ABOUT
Moving to Los Angeles in 1988, Chris set up operations at A&M Studios, Skip Saylor, Larrabee, and Image Recording, collaborating with Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, Oingo Boingo, Sade, Prince, Vince Neil, and Damn Yankees. He also spent time in Nashville, working with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Jo Dee Messina.
His impact continued into the 1990s and 2000s, mixing game-changing albums like Green Day’s "American Idiot," Breaking Benjamin’s "Phobia," My Chemical Romance’s "The Black Parade," and Rise Against’s "Appeal to Reason." His work spans hard rock (Shinedown, Three Days Grace, Buckcherry), pop (Michelle Branch, Sugar Ray), and country (Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood).
In 2000, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for HBO’s Cher Live at the MGM Grand. In 2017, he won a CMA Award for Keith Urban’s "Blue Ain’t Your Color" (Single of the Year).
Innovations and Industry Influence
In 2008, Chris established his own studio, MIX LA, where he continued mixing Halestorm, Creed, Rob Thomas, Michael Bublé, Aerosmith, Slipknot, and Volbeat. His partnership with Waves Audio led to the creation of the CLA Artist Signature Collection plug-ins, including CLA Bass, CLA Drums, CLA Vocals, and the CLA Classic Compressors (CLA-76, CLA-2A, CLA-3A)—some of the best-selling mixing plug-ins worldwide. In 2018, he launched CLA MixHub, the first-ever multi-track mixing plug-in.
Beyond mixing, CLA is an active educator through Mix With The Masters (MWTM), PureMix, and his collaborations with Slate Digital and Avantone Pro, where he developed the CLA-10 and CLA-10a studio monitors, widely regarded as the modern NS-10 replacement. His "Bluey" compressor, in collaboration with Black Lion Audio, has become a must-have for many studios.
With an ever-growing legacy, Chris Lord-Alge continues to mix, produce, and innovate, shaping the sound of music.
Chris Lord-Alge (CLA) is a five-time Grammy-winning Producer, Engineer, and Mixer, known for shaping the sound of some of the biggest names in music. His signature mixing style—characterized by bold compression, clarity, and punch—has defined the sound of Green Day ("American Idiot," "Nimrod"), Muse, My Chemical Romance, U2, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, Alanis Morissette, Rise Against, Nickelback, Slipknot, Creed, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Daughtry, The Black Eyed Peas, Pink, Shinedown, Sum 41, Switchfoot, Hoobastank, Papa Roach, Halestorm, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and many more. His influence spans rock, pop, country, and beyond, making him one of the most sought-after mixers in the industry.
Chris started his career as an assistant engineer at H&L Studios in New Jersey, working with The Stylistics, The Softones, and Van McCoy before moving to Sugarhill Records, where he helped shape hip-hop classics like The Sugarhill Gang’s "Rapper’s Delight" and Grandmaster Flash’s "The Message". His big break came in the 1980s while working at Unique Recording Studios in New York, where he engineered and mixed James Brown's "Living in America" (Rocky IV soundtrack), Tina Turner's "Foreign Affair," Joe Cocker's "Unchain My Heart," and Steve Winwood’s "Back in the High Life" with his brother Tom Lord-Alge. During this time, he also worked on projects for Pat Benatar, Hall & Oates, Chaka Khan, and Carly Simon.