Maria Elisa Ayerbe is a Latin Grammy Award-winning engineer and was nominated for multiple Grammys as a producer and composer. She received four Latin Grammy nominations for her role as producer, engineer and co-writer of Paula Arena’s Mis Amores album in the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards. Mis Amores is currently nominated for the 2022 Grammy Awards as Best Latin Pop Album.
Learn about Maria Elisa, her approach to mixing songs regardless of the genre, her favorite tools, and how downtime makes her a better engineer and producer.
What sparked your interest in audio production? And how did you become the mixing engineer you are today?
I decided to study audio engineering in college after my mom suggested I would be good at it as it combined music, production and technology. And she wasn't wrong at all. I had been studying music since I was 8 years old and was always good with technology, so audio engineering and producing fit like a glove for me. I became a mixing engineer after mixing the music I was recording and producing back in college. Learned my basics in college, but really it was years and years of practice, learning from my mistakes, referencing from great tracks, and starting all over.
Born and raised in Colombia, you moved to Chile and Tennessee before moving to Miami. Why did you move to Florida?
After graduating from my master's degree at Middle Tennessee State University, I was required by immigration to find a job that would sponsor my work permit. Unfortunately, Nashville during the summer is pretty empty and I couldn't find a steady job. So, I found a job in Miami that did and moved here.
As a mixing engineer, your work looks very versatile, as you worked on projects from genres like Reggaeton, Latin, Urban music, Rock, Classical Music, music for television. Do you have a sound that is recognizable in your mixes?
I think so! I like to make things CLEAN, dynamic and very musical. Some mixers like to layer the vocal around kick and snare, and then everything else feels like a block behind those. I can't really do that, as I always like elements to poke in and out, around, below or above. I do spend a lot of time automating in order to get there.
How do you approach mixing? How important is it for you to understand the artist, the vision, and the track rather than "just" make it sound good?
For me the song and the arrangement drive the mixing process. I let the music speak to me. I definitely like to make things groove, that is where my Colombian kicks in. But I always try to also respect the artist's vision and try to convey with the overall "genre conventions." What needs to be radio friendly, should always remain radio friendly. Also, I try to keep the listener entertained. You will always hear a lot of "ear candy" like delays, filters, and other tricks on my mixes. I like to have fun and not just get the job done.
What’s your starting point when you start mixing?
I always have a master buss compressor on and feed everything to it. Usually, I will sort out the vocals first before doing anything else, but sometimes I will try to get a static mix going just with gain clip and panning going into the compressor to get an overall vibe of the song. It also depends on the genre.
Do you rely more on mixing in the box (ITB), or do you prefer to use analog hardware?
I am pretty much hybrid now-a-days. I mix ITB to subgroups going into an analog summing mixer, and then back to the DAW. But sometimes I will stay 100% ITB. There are usually two reasons why I would rather stay ITB: portability and speed. I have a setup at home without the summing mixer. If my clients have a really quick project turnaround, I'll choose to leave the summing mixer out of the chain in case I need to make revisions from home. However, if I know that my mix will gain a lot from the tone and depth provided by the summing mixer, I'll go for hybrid anyway! Josh Gudwin suggested I used the output gain knob on the SPL Mixdream to clip the input on my AD. And he was right! Something magical happens and it would be impossible to recreate in the digital domain.
You did a Mixed with MEGA session that will be released soon. Could you tell us about some of your favorite plugins in the MEGA Bundle?
The bx_townhouse is currently my go to ITB buss compressor. It provides the right amount of glue, low mid push and transparency for me, and I like how it works very consistently between different genres. I'll usually juggle with the threshold and SC knobs in order to find the right amount of glue, aiming for 1.5-4 dB of dynamic reduction depending on the song.
These plugins have not left my master buss for a very long time:
- bx_townhouse Buss Compressor
- bx_digital V3
- Black Box HG-2MS
- ADPTR Metric AB
Usual go to's:
- bx_console SSL 9000J
- bx_Refinement
- elysia mpressor
- Bettermaker 232D
- bx_limiter True Peak
And many more for sure!
As you are a popular mixing engineer and a lecturer for audio production, I imagine your workdays will be most likely very busy. Do you have any daily routines to structure your day and to keep your ears fresh?
My days are super busy, yes. For me, downtime is EVERYTHING. I do not take calls, don't even look at my phone. I watch TV but with the volume suuuper low, take a nap, listen to a podcast (spoken word only), play with my cats, or just stare into the nothing. It is really important to put your mind somewhere else, so your brain chills and your hearing muscles relax as well. A good glass of wine does the trick! However, sometimes when I am really tired, I just call it a day and go home.