A career in mixing?

Fireal402

Fireal402

Eyeballs! OH MY GOD EYES
Let me start this off with a statement: I hate tracking. Hate it with a passion.

I can get the sounds I want, but to be honest, there are people who are much more dedicated than I to setting up mics, plugging things in, and pressing the red button. I do it all the time, but I don't think that's where my calling is.
On the other hand, I love mixing. Love it more than anything. If I could mix something every day for the rest of my life, I would probably be happy for a few weeks, and then go crazy. But I'd still do it.

Which brings me to the question I've been debating over for a long time. Is a career (so to speak) in mixing viable right now? I know the industry is flooded with recording engineers, but since I've never looked into the mixing aspect of it, is it the same? I have the equipment to mix somewhat decently, and I don't think I do too poorly. Certainly not up to pro standards, but I'm getting there, slowly and surely.

Actually, let me rephrase that question (though I wouldn't mind an answer). How in the hell should I approach this? I'm more than willing to whore myself out, do mixes for low cost (or even free), not because I don't know what I'm doing, but because I love it so much. Everything I mix is a learning experience, and I can't seem to get enough.
But on the flipside, I know some of you tend to have some distaste for the people who do what I mention, as people like that have the tendencies to steal pontential clients away, and often as not, fuck up the job horribly.

I realize that I am rambling somewhat, but this is a relatively major decision for me, and it is the first time I've looked for help myself, instead of helping others. I know I don't post alot, and I'm willing to listen to what you guys (and girls) have to say about this, be it harsh realities or encouragement or hate or whatever.

Thank you for your time,
Ben.
 
I was going to say it's the same as for engineering in general, but I think that's it's going to be actually tougher. The way studio's can stay alive now is by diversifying and expanding their services, so by sticking to only mixing, you're limiting your options significantly.

I love mixing too -- I'd *love* to be able to do it exclusively myself... but limiting myself to that aspect alone is not practical for me from a business perspective.
 
about half my work is mixing records that other producers or engineers have recorded. I love it. I also love tracking, but I really enjoy getting to mix other peoples records.

its very viable and can even pay pretty well. The challenge you face in addition to the same challenges every one trying to make a buck in recording, is that people usually go to an outside mixer for the expertise or to get the name attactched to the project. People will spend a long time working on a project themselves or with a less known engineer and then send it off to the pro for the final touches. I have heard guys less known than I am that do amazing work, but I get the gigs because I have had my name on the back of albums by artist a lot of people have heard of. I have heard mixes by guys less experienced than me that make me drool with envy and some times I think my mixes are better than mixes by some of the most expensive mixers in the world. All this is to say that the mixing business is a name or prestige business. You need to find a way to make your name hot.

good luck and keep mixing!
 
I am the same way I hate tracking but love mixing the thing is I really don't like mixing after someone else tracked because they don't track like I would so it makes mixing it the way I like difficult. Local talent I hate tracking the worse because they come with some garbage song and you have to tell them it's hot because the hours they are spending there is paying the bills but when it's a hit song I love tracking and mixing it.
 
RD423 said:
I am the same way I hate tracking but love mixing the thing is I really don't like mixing after someone else tracked because they don't track like I would so it makes mixing it the way I like difficult. Local talent I hate tracking the worse because they come with some garbage song and you have to tell them it's hot because the hours they are spending there is paying the bills but when it's a hit song I love tracking and mixing it.
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I'm just the opposite. I don't mind mixing, but I really prefer tracking. To me, the excitement is being there with the band on the front lines capturing their vision. I enjoy the "mass chaos" of having 15-20 mics out there live all going to "tape". I enjoy the overdubs as well. Mixing just doesn't give me the same rush.
 
And I despise Tracking as well. I do it out of need and as BB said Business motives. But I prefer to mix all day long :)

Matter of fact my advertising pushes my mixing more than anything else.
 
I love both. Also, I won't trust an engineer to mix that won't put themselves in the trenches to do the stuff that good mixes are made of......good tracks:D
 
Wow.... I wasn't sure what to expect, seeing as how sometimes people have to run the gauntlet for things like this, but you people are great.

Blue Bear, Thanks for a reality check. It may not necessarily be what I want to hear, but it is what I need to hear.

Ronan and Giles, you bring up a good point which I had (sort of) overlooked: marketing my business. I've done small ads, used word of mouth to my advantage, but that has been about it so far. Should I take the next step, and advertise everywhere (within limits), make a web site, do a couple of free jobs, take everything and anything that comes my way? That's what I'm leaning towards right now, and I have no problems with it.

RD423, it's interesting that you say what you did about tracking your own stuff versus mixing other peoples work. When you track yourself, if you do it right, mixing can be somewhat easy, and that seems to be where you're coming from. You know exactly what you did, and there are no surprises. I love surprises, on the other hand, so that's where you and I differ.

And finally, Raw-Tracks, thanks for providing the balance for people like me who hate that. The world (or at least my state) need more people like you :D .

Thank you again,
Ben


Oh, I almost forgot to add.... Would it be an unwise choice to offer some free mixing to the people on this bbs, just for criticism and learning? I don't want to piss anyone off, so if this is a no-no slap me upside the head.
 
Fireal402 said:
RD423, it's interesting that you say what you did about tracking your own stuff versus mixing other peoples work. When you track yourself, if you do it right, mixing can be somewhat easy, and that seems to be where you're coming from. You know exactly what you did, and there are no surprises. I love surprises, on the other hand, so that's where you and I differ.

QUOTE]

I don't mind surprises either. But I like to have faith in the person that tracks like sometimes I let my cuz come in the studio and track for me. I will leave and come back and mix it. But I taught him how to track and mix we do somethings differently but some the same. You just have to hope that the person that tracked it new what they were doing.
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This is just my two cents on the question . . .

But it kinda' reminds me of someone saying: "I'd like to be a Sergeant, but I don't want to have to be a private first." :D

From my experience, the guys who are busy mixing started out by paying their dues and developing a name for themselves engineering/tracking.
 
Blue Bear has a good point...you'd be limiting yourself.

It's takes most people years to get to the point of being an exclusive mixing engineer. Thinking in the mind of a studio, they love functional people. You might not be the best at it, but if you can setup mic's and get things in general order, you're already making good progress in the eyes of the studio owners.


You have to think more ambitious than that. Tracking is not for everyone, but you have to think beyond the now. I never had a problem being a recording engineer in the beggining because a) I was emersed in what I was doing everytime and b) I thought beyond the shitty times.

But to get perfectly frank with you, you have to start from dirt bottom and if you want to be a great mixing engineer, knowing what happens up and to the point of mixing will help you 500 times more. Tracking, setups, taking out the coffee, etc. ;)
 
I was always under the impression that the producer mixes the album aswell as dooing other things obviously, like steering the bands album sound in the right direction by choosing certain tracks and suggesting addition of extra instruments/sounds to complement the original music written by the artist(s).
 
Generally speaking, you gotta *HAVE* something to mix in order to mix it. If you aren't generating your own business by tracking you are probably doomed to failure unless you have some connections with (bigger) record labels.

Personally I like tracking AND mixing about the same. I'm good at both. It's mastering that I hate and am pretty below average at.

To me tracking is a bit more creative if you let it be.

Besides, I hate having to mix someone else's tracks because there are usually things that I end up having to mess with to fix. When I track someone it's pretty clean and big.
 
ecktronic said:
I was always under the impression that the producer mixes the album aswell as dooing other things obviously, like steering the bands album sound in the right direction by choosing certain tracks and suggesting addition of extra instruments/sounds to complement the original music written by the artist(s).
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Not really.

If recording was the movie business you'd find this:

Producer - Director
Mixing Engineer - Senior Editor
Tracking Engineer - Cinematographer
Mastering Engineer - Post Production
Musicians - Actors
Songwriters - Screenwriter
Arranger - Choreographer

Sometimes the director may take part in none or ALL of those activities. Depends on the director. Depends what the movie studio will let them get away with.

Remember: the big recording world is a lot like the big film world--ultimately the screenwriters and actors get to do what they are ALLOWED to do. Often the musician's input ends up being the smallest factor in how an album sounds. Sad, but true.

Unless the musicians are incredible. However, we have been at a loss for incredible musicians in the big music world lately. Instead we get Kid Rocks, Eminem and Mandy Moore. Blech.
 
ecktronic said:
I was always under the impression that the producer mixes the album
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with major label records, I would say that a large majority of records are not mixed by the producer. If it is rock record it is most likely mixed by Andy wallace, Tom Lord Alge, Chris Lord Alge or jack Josheph Puig.
 
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