Fibes wrote on Wed, 30 March 2005 07:41 |
i have also witnessed train wrecks that were merely different train wrecks than i would have brought to the table being burnt out and rushed on the project.
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hey, i resemble that remark.............................
anyway.....
i've been a mixer for hire for a few years now. didn't plan it this way it just happened. i still cut records from time to time but for the most part, low budget indie rock records keep landing at my door for mixing. i stopped fighting it 3 years ago and just went with it.
i work on records that have a TOTAL budget of 1k - 10k. so that should keep my fees, and "status" in perspective.
i got sick of renting full studios to mix and having to get bands pay a room rate and my rate, so i built a mix only room about a year ago.
so, coming from my perspecitve i can only add this.
i believe myself to be a fresh perspective into a project. i have yet to be told that i make the same sounding record over and over, and i have yet to mix any record the same. my room is very humble (i run out of patch cables nearly every time) and i'm gaining clients rapidly.
i think finding a mixer that can approach music as art (not saying i do, or can) is the key element. you get so close to a project that you just can't see the forrestt through the trees anymore.
i've remixed records for bands for literally pennies just because the originals were so awful and they were out of budget, i liked the music and agreed to TRY and help.
personally, i feel as though the day you convince yourself that you're work is good, is the day you can no longer make a record.
i haven't mixed a single record in my short 8 year career that i've been happy with, or even liked the end mix for that matter.
i think my point here is this. creating a "be all end all" way of making records is a giant mistake. if you say, "i'll never hire a mixer", you just cut off a whole set of "tools" that might be the perfect choice some day.
i personally think the biggest problem in record production today is the mindset that things HAVE to be done a certain way.
we have to edit the drums to flawless tempo perfection, the vocals MUST be autotuned......
i say, stop thinking about these "rules" and start listening to the art, let the art be the guiding light.
i've destroyed more brilliant tracks trying to create a vibe that got edited out then i can stomach.
and i've cursed not having sound replacer for the AWFUL basement recordings then i want to remember.
SERVE THE ART....if that means paying a lowly guy like me to mix your record, i'm sure my son will be happy he gets to eat that day cause his mixer dad finally got hired.
that being said, i'm disgusted at what some of these big name guys charge for mixing. they mop the floor with me, but come on.....it's just INSANE to continue paying those rates.