Brooklyn MixCon Preview: Matty Amendola – The Indie Pop Mix
Brooklyn MixCon is coming up on December 6 & 7! Five workshops & Q&A’s organized by genre, at the Living Room in Brooklyn—Presented by SonicScoop and the Deli Magazine.
Each day this week, we’ll take a closer look at the mixers who will be sharing their secrets: Matty Amendola (Indie Pop Mix: Focus on Drums);
Marc McClusky (Indie Rock Mix: Focus on Distorted Guitars);
Kevin Killen (The Sparse Mix: Ballads/Clean Instruments);
J. Chris Griffin (Mainstream Pop Mix: Focus on Separation);
Ariel Borujow (EDM Mix, Low End and Loudness)
Connect with this mixer’s wisdom in person at Brooklyn MixCon! Visit here to RSVP.
Brooklyn MixCon is made possible by SoundToys, Focal, iZotope, Universal Audio, SPL, B&H, & Eventide.
Mixer Name: Matty Amendola
Matty Amendola will be at Brooklyn MixCon on Sunday, 12/6.
Website: http://www.mattyamendola.com – http://www.825records.com
Location: Brooklyn
Clients/Credits: As a session musician, I’ve played with a long list of cats for various soundtracks for Broadway and film. As a composer, I’ve written and produced worldwide broadcast commercials for MetLife and Giants Stadium. As a producer and mixer, I’ve worked and/or developed acts such as Kerchief, Katie Lee, and Fleet Walker. I’m glad to announce Katie’s sophomore release Real Religion is coming out in January and I’ve also just signed an amazing 12-year old singer to a development deal.
My Mix Angle: I approach mixing from a producer’s mind. I think a mix should be invisible and it should be considered just another step in the process to make “the song” the best it could be.
Production starts with the arrangement, the parts, and the performances. Mixing takes over to glue all of that together. It highlight what should be most prominent while keeping a wall of sound in the shade with clarity and depth.
For Example:
I’m glad to let people hear exactly the production/mix I’ll be breaking down at MIXCON.
This was a mix I didn’t think I did anything special on until the phone started ringing. Some really great mixers that I look up to dug it! They specifically spoke about the drum mix and attitude in the mix. Going back to the mix and A/B’ing it recently made me realize it was a great mix. It also reminded me again that it’s not only about what you do, but what you DON’T do.
At Brooklyn MixCon, I’m Focusing On Drums in an Indie Pop Mix Because: Drums were my first instrument so they’ll have a special place in my heart forever. They’re also the backbone of any band or production. Once a drum sound is figured out, things happen around it.
When you’re mixing indie pop, having a live drum kit and not sampled live-sounding drums makes all the difference in the world. You do have to approach it simplistically though, otherwise it goes from being kinda indie to too polished. It’s a fine line and I think it’s all about the attitude you bring to it during the mix itself.
Sneak Preview: I look forward to speaking about several things aside from drums. Using midi information in cool ways to trigger other instruments, the importance of automation and constant movement on both your key elements and what’s surrounding them, my thoughts on creating depth with reverb and height with EQ. I also look forward to sharing what I’d do differently now considering the song was mixed and mastered over a year ago now.
I Love Leading Audio Workshops Because… I was fortunate enough to literally grow up in the studio. My dad always had a home studio and when he was doing session work at larger studios around NYC, I’d sit in the control room.
As I got older, Butch Jones (B52s, Maddona) really took me under his wing and let me sit in on mix sessions. I’d keep my mouth shut and soak it all in. I’d wait for the right moments and ask, “Hey, that thing right there; why did you do that?” There’s nothing like being in the thick of something to learn about it. It’s instantaneous. After that, you’ll have to start figuring out how to put those techniques in motion in your own way.
Brooklyn MixCon is made possible by SoundToys, Focal, iZotope, Universal Audio, SPL, B&H, & Eventide.
Don’t miss Brooklyn MixCon, December 6 & 7 at the Living Room!
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