Mix Secrets

Coldplay's recent album Viva La Vida was one of the most high-profile releases of the year, and an impressive showcase for Michael Brauer's unique approach to mixing.

Some mix engineers work entirely 'in the box', while others treat Pro Tools as little more than a tape recorder. Kevin 'KD' Davis employs the best of both worlds, as his work on Ne-Yo's recent hit 'Closer' shows.

With Sara Bareilles' massive worldwide hit 'Love Song', producer Eric Rosse had to strike a delicate balance between preserving the artist's integrity and achieving mass appeal.

Flo Rida and T-Pain scored a massive worldwide hit with 'Low' — but only after it received the attention of Miami's star mixer, Fabian Marasciullo.

Madonna's popularity shows no sign of flagging, thanks in part to her ability to seek out cutting-edge production talent. Producer and mixer Demo Castellon explains how he shaped her latest chart-topper.

OneRepublic's route to the top has been tortuous, and their massive hit 'Stop & Stare' was actually recorded more than three years ago. Engineer and mixer Joe Zook recalls the sessions.

Jack Johnson is living proof that you don't need Auto-Tune, Beat Detective or a million overdubs to record a hit album. In fact, as engineer Robert Carranza explains, he didn't even need mains electricity...

Aided by its memorable video and starring role in an iPod ad, Feist's '1234' has been a refreshingly different worldwide hit. Renaud Letang was behind the (vintage) desk during the recording and mixing sessions.

Iconic rockers The Foo Fighters had a worldwide smash with their record-breaking track 'The Pretender'. Rich Costey was the man behind the mix faders.

The unrivalled status of producer Timbaland is built on a hand-picked team of engineers, mixers and producers. For the mix of his hit single 'The Way I Are', he turned to Marcella Araica.

The unsung production hero behind Fall Out Boy, described as “emos first superstars”, tells us how he shaped the lead single from 2007s smash hit album, Infinity On High.

Eleven mix engineers tried their hand at Kanye West's 'Stronger' before Manny Marroquin finally turned it into a record. He was rewarded with one of the biggest hits of 2007.

The role of the mix engineer is becoming ever more creative. Jack Joseph Puig explains how his imaginative approach helped shape Fergies smash hit Big Girls Dont Cry.

When they hired Joe Chiccarelli to record their latest album, the White Stripes set him a stiff challenge: to create a modern, punchy, heavily edited sound, without leaning on modern digital tools.

Producer and engineer Mark Endert not only mixed the lead single from Maroon 5s second album: he also co-produced it and programmed many of the parts.

For her second album, Back To Black, Amy Winehouse and producer Mark Ronson crafted a heavily retro sound. Mix engineer Tom Elmhirst describes how he massaged their '60s soul vibe to create a radio-friendly hit in 'Rehab'.

Megastar Justin Timberlake shot back into the charts last year with 'Sexyback', a hugely successful — and highly unusual — collaboration with hot-shot producer Timbaland. Jimmy Douglass was behind the desk.

'Hips Don't Lie', by Shakira and Wyclef Jean, is indisputably the biggest single of the 21st Century so far. Engineer Serge Tsai was the man who brought together many diverse elements to create a colossal hit.

With its 150-plus tracks encompassing everything from a marching band to a children's choir, it took a special talent to craft a hard-hitting, radio-friendly mix from My Chemical Romance's 'Welcome To The Black Parade'. Enter Chris Lord-Alge...

Beyoncé's second solo album, B'Day, has yielded two of the biggest singles of the year. Jason Goldstein tells us how he put together hit mixes for 'Déjà Vu' and 'Irreplaceable'.

John Legend's silky, R&B-tinged sound has revitalised soul music. Mix engineer Tony Maserati explains how he crafted that sound for Legend's hit 'Save Room'.