For the good part of my professional career in event production, I have filled diverse audio roles, from studio recording to A1 sound engineering to monitor mixing for live bands,ย to mixing sound for corporate events, and everything in between. Over Covid, I have intentionally sought out mixing opportunities where I could still practice my craft and keep up with the ever-changing world of audio and technology. The reason for doing this is closely tied with the fact that my favorite part about mixing is that ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐; ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
There is always something new to learn. And keep learning I shall.
There is always something interesting to try or even get from another sound/audio engineer.
20 years into this and there is still so much more to learn. ๐ป๐๐๐’๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐’๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
All those years of mixing monitors for live bands, especially in the old analog days, before IEMs (in-ear monitors) and the Aviom personal mixing became the next best thing, have thought me so much during those training, trial under fire years, the most mentionable being ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐, especially when you have a few different demanding artists all needing their levels and mix just right, all at the very same time.
It also thought me ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง ๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ซ so I accomplish them as efficiently and fast as possible.
๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐ฉ. I promise, there’s a process to the madness.
Every sound engineer out there starts layering the sounds, starting with the drums first, then bass, guitars, keys, synths, strings (if any), before they get to vocals, effects, etc.
Likewise, ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, there’s a method to the madness, and knowing what this method is will always produce the most desired outcome.
Not understanding the flow will only ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
And nobody wants to do things the hard way when there’s an easier way.
๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ’๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ’๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฅ๐๐ญ’๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ. A few more consultation spots are available before I take a break over the summer for wholeness & rest.
