Mixing Avenged Sevenfold - Andy Wallace

Full video available exclusively on mwtm.org/aw-doing-time
“Deconstructing a Mix” video series with mixer Andy Wallace mixing the song "Natural Born Killers" by Avenged Sevenfold from scratch on an SSL 9000 K in New-York. In this 4-hour journey watch the entire process, explained step by step by Andy Wallace himself.
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[@mixwiththemasters]

Full video available exclusively on mwtm.org/aw-doing-time

[@mixbustv]

Paying respect to the engineer that has always been my greatest inspiration. This man is simply the greatest of all times. Period.

[@antonk6027]

That is true, he's the greatest of all times! With such an amazing inspiration, no wonder you are so awesome as well, dude! Thank you for your amazing channel!

[@itssuperninja]

this guy makes mixing so easy to understand

[@alexleblanc5926]

Bad Luck Brian You could say its..... "Almost Easy"

[@samucarvajal-art]

The most amazing part is that when he says: "The drum kick sounds too loud and too quiet at the same time" I actually understand what he means!

[@ohthefuture7618]

"The wek wik wek and the blap blap blap gotta work together" - Andy Wallace. Legend. Seriously, though. Evil Empire. Mic was dropped on that freaking album.

[@simonthecucumberenjoyer1042]

With every word he says he manages to put another brick on a building. It's amazing. Never heard anyone talking so we'll.

[@DanRodriguez1]

this guy is a legend

[@SneakyTurtle]

Natural born killer riff

[@karterestill]

Best mixing engineer in the industry! I'd know a Wallace mix anywhere! It would be a dream come true to work with him!

[@pleasenohate7505]

I wish he was my grandpa

[@Darkhalo314]

I'm so extremely happy to finally hear the master tracks of Natural Born Killer. The guitar crunch of that Marshall JVC205H sounds amazing

[@JohnSummerford]

I love how he visualizes it.

[@EZXG2077]

Andy Wallace is the good teacher in MIXING, he slowly describe everything. but others, they go too quick.

[@onixtheone]

It takes a lifetime for people to naturally learn to speak low and slow, and mean what you say and not to sweat every little thing, the sooner people learn that in life the faster you’ll be happy

[@gerudobombshell]

Andy Wallace is my hero - City of Evil is a masterpiece of mixing. It's my 'go-to' superb reference!

[@michi9955]

I hate the snare on CIty of Evil. Its just sounds so weak and distant

[@galleryofrogues]

Not a huge fan of Avenged, but I agree the albums he mixed by them sound SO GOOD.

[@Testament127]

City Of Evil sounded stale tbh

[@kfr5018]

City of Evil is prob my favorite album by them. But ironically it’s prob the worst mixed album. The snare sounds bad. And the guitars are way to trebly.

[@paradigmshiftz7]

The snare sounded bad (for most people) mainly because it was tuned super super high.

[@SyncJr]

That’s one of the coolest old mans I’ve ever seen. Mad respect.

[@eggaiug]

Finally someone that explains shit and makes sense, not just brags about who he worked with 300 BC or the 3 billion dollars gear he uses

[@conorm2524]

This comment is 100% accurate.

[@danieladams8085]

Old dude mixing rock. Can't get more bad ass then that

[@snowbear163]

He's a legend and has been for decades. He's the reason Nirvana came out with hits on Nevermind and not just sound like most everything else.

[@VirulentNurse]

I met him twice before ....the first time I met him he changed my life. The second time he changed it back. If he kicked my teeth in and threw me down a flight of stairs, I would ask him why he didn't take the time to shatter my orbital socket. He's that good.

[@riccardodepaoli8871]

I worked with Andy as an assistant at Quantum sound in Jersey City. Was a great experience. His passion and aggression to get the best out of players was mind-blowing. Hope you're doing well Andy. Reggie Lucas who owned the studio, great producer just passed away a couple weeks ago. End of an era. RIP Reggie

[@conorm2524]

No shit?!?! That's a fucking cool experience.

[@Nephilim-81]

Andy Wallace is the best!! God what he did for Sepultura and SOULFLY is just incredible. :)

[@feliperestrepo4070]

The train analogy is so perfect! I keep seeing it as he talks about it and the song loops in the background. Genius!

[@JohnnyBRollin]

I want that snare to feel THICC.

[@totigerus]

i like my snares the way i like my women's ass...T H I C C

[@JohnnyBRollin]

Totigerus hahah exactly!!

[@Britton_Thompson]

blackCAUCASIAN Really, dude? That's your comment?

[@mrplut0]

i guess u never watched pewdepie then..

[@ryangilfillan8985]

blackCAUCASIAN always respec wamen

[@leandrosilva6414]

What a Legend!

[@rhythmdroid]

One time they asked Andy to mix Puddle of Mudd. . . . . When he was done there was nothing left.

[@vlazurah789]

Oh my.. I need that Natural Born Killer track in my life

[@waynegoodman135]

Always and forever a legend!!! Mixed some of the best albums of the 90s. Classic after classic

[@rotek824]

i need more Andy Wallace videos. Great engineer, his mixes are great. New Gojira is just a perfect proof.

[@thechazdarby]

One of my biggest heroes...I love getting to hear Andy talk about his work. One of the best.

[@peter9314]

Great Bass tone.

[@galleryofrogues]

That bass track sounds so cool.

[@Zaflon]

True master, the way he visualised that train and spoke over the loop. This guy defined the way heavy musdic sounds! King

[@Nothing-sn9nc]

Something so cool about the guy who mixed Jeff Buckley’s Grace talking about wanting this mix to sound like a train coming at you

[@andymarsal]

Great explanation and execution of my namesake.

[@afaydilek]

he's old but still feeling what he does. I adore that...

[@norakat]

So whoever said only cut and don't boost eq's - behold - he's boosting!

[@ecoRfan]

Not my all time favorite band but great move by them releasing an albums with a dynamic range of DR10-12 (dr loudness war database). Bob Ludwig mastered both and he usually does about a 5-8 but still the G.O.A.T. mastering engineer since the 1960's. As to Andy Wallace certainly another old timer, one of the best, mixed RATM's self titled album. Appreciate A-7x for being audiophiles.

[@TheGreatWesternTrendkill]

ecoRfan and what did they get? I see critics blaming the producers... "top 5 worst production ever". it was a commercial mistake. most people are unaware of the subliminal impact of loudness. and producers who ignore this fact and master quiet make a mistake. there are many people who think this album sucks just because it's not loud enough (without knowing it). and I don't blame them. hell I have to remind myself to adjust volume when comparing tracks even though I do it every fucking day. me personally, I love the production but they could've easily pushed 2-3 dB. if I can do it without affecting the tone that much they should be able to do it as well. it's getting easier to get a master loud without compromises nowadays, not more difficult

[@ecoRfan]

I had never even heard of the loudness war until I Google Image Searched "RHCP Californication" and saw a waveform of the song with a description of the loudness war effect. I was simply looking for album art that time but it brought about quite a revelation. As to this album and the previous A7X album from 2013, I recall both get high marks, but someone I know said the previous release sounded "better on the radio" perhaps because we are all used to the compressed sound. Sound Check feature should take care of differences in volume. Just turn it up and enjoy.

[@EvilsonicRecords]

"Top 5 worst production ever" - source, please? Nightmare is one of the best produced/mixed/mastered albums of its time.

[@Britton_Thompson]

ecoRfan When your friend said A7X's 2013 album "Hail to the King" sounded better on the radio, he may have been referring to the overall concept of the songs on that record. HTTK had a more classic metal sound with the drums & beats more simplified, and the overall song arrangements were more spacious to produce the power chords that the older monster riffs elicit. This current A7X album, The Stage, is a progressive rock album with lots of intricacies & unusual sounds used to create something very original and creative. Where "Hail to the King" was inspired by Metallica and AC/DC, "The Stage" is inspired more by Mr. Bungle, Tool, and Pink Floyd. Just a thought. Or perhaps he truly was referring to the technical aspects of music production.

[@TheGreatWesternTrendkill]

+Evilsonic Record. that's awesome. who talked about Nightmare though? but since you brought it in... I much prefer the The Stage sound personally when it comes to The Stage, "top 5 worst productions ever" was just one of the ridiculous accusations I've heard. the production quality got a looot of flag. why? I explained it

[@ilumovieminaty8085]

Andy I won't only say .Thank you . That's great work of you. We will see together on next session.

[@theaviary238]

Andy's work is amazing! A true artist.

[@urbankeysbydennis4985]

This Man always has a vision before he mixing a track,and he try to focus on what the artist record,and put alle little wallace quality in it...,thats why i love this mixer,he is a Legend to me,keep on great men!!!

[@MommaTMusic]

You know you're old school when you say "cycles" :D ! Love this guy

[@igorpodemski9596]

The Stage is one of the greatest sounding rock/metal albums of this century. The drums are mixed SO WELL.

[@nritsch]

Awesome to see you guys cover my favorite A7F song.

[@daleonov]

I wish I could get my hands on those lessons one day... The price is reasonable, but paying for a whole year subscription at once fells a bit extreme for me atm.

[@fredacuneo5180]

The immortal bestows his precious wisdom upon the meek and undeserving. What marvelous gems of your mastery you have shared. You really do demystify so many complex ideas into practical terms we can apply (even if we don't have a 128 track console in our basement.) THANKS!!!

[@RAULDIAZ-re9ju]

What a legend... Got the look he is the pastor of his church on Sundays and Monday mixing a metal band in the studio

[@samxday]

I love his descriptions

[@justinbowen1183]

That guitar tone is fantastic👍

[@lukeisprvkt]

andy wallace is a legend! back in the day when we used to by albums we would read the liner notes and learn who helped create it, anything with andy wallace was a must listen. miss those days at record stores

[@mikulasroubicek4642]

no one's stopping you from buying records. they're still making them and there are still record stores you can buy them at.

[@snowbear163]

@@mikulasroubicek4642 they used to be at every shopping mall. Now you have to go find a place and they're usually tiny and run down.

[@franklee7543]

Thanks Sir.

[@relaxingsounds1386]

This dude makes things easy to understand.

[@1dnery]

Great great! Master of masters!

[@oliverpinelli3334]

Genius! Jut a few things he said, but it opened my eyes to some absolutely new ideas. Thank you, Obi-Wan Kenobi of Mixing.

[@DOGOID]

All the best Andy

[@MartinBellamyMBDrums]

dang this was a good lesson, wicked way do describe a mix!

[@directive-4]

Andy Wallace is GREAT!

[@christopherdunn974]

This man is the best. He's mixed everyone from Slayer, to Nirvana, to these guys. Most importantly though he produced/mixed/mastered Grace by Jeff Buckley (my all time favorite album). His albums always have such a punchy, warm feeling to them.

[@giuliano8031]

Not warm.

[@snowbear163]

He nailed the Nevermind mixing. The way the previous guy was going to do it it would have just sounded like everything else at the time.

[@VicHightaian]

what a BADASS!

[@danielwolfgang6900]

this dad is starting to love modern Metal band. no doubt to say that a7x is great. every single album never let me down.

[@Marta1Buck]

I dont really like their new album, doesnt hook me as much as city of evil or avenged sevenfold

[@Siolarty19]

It wasn't made to hook you, it was made to make you think.

[@Marta1Buck]

-england isn't my city-

This 'dad' probably influenced these Metal bands that you like. Check his credits. He engineered and mixed Reign in Blood in 1986. When A7X members were 5 years old.

[@mitekillem]

just had my eyes opened to looking at things that should've been obvious to me, to begin with. i.e. keeping the kick, bass guitar, and snare bottom at the same level, and keeping the things that create and help the chugs the same as well. -That way they're acting as one. Thank you!

[@JUNKO____]

It's the age old simple explanation of "balance". Sure it sounds like an easy thing to do, but it takes so much attention to detail to get it truly balanced AND have character.

[@kurdtjohn]

His mix on the "Does This Look Infected" by Sum 41 sounded a little bit muddy compared to TLA's mix. But on heavy-ass records, he kills it.

[@JimijaymesProductions]

I liked his mixes on Chuck though, that said my favourite tracks were mixed by TLA on that record with the exception of Pieces. TLA is an awesome mix engineer though, they both are.

[@busywl69]

I'm a plug in user. Nice to see no plug ins. The end result is all that matters. This guy is gold.

[@HOLY_BATH]

I want the bass and the bass drum and snare to hit me the same in the low end lets go brother

[@Songwriterbehindthecurtain]

Andy should break down there is nothing left to lose album and how it came together.

[@blase1856]

So this is the guy who drove that Chiron at 304 MPH

[@hoggen1493]

It seems like 95% of mixing is recording. The changes he's making are subtle tweaks, not broad strokes.

[@Syklonus]

That's it exactly. Although these days with technology you can change stuff after you record the performance.

[@dstybtms]

That is truthfully how it is suppose to be. A mix should simple enhance the recordings and not necessarily repair. To get a great mix, you need to establish a solid sound before you ever hit record.

[@AlexMan999]

It is but you can't have a perfect recording. the mix is so important to making a song amazing. a great mix can make a meh song great but a bad mix can ruin a great song

[@boyblueNJ]

Facts, can’t polish a turd

[@phillipemery572]

This is definitely my experience. If you get a good project in that was tracked well and recorded well, you shouldn't be spending days on the mix. You're just tightening down a few things and making sure everything has a space to stand out.

[@divinodayacap3313]

We basically live in an Era where grand dads and badass music go together.

[@stanislavpetrov5955]

Kurt Cobain was being read a list of Mixers for his upcoming Nevermind album. He kept saying, "No, no, no," as each name was read, along with the artist they worked with. Near the end of the list, one of the last names was, "Andy Wallace - Slayer". Kurt: "THAT guy!"

[@tifdemun]

pure gold

[@ibboylife]

Andy Wallace is a true Master

[@JohnPenyon]

the song is called natural born killer

[@TsunTsunProductions]

The things he says at 2:19 are far too precious mixing secret to be revealed in a free video. Life-changing mini-lecture.

[@TsunTsunProductions]

well, it's your life, you choose what to do with it. So if its' not - it's ok.

[@Titanner666]

bruno donizete clearly you don't mix or have any experience with sound engineering of any sort. Fantastic video from an audio genius.

[@conorm2524]

Yep, real words of wisdom. I'm a live engineer so that's a different beast with many compromises. But I've definitely taken a lot of info from these videos. I might pay for the MWTM's videos series.

[@catalystdrums123]

I came to this video just to hear his steam engine visual analogy again

[@joukostenius4857]

This guy is making millons mixing all the top notch artists and all he did was he added some 3000 cycles to the bass drum. I'm kidding, Andy is a legend. The new Ghost song might be one of the best sounding rock songs of all time. All the best Andy!!

[@thelordz6966]

Master of The Great Producer Mixer

[@rockboy360]

Amazing interview, I'll try to see my mixes in that way. I wish I had such awesome recordings to work with though, most of us small mixers end up doing forensic work and turd polishing.

[@papadankelson5480]

good shit

[@gatedreverb1]

Love Andy Wallace's mixes, and I watched the entire 13 episodes of this mix and I've come to this conclusion.. in my 30+ year career of recording and mixing, nobody has ever provided me files as perfectly performed and recorded as the 'Avenged Sevenfold' Protools session.. lmao

[@Darkhalo314]

Truth! The entire band are huge perfectionists. Especially, Synyster Gates. He drives himself crazy in the studio getting everything perfect for the song

[@MeKaashu]

0:05 RIP to those who did not understand what Andy meant by being Loud and Quiet at the same time.

[@miguelbenitez4548]

Dead man here

[@bayuhendra360]

Legend 🔥🔥🔥

[@Noiseheads]

The man!

[@AzzaDutt]

Absolute GOAT

[@agyas23]

i need that loop

[@gregtheflyingwhale6480]

4:52 if you want simple explanation

[@norakat]

You gotta be a pretty hip dude to come from his generation and really get into this genre

[@stretchhfab7315]

Smart dude, watch and learn

[@rawkinj6609]

Huh...Just Wow! The Freight Train Concept!! Dense and Powerful with " no antenna's" sticking out!! Long Live Bob Ludwig!

[@constantinezh7156]

The "kh-kh-kh" and the "clank-clank-clank" and the "whack-whack-whack"

[@theandroids]

Would be nice to get some Nevermind stuff.

[@marcoshaydar2749]

El mejor del mundo Andy gold wallace

[@justinbowen1183]

This guy has mixed some of my favorite records. Linkin park, avenged sevenfold, and I think he also did evanescence. If I ever write and record a record he will be my first pick to have it mixed/mastered I just like the way his mixes come out sounding.

[@midlifeadventures3138]

The kkkk, and the clank clank clank clank, and the whack whack whack whack are the secrets to getting the perfect mix.

[@andivax]

I am afraid of this Man. But his mixes are Legendary!!!!!

[@shatteredsquare]

You know what I would pay $100 an album for? An album of the stereo mixes of the songs of an album as sent to the mastering engineer by the mixer, before it's wrapped in sugar and plastic.

[@pleasenohate7505]

You also pay for sex?

[@lizziedanger4271]

periphery does that but they're mastered stems. i think periphery is the only professional band out there that publicly releases their tracks. their stems are $35 for the full album.

[@Christopher-md7tf]

A good mastering engineer doesn't "wrap things in sugar and plastic", he helps the artist to achieve the sound that they want.

[@wan3518]

Natural Born Killer🤘

[@ferabra8939]

His kick sound always sounded to me a bit like a basketball bouncing, and then the bass carries the weight of the low end. And there you have the basketball sound...1:30.

[@David-cb9ec]

These drums samples are made by Steven Slate. There is Not big difference from the raw preset sound Andy just added a little bit of eq and compression, but 90% drums sound comes from steven Slate work

[@pzdipuing]

may i ask which DAW software he is using

[@SeanBlackisle]

Orpheus or Titan recording what Andy Wallace mixing?

[@eggaiug]

Gotta get that clank clank clank and that wack wack wack

[@MofosRealReviews]

What is the song he's listening to for him to test all the levels???

[@gregtheflyingwhale6480]

Which DAW does he use?

[@caddybeats0]

phil collins knows how to mix

[@UndercoverRat]

phil collins can't hear that well