TEC Tracks: Chris and Tom Lord-Alge on Commanding the Mix

Legendary mix engineers Chris Lord‑Alge (CLA) and Tom Lord‑Alge (TLA) brought their fast, fearless and fiercely effective workflow to the stage for a packed TEC Tracks at The 2026 NAMM Show. The presentation pulled back the curtain on the exact techniques that have helped define modern hit-making. The session was moderated by pro audio executive Phil Wagner, a technology leader whose career spans senior roles at some of the industry’s most influential companies.

Chris and Tom walked attendees through the fundamentals of building a ruthless, speed-driven workflow. Key takeaways included configuring a Pro Tools rig for maximum efficiency, limiting plug-in choices to a focused “top 12” for creative clarity, building reusable session templates with shortcut imports and training clients to deliver files exactly as needed.

They also covered controlling the room, mastering communication with singers and the power of the numbered lyric sheet for surgical takes. From speed-driven workflows and the signature "CLA" harmony routine to “stack ’em, rack ’em and pack ’em” vocal production and the reality of tuning as you go, this session delivered real-world techniques engineers can apply to their own work immediately.