worship Soul — Mixing
• 2012: Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr., Best Days Yet – Mixing
• 2012: Soleil Moon, On the Way to Everything – Guitar (Acoustic), Keyboards, Mixing, Producer, Programming, Tracking
• 2011: Nick Carter, I’m Taking Off – Mixing
• 2011: Ashlyne Huff, Let It Out — Mixing
• 2011: Steve Cole, Moonlight – Engineer, Mixing
• 2011: Donald Lawrence, YRM — Mixing
• 2010: Stan Walker, From the Inside Out – Mixing
• 2009: Stan Walker, Introducing Stan Walker – Mixing
• 2009: Sara Haze, My Personal Sky – Mixing
• 2009: Vanessa Bell Armstrong, The Experience – Mixing
• 2009: Donald Lawrence, The Law of Confession, Part I – Mixing
• 2008: Brian Culbertson, Christmas & Hits Duos – Engineer
• 2008: Donald Lawrence, Matthew 28: The Greatest Hits – Mixing
• 2008: Pastor Hezekiah Walker, Souled Out – Mixing
• 2008: (Various Artists), Total Club Hits – Mixing
• 2007: Yung Berg, Almost Famous EP – Mixing
• 2007: The Clark Sisters, Live: One Last Time – Mixing
• 2007: Dave Koz, Memories of a Winter’s Night – Mixing
• 2007: Kurt Elling, Nightmoves – Engineer, Mixing
• 2007: Dennis DeYoung, One Hundred Years from Now – Engineer, Mixing
• 2007: Yung Berg, Sexy Lady – Mixing
• 2006: Rihanna, The Cool – Mixing
• 2007: Lupe Fiasco, The Cool – Mixing
• 2007: Tri-City Singers, The Grand Finale: Encourage Yourself – Audio Supervisor, Mixing
• 2006: Brian Culbertson, A Soulful Christmas – Engineer
• 2006: Shawnna Block, Music – Engineer, Mixing
• 2006: Tri-City Singers Donald Lawrence, Presents: The Tri-City Singers – Finale – Audio Supervisor, Mixing
• 2006: Donald Lawrence, Finalé: Act One – Mixing
• 2006: Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor – Mixing
• 2006: Dave Hollister, The Book of David, Vol 1: The Transition — Engineer
• 2006: Hezekiah Walker & the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir, 20/85 the Experience – Mixing
• 2005: Ludacris Presents, Disturbing tha Peace – Mixing
• 2005: Kanye West, Late Registration – Mixing
• 2005: Public Enemy, New Whirl Odor – Engineering
• 2004: LaShell Griffen, Free – Arranger, Engineer, Guitar (Acoustic), Mixing, Organ (Hammond), Producer, Pro-Tools, Vocal Engineer, Vocal Producer.
• 2004: Donald Lawrence, I Speak Life – Audio Engineer, Engineer, Mixing
• 2004: The O’Jays, Imagination – Mixing
• 2004: Dennis DeYoung, Music of Styx: Live with the Symphony Orchestra – Mixing
• 2004: Oprah’s Popstar Challenge – Digital Editing, Engineer, Mixing, Producer
• 2003: Brian Culbertson, Come on Up – Background Noise, Digital Editing, Engineer, Mixing, Performer, Pro-Tools
• 2003: Donald Lawrence, The Best of Donald Lawrence & the Tri-City Singers: Restoring the Years – Engineer, Mixing
• 2001: Brian Culbertson, Nice & Slow – Engineer, Mixing
• 2000: Richard Marx, Days in Avalon [Signal 21] – Mixing
• 2000: Da Brat, Unrestricted – Engineer
• 1999: Styx, Brave New World – Engineer, Mixing
• 1998: Yolanda Adams, Songs from the Heart – Engineer
• 1997: 98°, 98° – Engineer
• 1997: Richard Marx, Flesh & Bone – Engineer
• 1996: CeCe Peniston – I'm Movin' On – Mixing

• Craig Bauer Official Website
• The Warren Sound: Ed Sheeran at The Live Room, Hinge Studios