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About

Andrew Maury is an American mixer/producer based in NYC/NJ

Management - ollie@sparkmusicgroup.com

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Discog
Tones And I - "Dreaming"
Vagabon - Sorry I Haven't Called
Colony House - The Cannonballers
Madi Diaz - Weird Faith
Victoria Canal - "Chamomile"
Shawn Mendes, 'Shawn Mendes'
Lizzo, "Jerome"
Jeremy Zucker, summer,
COIN - Rainbow Mixtape
Annika Wells - Eat Dirt
Shawn Mendes, "Lost In Japan"
Gothic Tropic, "Drunk On A Rhythm"
Shawn Mendes, "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back"
Will Linley - Magic
Madi Diaz, History Of A Feeling
Arlie "Findaway"
Lauren Spencer Smith - Mirror
Allison Ponthier - "Late Bloomer"
Cari Cari - "My Grandma Says We Have No Future"
Shawn Mendes - "When You're Gone"
Lewis Del Mar, August
Loyal Lobos, Everlasting
Sophie Cates, "Crowd"
JP Saxe, "More Of You," "430 In Toronto," "For Emilee"
Lewis Del Mar, 'Lewis Del Mar'
Flor, 'Ley Lines'
Post Malone, 'Stoney'
Kimbra, 'Sweet Relief'
Cautious Clay, Table Of Context
Dean Lewis, "Straight Back Down" and "Time To Go"
Grizfolk, Grizfolk
In.Drip. "Going Down"
Zak Abel, "Be Kind"
Florence Arman, "Home"
Teddy<3, 'LillyAnna'
Olivia O'Brien, "Josslyn"
DD Walker, Malibu EP
Delicate Steve, 'Till I Burn Up'
CRUISR, 'Go For It'
Mondo Cozmo, 'Your Motherfucker'
Flor, 'Come Out You're Hiding'
COIN, 'How Will You Know If You Never Try'
Grace Mitchell, 'NOW'
RAC, 'Ego'
Strange Names, 'Use Your Time Wisely'
High Highs, 'Cascades'
Ask Me Anything
Collage
@Tobes asked:
How are you splitting your time between the various monitors? Is there a favourite always in use, or do you find yourself reaching for different choices to listen for different things?
@AMP replied:

i think about equal time generally... depends on the music some. i go to my ATCs for full range power... shaping low end punch, crafting the vocal details + fx, working the master bus parameters. i go to my smaller Amphion One 18's for a 'lens shift' - still a hifi stereo image but different. NS-10s are off to my side pushed together as a 'boom box' ... this is a very different perspective on the mix. not only is it a different fidelity, but its coming at me from a different physical angle. it sounds like music tends to sound out in the real world. Its great for judging the nuanced final balances - especially vocal and vocal effect levels. also a gut check on if the mix is compelling or not.

@David asked:
How do you get through a job when you don't like the people or the music?
@AMP replied:

haha.. i've learned to avoid this situation as much as possible. vet your collaborators and pass on projects you know deep down aren't right for you, if you can!

@Stereo junkie asked:
Hey Andrew! How do I add more stereo width to my mix if I am to do it on the master bus?
@AMP replied:

One approach is a tool like the Izotope Ozone imager which does a psychoacoustic delay/phase kind of magic widening that can sound quite natural if you don't push it too far. otherwise... reverbs delays and choruses can work. anything that generates stereo information! try a low mix % short dark room reverb. or bright ambience. or a quick slap delay?! experiment and compare with/without. anything could work to taste. maybe its an opportunity to break the rules and find something new. you may need to automate the amount to suit the song.

@JONAS asked:
Did you use a limiter in the mix of "In My Blood" or on the Stereo out while mixing?
@AMP replied:

yes! i always work the last half of the mix process with the limiter on. i'm looking to get it loud and still feel dynamic in its sweet spot - i want to take it as far as i can to the finish line because i often know exactly what i want to hear as the final result. i send a no-limiter version and the loud limited version to mastering. if mastering can enhance it and maintain or add volume without compromise thats great. the best pros often do! shout to Joe Laporta on this one

@TOMEK asked:
after listening to Loud(y) for like the 100th time I only now noticed how the drums move from mono to super wide throughout that first verse, such a siiiiiick move! how did you do that??
@AMP replied:

thanks! sounds like an automate room verb send + maybe a touch of soundtoys microshift. i recorded those drums with 4 mics in a dead room. i didnt do stereo overheads, so it was all generated in the mix.

@Toby asked:
What converters are you running?
@AMP replied:

2024 - I have UA Apollos for my general IO but feed my main stereo playback via AES into a Crane Song Avocet IIA monitor controller. the avocet has an excellent DA converter - thats what I'm listen through. I dont do any outboard inserts or summing, so conversion quality isn't a huge consideration. It seems that all respectable converter brands have been issue-free for over a decade. just subtle differences in taste. converters don't make great records - people do.

@CALEB asked:
How do you use Oxford Inflator on your mixbus? Specifically, the "effect" paramater? I constantly find myself either giving it too much or not enough, wondering what balance you've found.
@AMP replied:

to my ear the effect slider adds density. the curve slider adds harmonic distortion and some low frequency growl. its that simple -- part of why I like the plugin. the amount varies from song to song. go by feel!

@Joshua asked:
Who made your website? The code for you audio player is sick, is it open source?
@AMP replied:

Tom Pratt and Ollie Shaw @ https://thisiscatalogue.co/ Custom player!! They nailed it.

@Tobes asked:
Do you still subscribe to the notion that mix engineers need to come up through mentors and commercial studios? Is it possible to be mixing at a high level as someone self-taught?
@AMP replied:

Everyone is different... some people have the internal drive to gather information and teach themselves. Others do better when taught by others. I'm a mix of both, but lean heavily towards self-taught. There is a part of me that wishes I had more IRL experiences watching/learning from the legends. I did a Mix With The Masters seminar with Michael Brauer in 2010 and it was immensely inspiring. I spent 2 weeks at the original Sound City Studios in LA as an assistant on a Tegan & Sara record and it was also immensely inspiring. Sitting at home watching YouTube... not as inspiring :) Make use of all the resources and opportunities around you. Seek a variety of experiences and challenges.

@IDK asked:
How do I mix Grand Piano and make it "darker" and atmospheric? Right now it's muddy. Help
@AMP replied:

EQ the piano with dynamic EQ or something like Soothe to control low mid muddy resonances... or offset it by boosting top end. Be judicious and don't kill the tone. I often use reverb to fill out the space. I've found I can get a lot of extra tone from reverb when its set right... let it 'hug' the source signal and experiment with pre delay, time, and low pass filters. find a place where the verb feels like part of the piano, but doesn't steal the show of the intimacy at the source.

@Cam K asked:
How did you get the guitar sound for the hook of "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back"? Love the reverb and transient of the guitar
@AMP replied:

that mix is an absolute jungle of layers and layers and layers of compression and multiband compression. i couldn't even begin to describe what's happening off the top of my head! I worked from the production PT session and kept adding to it and tweaking it until it was done. That said - i think there was a lot of Waves Rennassaince AXX going on with the guitars...

@Toby asked:
What outboard are you mixing through? Or are you mostly ITB now?
@AMP replied:

None! ITB. I started mixing ITB in the late 2000's, acquired a bunch of outboard and did the summing thing thru the 2010's, then I ditched it and went back to ITB around 2018.

@Tom asked:
Do you use any gear from Burl? If so, what pieces do you use, and what for?
@AMP replied:

I had the Vancouver B32 summing mixer a few years ago. It sounded great and the build quality was unbelievable. At a certain point, I decided to fully embrace mixing in the box. I sold almost all of my analog mixing gear, including the Burl.

@Toby asked:
What sits on your mixbus? Particularly comps and EQs?
@AMP replied:

Its changing year to year, mix to mix. Some of the tools that I know best and get consistent results from are: UAD Studer A800, Pultec EQP1A, Massenburg EQ, API 2500, Manley Vari-Mu, Puigchild, Oxford Inflator, and Ozone.

@Robert A. asked:
Hi Andrew, do you use Izotope Ozone? What are your thoughts on it? How would you use it? Thanks!
@AMP replied:

been using it since version 3 in 2006. i barely knew anything about audio software back then and when i got my hands on it i was shocked how 'pro' i could get something to sound. the multi-module interface of powerful tools is amazing. i use version 9 now and love the exciter in tape mode, the imager for boosting mids and highs, the dynamic EQ for inflating midrange, and the limiter is the only one i've ever relied on.

@Eric asked:
What are your computer specs? What system do you recommend for someone trying to start mixing on mac OS.
@AMP replied:

As of 2022, I'm running a MacBook Pro M1 Max. 'Thing is unbelievable. After a decade of relying on tower/desktop machines, I'm fully relying on this laptop with better results than ever before. For a beginner looking to use OSX, I'd say get a macbook. Add a big screen if you want. iMacs and Mac mini's are powerful too, but portability is useful. There's so much to learn about mixing and recording - your computer wont be a bottleneck.

@Drum friend asked:
Hi Andrew, what would be the best way to blend the Logic Drummer into my production such that it doesn't sound particularly cheesy? Thank you
@AMP replied:

haha, hm... tough one. it always does sound cheesy huh? i think it may have something to do with how unbelievably easy it is to use. it strips away all of the thought that goes into constructing a drum sound and performing or programming it. drum tone/decay and the patterns played can completely change a song's feel. with Logic Drummer, theres no human connection except for where you drop that little dot and which player + kit you chose. the drummer feature cant listen to your song and react to it like a human with good musical instinct. that goes a long way.

@RG asked:
Hi Andrew, how do you usually treat vocals especially in terms of tuning? Do you go into the recording with surgical incision and fix every note or is there a more broad method of treating the voice without losing the emotional context. Thank you
@AMP replied:

if we're talking about tuning in a modern pop/rap autotune-effect territory, do it however you want. watch out for melodyne destroying F's, T's, and S's. //// great vocals are mostly about believability. so, so much of this lies in the performance. the most fruitful step is to get the right performance and the right comp. sometimes pitchiness commands a lot of attention which can be good. David Byrne in Talking Heads comes to mind. But you have to know how to hear whether the pitchiness is musical and artistic or just sour and distracting. when i start working on a vocal (as a producer - not a mixer), i ask myself whether the mistakes make the performance cooler or pull me out of the song. first step would be deciding if autotune is right for their voice. i usually try it to see. if it glides with the music, i'll keep it and fine tune the retune speed. But if autotune is fighting what's naturally there, i ditch it and go to melodyne where i can be extremely precise. i comb through the whole song probably twice touching up spots that seem like they really need it. and i'll inevitably come across a few more moments to fix as i work the production to the finish line. i'll tune the shit out of octave stacks. can't stand when octaves are rubbing.

@Every kid ever asked:
Andrew, what is a compressor, could you please explain once and for all. Thank you
@AMP replied:

Haaaaaa... here's my take. Others might describe it differently. A compressor is a tool that allows you to change the energy of a sound. It can be used gently to help massage the balance in the mix, or aggressively to create energy where it is lacking. It tightens a signal's dynamic range and can help prevent things from sounding overly dynamic. When you push a compressor hard (lets say, over 15db of gain reduction), it has an effect of adding lots of drama and excitement. It helps to keep the signal focused in its moment-to-moment volume. Our ears and brain naturally compress sound out in the real world. We're used to hearing some form of compression because our eardrums physically tighten when we hear loud sounds. Our brain also allows us to focus in on quieter sounds that we are attempting to hear in more detail. Compressors help bring this familiarity to electronically recorded sounds.

@Cian Riordan asked:
Your hair. How often do you shampoo? How often condition? Straight tap water or softened somehow? Ever try taking a bath in bottled water? What's your stance on jellied meat? Is Decapitator a good plugin? thnx
@AMP replied:

hi cian. shampoo is enemy - once a week or an "alternate" product. condition if i feel like stealing some of my wife's - a special treat. NYC tap baby. the bathtub is too small to use. had to google it, looks absolutely terrible. Decapitator is great - I think a "Decapitator II" would sling mad licenses.

@RANDY asked:
What was on Jeremy's voc chain for 'all the kids are depressed'
@AMP replied:

Just a little bit of serial CLA76 and UAD LA2A compression. Like, a LITTLE. Jeremy pre-mixed his tracks very tastefully before handing off to me. I'm not sure what he did but he has eagle ears and amazing taste. This is true of all his songs. Mixing his stuff is really only about setting a stage for the song to feel a little bigger and more 3D. All of the noticeable tonality/style/effect/compression is him.

@Josh Caspian asked:
flor - hold on is actually wrecking me. The articulation of each element without being harsh is unreal. What's the secret?
@AMP replied:

I love that record. I remember when I got the rough mixes about a month before I started mixing, I listened to the songs on repeat because I really loved them. I even developed a fear that I wasn't going to do it justice. Phew. Dylan their bassist is a great arranger and producer. The puzzle of tones and rhythms across all the parts make a lot of sense and thats why it sounds so clear. Its also a wide bandwidth production -- low lows and high highs are all musically considered.

This album was mixed when I was doing a hybrid ITB/OTB approach. I don't think its good BECAUSE of that though. Its just a context. There's a lot of hardware KuSh Audio Clariphonic mid+high boost on the mix bus. I might have overdone it because I remember having a revelation right before mastering that all the mixes sounded better when I added a pretty aggressive and broad digital EQ boost in the mids/low mids around 800hz. And then I remember getting the masters back from Dave McNair and thinking they were super bright again. But he nailed it. I dunno... good song, good arrangement, lots of conviction, like minds, get the right balance, EQ it until it works!!

@Tano Broxk asked:
Hi Andrew! I’m wondering, what target loudness in LUFs do you shoot for when mastering? Do you master to different loudnesses for different platforms? Or is the same master sent out everywhere?
@AMP replied:

In 2018, the streaming service auto leveling conversation got intense. Mostly about Spotify, whom impose the setting *on* by default. I was thinking about this a lot at the time and was getting psyched out by numbers and technicalities etc etc. There are sites like loudnesspenalty.com that somehow give you information about what the services will do to the file.

Bottom line for me right now is that there seems to be a degree of loudness per song that really does the mix justice. Some songs feel best with clean headroom and a really open 3D soundscape. Some songs feel best creamed and distorted and flat right up against the glass of 0dbfs. There is a specific texture that you get when a mix is “grinding” against the ceiling. Do not underestimate this. If you haven’t yet developed an ear for this, I recommend you work on it. Different limiters and saturators and compressors have different sounds. Building a master chain that complements the mix can be a complex art. Some mixers are skilled at getting a mix to sound complete without a ton of processing at the finish line. Others lean on it heavily. I use both techniques.

I weigh the moment in history we’re in... where cd loudness wars resulted in a taste for sound that is heavily limited and compact in dynamic range. Remember: the sound of popular music out in the world has created an expectation for the average listener. This is a completely subjective thing that evolves slowly with time and artist trends. A lot of popular music is CRUSHED! The general public has no idea what RMS or LUFS or any of that is. They don't even know what a compressor is. Many don't even know the concept of how multitrack recording works. They just hear a song and the sound of that song. The mix should feel great. Smashing a mix into the ceiling is sometimes how I get it to feel great. Sometimes it’s the opposite. Sometimes I want the kick and bass to ring free with zero distortion or transient compromise. Those songs may need to be a little quieter. Listen to the relationship between density and transient detail and find the balance that animates the song best!

@Luca asked:
Hey Andrew, I'm a techno producer, how many db do I stay under the 0? Tipically I stay around -6, it's ok for preparing the track for mastering? Thank you for the answer!
@AMP replied:

the numbers dont matter when you're under 0. no difference in sound quality if you deliver your mix at -20 or -2. a 24 bit audio file has an immense amount of perfectly clean headroom (140db from 0 to the noise floor)

@Anton asked:
How do you mix your guitars? Any go to plugins or EQs?
@AMP replied:

Guitars can sound like anything, so there are no rules here. SSL channel is always useful. Also a fan of Sly-Fi Axis for adding saturation+EQ. Soothe when the recording is problematic / too resonant. Sometimes Decapitator to add more grit/texture.

@Derrick asked:
What's on your drum bus usually?
@AMP replied:

It varies a lot, but I have been a fan of what the API 2500 does generally. Sometimes I do a parallel "smash" of the drums rather than process the drum buss. Sometimes the UAD Studer A800 in 30 ips mode enhances the subs in a really great way. Pultec high shelf boosts. I notice a pattern that any time the drum bus gets loaded up with a ton of stuff (more than 3 plugins), I end up scrapping it for a more simple chain... it always seems to sound better with less processing. Balance is king!

@Jack asked:
What was Shawn Mendes' vox chain on Lost in Japan?
@AMP replied:

I'd have to pull it up, but a lot of Shawn LP3 vocals have the waves C4 with the top boosted. Its quite a distinct sound. The "pop vocal" preset is a good starting place. Credit to the producer, Teddy Geiger, on that tip! The PT sessions came with C4 in the vocal chains. I had never really found a use for it prior, but I kept them as I reworked these mixes.

@Alex Ponce asked:
What reverb did you use on Shawn Mendes's Vocals on There's Nothing Holding Me Back??
@AMP replied:

looking at the session, there are 3 verb sends that different tracks / sections use in different amounts.

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@Jared asked:
I know every song is different, but on average how long do you spend on mixing one song? How long did it take for you to develop your mixing process and strategy?
@AMP replied:

Best case scenario tends to be that the artist signs off on the mix after 2 revisions. Worst case scenario... i've gone up to #18. But the mix was better for it! With high revision counts, its often the case that I end up helping with the production, editing, arrangement, and integrating additional layers along the way. I think on average, I spend about 8 collective hours working on a song and its mix 3-7 that goes to mastering. I find it most comfortable when there is time to sit with the mix over the course of 2 weeks. With perfect ITB recalls, it allows me to chip away at a mix with a lot of fresh perspective.

@Cameron asked:
Hey Andrew! For Coin’s "How Will You Know If You Never Try" album did you oversee mixing for the whole album or several songs out of the album? If several, I’d love to know which ones.
@AMP replied:

Tim Pagnotta produced + mixed 4 songs on the record and Chad Wahlbrink mixed 1. I mixed the rest. We did not communicate with each other, but the album feels cohesive to me!

@Walter asked:
Have you ever mixed a famous album only "in the box"?
@AMP replied:

I have been mixing ITB exclusively since the end of 2016. I'll let you determine which of those releases count as "famous" :)

@Ryan asked:
Do you mix in Logic X?
@AMP replied:

I mixed in logic from 2006 till 2016. 2016-2020 i used both PT and Logic. since 2020 ive been PT only

@Mehmet asked:
Those blue cylindrical things... Are they bass traps?
@AMP replied:

yes - theyre ASC Tube Traps. i have them configured in what is called an "attack wall." look it up!

@Donny Ingram asked:
Are you from Bethesda, MD?
@AMP replied:

i am

@Aaron asked:
The vocals on coins album are awesome. How did you get that distortion? Is it tape or is it a decapitator? Love your work man.
@AMP replied:

likely decapitor, yes!

@Davide asked:
How old are you?
@AMP replied:

born in '85

Sending...
Thankyou!