Music is like CAKE... only as good as the MIX!!!
Yeah Yeah, my little analogy was a bit corny and a little dry but there is so much truth in that statement! In this day and age when every "so called" producer owns a "bootlegged" copy of Digital Audio Workstations like Reasons and Fruity Loops it is absolutely imperative that you invest in making your records stand out sonically. I'm certainly not bashing the credibility of programs such as the aforementioned; they're all great music production programs with advantages in their own right. However, although these programs allow any "joe-producer" the ability to mix their own music I would highly suggest that you re-think that popular "Do-it-Yourself" mentality when you get to this stage in your creative process. If you are serious - that is if you want to make money from your creations - then I am proposing to you that the only way you are going to be able to compete with records that are made by already established producers and artists is by taking your records serious and investing in a real mix by a real professional at a real studio such as PatchWerk... (**shameless plug**)
Think about this... What happens when Lil' Wayne is going through beats for his next album and your beat (that you mixed yourself) comes on right after a Timbaland beat (that was mixed by a professional that he most likely paid a couple thousand dollars to tweak it until it was just right)
... you got it ---> SKIP!!!
Although it's not common knowledge, Audio Engineering is a very meticulous and technical trade. Any credible Audio engineer would often times tell new producers and engineers "I studied this stuff for yeeeaarrss... and I'm still learning new things that make me good at what I do. What makes you think you can just up and mix a good record??" Actually it makes sense... anyone can make drums knock, or turn the highs up on their EQ plugin... but it takes a professional to make a record sound really good. Think about this... how often do serious musicians skip the mastering process or try to do it themselves?!?! The answer to that question is rarely! Why? Because the perception is that mastering takes a specific set of expensive (and not readily available) equipment and a specific set of skills that it takes a lot of time time to hone. Well I'm suggesting that the same rule applies to the mixing process. How can you think that a record mixed by you can compete with one mixed by world class mix engineers Leslie Brathwaite or Phil Tan. That's just not smart...
As the saying goes... "You get what you pay for". So yes, cutting cost by mixing your beats and songs on your own will save you some extra cash... but at the expense of producing a "sonically superior" and competitive record. Getting your music mixed can be the only thing missing between you and a major placement or a record deal. The fact of the matter is if you won't invest in yourself... no one will!
What about the records that are big in Atlanta though, that have HORRIBLE mixes? A lot of "hood music" that comes through here have horrible mixes...it almost seems like it's part of the style of the sub genre.
ReplyDeleteAs long as the bass is knocking, is all that matters for some.
This doesn't hold true for professionals who want to expand nationally though.
Good article.
Word! Good article. I also agree with the comment above. To take it a step further, the iGeneration is not used to quality. Look at the MP3 for crying out loud. As long as they can hear it, it doesn't matter to them about quality - myself included. I've yet to be in a studio to hear some REAL quality. It's the same with HD TV. I'm fine with my 480p format. However, I've seen some 1080i pictures and I was blown away. But, I'm good with 480p. When everyone is watching 9080i, I'll probably be on 1080i. Peace.
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