Producer and mix engineer Rob Chiarelli began his career in orchestral percussion, playing with the Boston Youth Symphony before moving on to jazz in high school. Following graduation from the University of Miami School of Music, he hit the road with players including Mike Mangini of Dream Theater and Tim Mitchell, who has produced for Shakira. This early tour taught Chiarelli many things, not the least of which was that he didn’t love the road—this realization played a pivotal role in his shift to engineering. He’s since gone on to win five GRAMMYS. Artists he’s worked with include LeAnn Rimes, Kirk Franklin, and Janet Jackson. Now, his output is about 80 percent mixing and 20 percent production.
“I love mixing,” he says of his chosen craft. “A mixer is certainly a mixer, but with all the tools that are available, there are certain things we can do that maybe kiss the production. There’s an element of mixing that’s accepted now that has some production sensibilities.”
Last year, Chiarelli mixed DOE’s GRAMMY-winning gospel album Heart of a Human. That came about through his history with gospel artist Jonathan McReynolds. “[McReynolds] began work with DOE a few years ago and I was part of the team,” he says. “He invited me to mix the record and Ron Hill at the label [RCA Inspiration] also wanted me on it. Those guys are like family.”
“When I mix, I try to serve the song,” Chiarelli says of his approach to each project. “I strive to draw everything I can from my music knowledge and make a song as good as it can be. I follow my instincts. In my youth, it was a struggle to know what wasn’t working. But over the course of my career, I’ve met so many writers and producers and usually, I’ll put up a song and it sort of falls into place, largely because the artistry is already at a high level. Occasionally I’ll get ideas, chop things up, and flip them around. Often, they’re accepted but not always. It’s become collaborative.”
The challenge that he found most instructive was the importance of being flexible. “When it comes time to try new ideas, always be open-minded,” he says. “Often, people make a suggestion, and it’s rejected out of hand. Rather than fighting, just do it. Maybe it’ll inspire another idea.”
Chiarelli launched his company Final Mix Software in 2013. Insights he’d gained over the span of his career informed the function of the company’s various plugins, notably its flagship product Parallel Vocals. As the name suggests, the plugin enables parallel compression for various vocals. “I found that there were certain things that usually worked,” he says of the company’s founding. “If you have a lead vocal, for example, there’s a certain compression ratio that’s usually best. We get people where they need to go without having to turn thirty knobs.”
Chiarelli has several significant projects in his queue. He mixes almost exclusively from his home studio and admires a handful of eminent engineers including Bob Clearmountain, Manny Marroquin (they’re longtime friends), and Serban Ghenea. “What I like about all of them,” he explains, “is that they have a unique approach that I don’t have. We begin by copying what others do and then try to bring our own thing to the table. That’s where the value is.”
Visit finalmix.com, Instagram @chiarelli_rob
