Biography
A Long Island native who got his start playing jazz trumpet, Andrew Scheps has mixed records for artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele, Metallica, Jay-Z and many others. After graduating from the Recording Engineering Program at the University of Miami, he spent some time working for New England Digital as a field service technician for the Synclavier, one of the first digital synthesizers / samplers / workstations. He later worked on the road with Stevie Wonder (as a keyboard tech) and Michael Jackson (mixing live sound), before settling in LA.
Having got into mixing a few years before the analog-to-digital revolution, Andrew worked with a collection of vintage gear at his Punkerpad West studio in Van Nuys, California, including a Neve Electronics BCM-10 with ten 1073s that were used for reference during the Waves Audio Scheps 73 plugin modeling process.
Scheps is known for his balanced, modern sounding and often loud mixes.[2] In July 2015, while being interviewed on Pensado's Place,[3] he declared to work completely "ITB" (in the box), which stands for working completely inside a computer, without the use of external gear. His 100% transition to ITB mixing occurred halfway through mixing the Hozier record in the summer of 2014. "Going back into the box wasn't a sonic decision, but I actually rediscovered that I really like it. It's great to be able to work on three or four songs at the same time. I have not gone back to working on the desk since then. While I miss some of the visceral hands-on aspects of the console, there is a lot of creative freedom working this way. It might seem like a drastic change, but it is only the tools that have changed: remarkably my philosophy and sound have stayed the same".[4]
He is also the owner and president of Tonequake Records[5] and Punkerpad UK (formerly Punker Pad West).
Awards
In 2012, he won the award for "International Engineer of the Year" from the Music Producers Guild.[6] He was nominated for the same award again in 2025.[7]
He received the 2011 TEC Award (Technical Excellence & Creativity) for "Outstanding Creative Achievement - Record Production Album." [8]
Honorary Doctorates
In 2019, Buckinghamshire New University recognized Andrew as a leading figure in the recording industry with an Honorary Doctorate.[9] Then in 2022, the University of Huddersfield awarded Andrew with an honorary doctorate for services to international music engineering.[10]
Grammy Awards
Andrew received a Grammy award for Best Reggae Album in 2015 for mixing the Ziggy Marley album Fly Rasta.
In 2012, he won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Adele 21.
And in 2006, he won a Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album," for his recording and mixing contributions on the Red Hot Chili Peppers album Stadium Arcadium. The band also won 3 additional Grammy awards including one for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance.
