Mixing

Doing Time

Avenged Sevenfold

Andy Wallace

Song : Doing Time

Duration:2h36 Subtitles: No subtitles available

Description

Step inside the iconic Motorbass studio in Paris for an in-depth mixing tutorial with Andy Wallace! Throughout this series, the Grammy award-winning engineer mixes the metal anthem ‘Doing Time’ by Avenged Sevenfold. Applying only hardware treatment with an SSL E-series console and outboard gear, Wallace takes you through every step of his workflow. He reveals how he typically prepares every mix, explaining channel allocation, effects sends, and starting parameters. After playing the reference mix and setting board levels, Andy begins the process of troubleshooting, dialling in the stereo buss compressor, and tackling individual elements. You’ll see how the legendary mixer implements a straightforward approach using essential tools that enhance clarity, space, and impact.

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18 min

Part 1

Console, sends, reverb & delay parameters, chorus effect, doubler, reference mix, avoiding “demoitis"
19 min

Part 2

Troubleshooting, buss compressor, gating approach, phase relationships, reducing bleed and rumble
18 min

Part 3

Metering, blending live and sample signals, compressor parameters, controlling sustain, adding ambience
19 min

Part 4

EQ, room reverb, shortening decay, buss compressor approach and settings, mastering compression
19 min

Part 5

Electric & bass guitars, monitoring, stereo spread, cymbals, reducing harshness, overhead mic phase
19 min

Part 6

Midrange presence, drum room signals, snare reverb & EQ, lead vocal treatment, filtering, effects
19 min

Part 7

Chorus & bridge vocals, toms, high electric guitars, solo, marking fader levels, blending vocals & music
20 min

Part 8

Intro guitars, backing vocals, listening volume, committing to automation, transition emphasis
Trailer

Comments

(19)

Andrew Harms October 27, 2025 at 5:04 AM

The kick and snare ambience sample techniques are blowing my mind. Very cool idea!
Eric L March 10, 2025 at 9:56 AM

This is peak MTM in my opinion. Such mastery of the SSL console, truly inspiring and aspiring to get the SSL controllers. As I have requested from the staff, we need videos on the recording of these tracks as well, with as much detail they can spill. Fair enough that AW does not rely on much track compression, but surely they must have compressed all (?) the signals going to Pro Tools. Which preamps, gain levels etc. We need to know :)
Max Carola November 19, 2024 at 9:47 PM

What a MASTER! I am flabbergasted by his light touch that in the end is SOooo effective. And all that just with the old SSL 4k with no external outboard compression. Great spaces too, with ordinary, widely available boxes.
Gauthier September 9, 2024 at 11:56 AM

Being able to watch interviews and see him at the board is just an amazing experience. Thank you Mix with the Masters! I would suggest anyone interested in his mixing practice to delve into the discography. The ambiance on the snare and kick started to be strongly emphasized on the album 'Radio Active Cats – Radio Active Cats (1991)'. Going through his work and listening to the development of his production/mixing techniques through several decades helped me to refine my understanding.
Callum Connor April 1, 2024 at 4:15 PM

CAMERA MAN!---- SHOW THE EQ ON THE BOARD BETTER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Raymond Donnelly February 25, 2024 at 10:07 AM

It’s really unfortunate he didn’t go over the bass guitar mix for in this session. Just pre-mixed and dropped it in.
Emil Shayeb December 28, 2023 at 3:33 AM

Please, please bring him back
Dennis Busch September 20, 2023 at 1:41 PM

PLEASE! Bring him Back! Sepultura would be awsome or System of a Down or Linkin Park.
Steffen Buhlmann September 9, 2023 at 3:34 PM

Iam sure its not a one millisecond attacktime on the bus comp. Its 10 milliseconds or how it looks on the video, its 30 milliseconds. Otherwise you would kill all these fine transients on the whole mix.
Marcos Oliveira September 2, 2022 at 2:52 PM

I love how he's got a 'wall' of classic gear on his back and he uses... nothing! :)
James Faux November 16, 2021 at 11:22 PM

Voice Doubler he is using is the Eventide H3000 patch 533 Voice Doubler.
Roberto Marchesi November 2, 2020 at 2:08 PM

i didnt understand the snare sample part. its a sample form by 2 tracks. the dry snare MONO + the ambience STEREO. He flips the phase on the mono track, and why does it desappear??
Alan Locks February 23, 2021 at 5:16 AM

Hi Roberto, it disappears because Mono is actually a stereo file with identical information, when you flip the phase of one of them it cancels the other one. Imagine you have a MONO snare, duplicate it, now put one to the left and the other one to the right, it become a STEREO file but still sounding the same, cause is just a double of the same snare, if you then add reverb, the Reverb information will be stereo but the snare still Mono even though they are playing in a Stereo file. got it? so if you flip the phase, the snare will cancel but the reverb will still sound cause is stereo. I hope I was sable to help.
Charlie Draper May 21, 2020 at 5:29 AM

When he's talking about the bus compression settings, he say he's using a 1ms attack time, but that looks like the 10ms position.
Martin Laferte November 26, 2020 at 10:04 PM

It might be a little too late to reply, but you're right, he's using the 10ms position, but due to the usage of the console, the 0 got erased over time, and Andy saw it as 1ms, while it was 10ms
Danilo Vaona February 6, 2020 at 12:55 PM

With all my respect for your work where all the camera's takes are appreciated, in this case it is wrong. More EQ set-up and levels on SSL and Prootols indications are needed. It is easier"in the Box" but with Analog is important to take a look at tracks and masters levels. Danilo Vaona
Esli Sugich January 15, 2020 at 1:51 AM

That was Phillippe Zdar's studio. RIP

About Andy Wallace

Andy Wallace’s name is synonymous with a successful and active career, and calls to mind many classic records such as Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Buckley, Slayer, Alice Cooper, Prince, The Cult, Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, Sheryl Crow, Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Rush, and Rage Against The Machine. Wallace has been awarded eight Grammy Award nominations and one Grammy Award, in 1999, for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (shared with Tchad Blake and Trina Shoemaker) for Sheryl...

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18 min

Part 1

Console, sends, reverb & delay parameters, chorus effect, doubler, reference mix, avoiding “demoitis"
19 min

Part 2

Troubleshooting, buss compressor, gating approach, phase relationships, reducing bleed and rumble
18 min

Part 3

Metering, blending live and sample signals, compressor parameters, controlling sustain, adding ambience
19 min

Part 4

EQ, room reverb, shortening decay, buss compressor approach and settings, mastering compression
19 min

Part 5

Electric & bass guitars, monitoring, stereo spread, cymbals, reducing harshness, overhead mic phase
19 min

Part 6

Midrange presence, drum room signals, snare reverb & EQ, lead vocal treatment, filtering, effects
19 min

Part 7

Chorus & bridge vocals, toms, high electric guitars, solo, marking fader levels, blending vocals & music
20 min

Part 8

Intro guitars, backing vocals, listening volume, committing to automation, transition emphasis
Trailer