Andy Wallace

A legendary mixer whose work defined the sound of grunge, metal, and alternative rock for over four decades.

Andy Wallace (born 1947) is an American record producer and audio/mixing engineer celebrated as a legendary figure in the recording industry. While he began his career as a musician playing bass and singing backup vocals inspired by old R&B, Stax Records, and Little Richard, he eventually focused exclusively on mixing. Over decades of work, he shaped the sound of many best-selling and influential records across heavy metal, alternative rock, grunge, and other styles. His extensive collaborations include major acts such as Nirvana, Linkin Park, System of a Down, Slayer, Avenged Sevenfold, Sepultura, Jeff Buckley, and Ghost.

Quick Facts

Role: Mixing Engineer
Status: Active in Industry

Lore & Background

Wallace's journey into professional recording began as a chief engineer in his own Los Angeles studio after years performing music. By the early 1980s, he had returned to New York City during hip-hop's emergence. A pivotal moment arrived with the 1986 production of the Run-DMC and Aerosmith collaboration on "Walk This Way" alongside Rick Rubin. Following this breakout success, Wallace expanded his portfolio significantly, working with The Cult, Slayer, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Sepultura, Nirvana, Jeff Buckley, Sonic Youth, Rage Against the Machine, Guns N' Roses, Linkin Park, Paul McCartney, and Avenged Sevenfold. His career is defined by a shift from performance to engineering, where he applied his musical background to technical excellence.

Did You Know?

Wallace was born in New Jersey and began his career as a musician playing bass guitar and singing backup vocals.
He won a Grammy Award in February 1999 for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for Sheryl Crow's "The Globe Sessions."
As of May 2021, over 120 million album units sold worldwide contained a credit to Wallace.