My career began at MediaSound Studios in New York City in 1976. I worked my way up from the Shipping Department to staff engineer by 1978. The staff engineers that I assisted were all the hottest guys in town including; Bob Clearmountain, Mike Barbiero, Ron St. Germain,Michael DeLugg, Ed Stasium, Godfrey Diamond, Tony Bongiovi and Harvey Goldberg. 

My first big break came when I was asked to record and mix two songs with singer Luther Vandross for an R&B record called Change. Soon after, Luther approached me to record his upcoming solo album Never too Much which went on to become a Gold Record. I became Luther’s engineer and recorded all his music for the next four years including two Aretha Franklin albums. 

In 1984 I flew over to London where the music scene was exploding. I met some A&R people that were willing to give me a shot at production and remixing. I soon became in demand and worked for all the major London labels until 1990 when I decided to focus on the American scene. 

 

I went on to mix such records as the Stones' Steelwheels, New Radicals, Tony Bennett’s Grammy® Album of the YearUnplugged. I've received 7 Grammys® including ColdPlay's Alternative Album of the Year Parachutes, John Mayer’s Best Pop Vocal Album, Continuum, ColdPlay's Best Rock Album, Viva la Vida, John Mayer - Best Engineer in Non-Classical, Battle Studies, Calle 13’s Best Latin Rock Urban or Alternative album for Multi Viral along with a Latin Grammy for Calle 13 Best Urban Album and Angelique Kidjo, Best World Music Album for Eve.

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In 2018 I opened my own studio, BrauerSound Studios, in New York City's Chelsea area. At the new studio I began utilizing a hybrid mixing setup for the first time in my career, making the mixing process more powerful and efficient.

 

Recent projects include Zac Brown Band, Hootie & the Blowfish, Michael Kiwanuka, Slash, and The Courteeners. 
 

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"If there is one word to sum up mix master Michael Brauer’s list of credits, it is 'eclectic.' That impression would be fine by Brauer, who has made a point of constantly expanding into new musical territories. Along the way, Brauer’s work has enjoyed commercial and critical success in genres as diverse as urban, R&B, country, alternative, rock, mainstream, rock and pop, thanks to his knack for creating mixes that capture the intent of the songs. Unlike some mixers and producers, Brauer doesn’t leave an identifiable sonic stamp on his work. That anonymity keeps him from being pigeonholed into a particular category. However, one element Brauer has worked on tirelessly - and which has set his mixes apart from the pack - is his sophisticated application of compression. While many mixers may throw an entire mix through a compressor to even out the overall dynamics, Brauer refines the final sound with a multilevel approach that keeps the compression of one part of the mix from inflicting itself on another area of the soundscape."

 

- (Billboard ProFile interview by Rick Clark)