Derek Ali

Derek Ali (born November 1, 1989), better known by his moniker MixedByAli, is an American mixing engineer. His career began in Los Angeles in the late 2000s recording and mixing for Top Dawg Entertainment artists – first with Schoolboy Q, then Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and SZA, then later on and more recently Bas, Nipsey Hussle, Snoop Dogg as well as many others.

In 2018, he invented an online mixing program and community for mixing engineers called EngineEars which is aimed at teaching upcoming engineers techniques that will improve the quality of mixes they create and provide a world class mixing access to artists remotely.

Technique

Ali mixes "in the box" (without the use of analog gear) when working with certain audio effects, such as vocals. However, he credits a mixing console for his "crispiness". About using hardware, Ali says: "If you have the gear, I suggest you use it. How I look at this way of mixing is I feel like you're inside the computer."

About 80% of his time spent mixing is in mono, which is a method he learned from Dr. Dre.

Awards

Ali has been nominated for the Grammy Awards 6 times and has won twice.

Nominations

• 2012: Album of the Year – good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar
• 2015: Album of the Year – To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
• 2017: Album of the Year – DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
• 2017: Record of the Year – “HUMBLE.” by Kendrick Lamar

Wins

• 2015: Best Rap Album – To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
• 2018: Record of the Year – “This Is America” by Childish Gambino

Discography

• 2021: Brockhampton – Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine
• 2020: Spillage Village – Spilligion
• 2020: Glass Animals – "Space Ghost Coast to Coast"
• 2018: Bas – Milky Way
• 2018: Jay Rock – Redemption
• 2018: Childish Gambino – "This Is America"
• 2018: Cardi B – "She Bad"
• 2018: Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
• 2018: Kendrick Lamar – "Redemption" and "Big Shot"
• 2018: Arin Ray – Platinum Fire
• 2017: SZA – Ctrl
• 2017: Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
• 2015: Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
• 2012: Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city
• 2012: ScHoolboy Q – Habits & Contradictions
• 2012: Ab-Soul – Control System
• 2011: ScHoolboy Q – Setbacks
• 2011: Ab-Soul – Longterm Mentality
• 2011: Kendrick Lamar – Section.80
• 2011: Jay Rock – Follow Me Home
• 2010: Kendrick Lamar – Overly Dedicated

Mentors

Though Ali was introduced to mixing DAWs like Pro Tools by Punch and Dave Free, his most notable professional teacher is Dr. Dre whom he served under as an intern.

References

External links

• [1] on Discogs
• [2] on AllMusic