TONY MASERATI – Grammy Award winning engineer, Tony Maserati, is arguably one of the greatest mixing engineers of the modern pop music era and still top of the game. Often getting first call and for the most difficult mixes too, it’s no wonder why Tony’s credit list reads as an encyclopedia of ‘who’s who’ of modern music. Tony’s mixing style and aesthetic choices make him and his mixes in high demand. Tony’s innate musicality and attention to every detail shows in every track he mixes, perhaps this is key to his success. However, both his passion for music and personality make him a joy for artists to work with.
While typically low-key about his success and credits, to set the stage, we’ve added a few here— Teddy Swims, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, P!nk, Rosa Linn, Reneé Rapp, Miyavi, Keith Urban, Mary J. Blige, Notorious Big, New James, Alana Springsteen, Jason Mraz, Jonah Kagen, Billy Idol.
Tony also shares a passion for great analog gear, including Chandler Limited equipment and has shared with us the what, where and why he’s using his Chandler pieces.
How long have you been in music production?
TM: Over 30 years.
What drove or inspired you into the world of music production?
TM: Like most, I played music in bands and wrote songs and from an early age, recorded our music. I needed money and started doing live sound for a band and doing recordings for anyone willing to buy me lunch and dinner.
Where did you first learn about or experience Chandler Limited gear?
TM: A very good friend and acclaimed recording engineer; Vaughan Merrick owned a LTD-1 Preamp EQ. I loved the sound and accuracy of it. The build reminded me of the classic gear I had worked on through that time. My first Chandler purchase was the TG1 Limiter. Another good friend and colleague; Michael Brauer told me how it could be useful on anything from room tracks to lead vocals
What Chandler Limited gear do you own?
TM: I currently own the TG1, the Zener Limiter, Curve Bender, Two RS124’s, the new RS660 Compressor and Mini Rack Mixer.
What is it that you like about Chandler Limited gear?
TM: Honestly, the same way I felt about that LTD-1 Preamp EQ; it’s built by hand, is reliable as all hell and sonically useful on many different audio sources. Plus, the headroom is off the charts. I swear I’ve never heard my Mini Rack Mixer distort…and I hit it hard!
What, where and why…
Let’s get to the gear, tell us what Chandler gear you’re using, which sources and more importantly, the reasons for your sonic choices.
Where: I first used it on Norah Jones’ lead vocals for the ‘Come Away With Me’ 20th Anniversary alt mixes. I was mixing some tracks recorded many years ago, and I wanted to keep her voice present and compelling and the RS660 simply performed up to her quality. Beautiful.
Why: The chain was pretty simple on her vocal. I little Neve 1066 eq and the RS660. It helped her shine in the tracks, even with the piano bleeding into the mic.
RS124 Compressors, Matched Pair
Where: At first, I’d used the RS124’s on a parallel mix buss for about a year. Then I loved them so much I had to stop and use them on everything from Bass to Lead Vocals. On Beyonce’s duet with Ed Sheeran “Perfect” I used it on her vocal to allow her some dynamic while keeping her present and beautiful.
Why: The chain I used was very simple, a MDW EQ to do some subtractive eq, the RS124, then a bit of ITI eq to add a little top end.
Where: It’s been sitting on my mix buss for over ten years now. I wish I had two more to use on drums and BGV’s.
Why: The Curve Bender is one of those pieces of gear, when you put it into the chain, without any boost or cut, your track sounds wider, and has more depth. The EQ is smooth and never harsh. It works great on all genre’s, from Hip Hop, Pop to K-Pop.
Where: I love using it on drum room tracks. I also use it on guitars and basses. The last Jason Mraz album I mixed, I used the TG1 on bass for every song. Often times, if I like it on more than one element, I’ll print it and set it up again for something else.
Why: The TG1 does a beautiful thing to the lower level sound in an audio track. It’ll brings out the fret and finger noises of a bass or the walls of the drum room mics. On the Mraz album I would often use it on the drum room, with a little subtractive eq.
Where: Background vocals all day. I also loved it on the Teddy Swims live stuff I mixed.
Why: The Zener can grab the audio and hold it tight, so I sometimes use it as a parallel on basses and vocals. It keeps the natural sounds while holding the element up in a crowd, if you get my meaning.
Where: Almost every mix I do you can hear this piece. Whether it’s a very dense production or piano vocal.
Why: The Mini Rack Mixer is part of my summing set up. The audio comes directly out of my interfaces into it and then into my mix buss chain. It’s got gobs of headroom and helps my mixes sound wider and open.
Interested in having Tony mix for you? Please contact— jason @ bornandraisedentertainment.com
To learn more about Tony Maserati and his Chandler Limited gear visit— https://tonymaserati.com/ or follow @tonymaseratiofficial on Instagram.
