In this episode, we bring you Tony Maserati, a legendary mixing engineer based in LA, to discuss mixing, collaboration, the industry, and thriving under pressure.

Tony is a Grammy Award–winning record producer and audio engineer. With billions of streams and credits with artists such as Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, Adam Lambert, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato, Tony stands among the most successful mixing engineers in the world. He has been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, including four for Best Engineered Album, and most recently won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Engineer.

Sound is more than just a technical craft—it’s an emotional translation of an artist’s soul. When you step into the studio, you’re not just adjusting faders or plugins; you’re stepping into someone’s talent and helping bring it to life. It takes humility, skill, and a deep respect for the creative process to craft a mix that not only sounds good but also feels authentic.

Today, you’ll hear about Tony’s journey, his career before and after moving to LA, and his insights on reference mixing, collaboration, mix bus processing, automation, and how to ride and compress vocals for more impact.

Episode Timestamp:

[01:10] A bit about Tony 

[03:14] Tony’s move from New York to LA

[06:39] Collaboration in production 

[11:06] Tony’s approach to reference mixing 

[19:38] Tony’s mix bus processing 

[23:22] Automation depth and dynamics 

[29:37] Riding and compressing vocals manually 

[35:15] The power of mono listening 

[40:44] Reverb, delay, and space 

[48:22] Mixing loud vocals and vocal focus 

[50:29] Handling the pressure and the mixing 

[01:01:21] Tips for lifelong learning 

[01:06:04] Advice to upcoming mixing engineers 

[01:09:13] What Tony wishes he knew when he started out 

[01:11:46] Tony’s turning point 

Notable Quotes

• “A great song has space in between the words.”
• “You’re the captain of the ship, you’re controlling the vibe in the room, and you’ve to be at the top of your game.”
• “Putting your face on Instagram and talking is worthless because nobody who hires Mixers is looking; they're listening to records,”
• “Find people you like and that you can gel with and make great records.“
• “You have to have that attitude, that every artist and creative person has a gift and you're allowed in the room to help that expression blossom and come alive.”

Connect with Tony

Website: https://tonymaserati.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/tonymaseratiofficial

Facebook: http://facebook.com/tonymaseratiofficial

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