BIOGRAPHY

“A lot of mix engineers work at developing their own unique sound and that’s cool, but I choose to act as a chameleon of sorts by bringing the collective ideas of the producer, label, and artist to life for each individual project… hopefully the finished product results in a mix that best represents their vision” – Manny Marroquin

Represent that vision he does. A highly developed technical savvy combined with immense creative ability have made Manny Marroquin one of the most in demand mixing engineers in the industry; working with such internationally renowned artists as Bruno Mars, The Rolling Stones, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Imagine Dragons, Kanye West, and countless others.

Born in Guatemala, Manny moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was nine. His gift for music became obvious at an early age; beginning with his first drum set at age 11 and accelerating through his teenage years while enrolled in the prestigious Hamilton High School for the arts. While enrolled at Hamilton High School, Manny’s love of drums was replaced by his passion for the studio:

“They had a MIDI studio and I became really interested in electronic music. By 11th grade I was pretty much in charge of the studio and knew that after graduation I wanted to be in a studio and mix. I didn’t really know what a mixer did, but I knew that I wanted to do it.”

A teacher advised Manny to get a job as a runner in a studio (which consisted of making coffee and taking out the trash) if he was serious about following his dream, but since several colleges had already offered him scholarships, his mother almost went into shock: “My mom was definitely not happy about my decision, initially,” he laughs.

Climbing the ranks was no easy feat. Manny’s first live studio gig was as a runner for Enterprise studios, “I made it my mission to get out of the runner business as soon as possible.”

Shortly after, he was promoted to staff assistant. His professional breakthrough came unexpectedly during a late night session when a producer asked him to do a rough mix because the engineer had gone home: “Once I was done, he immediately called his partner and told him I would be mixing the entire album.”

As happens sometimes in the biz, the album was never released, but Manny had already begun honing his skills and making a name for himself. When asked if there was one specific project that got him started, Manny explains; “I can’t really say there was ever one particular project that set me up. I met different producers, and one thing led to another. My career has definitely been a steady progression, and I feel blessed to do what I love and still have fun. I treat every mix as if it is my last and never take anything for granted.”

Manny’s humble approach and creative technique have positioned him among the elite in the industry.

Manny’s talent is unique, having graced nearly 250 million albums worldwide. His ear for sound has helped earn him over forty #1 albums and one hundred Top 10 albums on The Billboard 200. Add to that another twelve Hot 100 #1 singles and over forty singles in the Top 10; the range of his talent is extraordinary and his work reaches far beyond one genre. He received his first Grammy award in 2005 and has collected many more since then, including Best Engineered Album for John Mayer’s “Battle Studies” in 2011, Record of the year for Liz’s “About Damn Time,” and much more coming to a running total of 18. He’s firmly secured his role as one of the most in demand mixing engineers in the industry today. Clearly this is just the beginning and by the looks of things, he’s not done yet!