Getting Started as a Mixing Engineer
 

Hey everyone,

My parents are getting kind of pissed about the noise I've been making and the strangers i've been bringing into my house for the past 3 years. I was thinking about putting recording on hiatus for a while and trying to start something as a mixing engineer. I would assume this is something much harder to get a good client base for, but a steady 9-5 every day doesnt really matter to me. I'm a student at Umass lowell for Sound Recording so a lot of my time is taken up anyways. I was wondering if any of you could point me in the right direction, or if any of you are actually doing this some tips would be great. Im just not sure where to get started. Do you think advertising in a magazine would get me any jobs?

-shawn

Re: Getting Started as a Mixing Engineer
 

I too have been on that boat. And I've found it almost impossible (personally) even with almost 15 years of engineering experience to land something in a studio. The only alternative I've had is make my own studio. I've noticed most studios around Detroit including myself really don't do the intern stuff. They're on the job being paid by an artist and prefer to work in their own realm without someone else being there.

Based on my own personal situation, I've noticed it's about who you know and (of course) what you know. I notice most engineers that work for owners of the studio are generally really good friends. And rightfully so, if you had hundreds of thousands of dollars in studio equipment in a building...you want to make sure you trust the guy.

But eventually I wound up meeting a guy and I got to work with him at his studio for a while before I had to go off to school.

Sorry to rain on the parade in the first couple of paragraphs. I hope you fair better and quicker than I did...especially in the UMass area. The more you keep doing audio stuff, the more people you get to know, the more you get better at it, and eventually you meet another guy that runs a studio that wants to work with you or someone hears about you through word of mouth.

Another word of advice. SAVE everyone's phone number you meet. You never know if one of those musicians you record you find out a couple years down the road opened up his own studio.

Re: Getting Started as a Mixing Engineer
 

hey man, just quickly glancing at your response, and im not actually looking to mix at another studio. I want to do mixes here on my own.

thanks for the reply

Re: Getting Started as a Mixing Engineer
 

Hard Disk Life

HDL columns in Digizine.

Shane

Re: Getting Started as a Mixing Engineer
 

I have Milar (the dvds), thanks for the links.

I don't think I was very specific in my post and I apologize for this. I was wondering about tips for starting a client base.

Re: Getting Started as a Mixing Engineer
 

MaKoRancid,
I would start by checking your area competition..what facilities/what prices/who are their clients..
Then, make a marketing plan. Advertise..offer some specials..push something that is unique to your studio..
good luck,