[O.G. Killa]

honestly, I think you should do it. What do you have to lose really? I could understand not moving if you've been in SC for 15 years and have a successful studio operation going. But from what you've described it really doesn't sound like you have anything tying you to SC. Honestly now's the best time to move! Don't go through life wondering if you could have made it happen. give it a shot. What's the worst that can happen? In the end you can make a living as a sound engineer anywhere (you've already found that out), its just that in other places you don't have the earning potential that you do in LA. I mean could you really find engineering gigs that pay $100+/hr in SC??? Maybe one or two here and there... but consistently? Those jobs exist out here. But you have to work your way up to get them, whereas they really don't exist in other parts of the country.

Also, try to keep your options open. If the only requirement you have is to be a part of music creation, your options open up considerably compared to only wanting to work on albums for bands. Here in So Cal there are A LOT of films and TV shows being made and a lot of composers who need a technical/engineer type person. So that is also a possibility for you as well...

A friend of mine from Boston moved out here a few years ago. He really liked mixing bands, and had also mixed some local and regional TV and radio ads. when he got out here he found his way into TV after about a year and now, 5 years later he is mixing all the TV trailers for blockbuster films. He has mixed the tv trailers for Live Free or Die Hard, 2012, Zombieland, District 9, Angels & Demons, etc and just finished mixing the Tooth Fairy ads that are starting to air. And from doing that stuff, he's gotten gigs mixing sound for videos for Ne-yo, Marc Anthony, Snoop Dogg and Megadeath.

the moral of the story... you can make it happen. especially if you keep your options open. One gig leads to the next and sometimes it can take some pretty interesting turns... but in the end you'll get where you want to be if you stay with it and never give up.