Introduction
Michael Brauer is a New York-based mix engineer. He received a Grammy for "Best Pop Vocal Album" for his work on John Mayer's Continuum, "Best Alternative Album" for Coldplay's Parachutes, and also "Best Rock Album" for Coldplay's "Viva La Vida".
Brauer is known for an unusual implementation of parallel compression in which vocals or instruments are sent to five compressors, each adjusted for its own timbral and tonal quality. These are then blended by ear to achieve the desired result.
Grammy Awards
- Angelique Kidjo – Sings (Best World Music Album) 2016
- Angelique Kidjo – Eve (Best World Music Album) 2015
- Calle 13 – Multi Viral (Latin Grammy: Best Urban Album) 2015
- Calle 13 – Multi Viral (Best Latin Rock/ Urban or Alternative Album)
- John Mayer – Battle Studies (Best Engineer non-classical) 2011
- Coldplay – Viva La Vida (Best Rock Album) 2009
- John Mayer – Continuum (Best Pop Vocal Album) 2007
- Coldplay – Parachutes (Best Alternative Album) 2001
Music education
Brauer has been part of a music education initiative called the Fermatta Master Class Series which is a series of master classes taught to aspiring musicians of the Fermatta Music Academy in Mexico. He has also been teaching week-long seminars during the summer in the south of France at La Fabrique where he shares his knowledge about his mixing and compression techniques.