While being a producer may be dream job of many, not everyone’s cut out for a career behind the console. Here Joey Sturgis offers some advice on what an aspiring producer/engineer should do in order to stand out and find success in the industry.
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Guest Post by Joey Sturgis
Everyone starting out in our industry has one thing in common: we all love music. Whether you started recording because you’re in a band or wanted to help bands, the fact is that we all want to make great music.
But there are a few things that the pros are doing differently, and it’s the difference between a successful producer or engineer and the guys who just can’t seem to get it right.
Successful Producers Seek Out Help
The not-so-secret part of this can be seen every day. Go online and you’ll see dozens of forums offering advice and videos claiming to show “the best way to record (insert instrument here)”.
We see more and more schools asking for thousands of dollars in exchange for a “formal” education. The problem is, this isn’t a field that requires a formal education.
This is a field where most of us work long hours in the studio or at venues doing what we love. We invest our time and energy into the music as much (if not more) than the band members we work with.
So with something you’re so passionate about, how do you cut through the noise and find the advice worth listening to?
Learn From A Pro (or Several of Them!)
It used to be the case where you’d need to intern under a major producer for a long time, learning their process & taking notes. Then at the end of the day, you might get lucky enough to get an assisting gig.
But you don’t need that anymore.
Learning to mix from pros is as easy as listening to our advice & experimenting with our techniques on your own. You can do it on the same device you’re reading this on right now; smartphones and tablets included.
Where Can I Find The Good Stuff?
The BIGGEST struggle a producer or engineer will face when looking for advice online is finding useful advice.
It’s easy to drown in misinformation or bad habits, which is why you need to be cautious about the advice you’re taking. It’s the entire reason behind why we built the Nail the Mix community.
We wanted a place that would give you the sessions, show you how professionals like myself, Eyal Levi & Andrew Wade work, and let you try our workflows out for yourself.
More importantly – we choose only engineers and producers that are proving day after day that you can be successful with the right approach.
Last Piece of Advice: Don’t Let The Next Guy Steal Your Gig
This easy to access information is a gift and a curse. It’s great because virtually everyone has access to the tools that make this a dream job, but…
Everything goes to the people who fully dedicate themselves to their craft.
If you don’t take the time to learn the techniques that work, somebody else will. As much of what we do is collaborative, there’s always someone eager to step into your shoes if you don’t have what it takes.
By dedicating yourself to learning production from the pros, you’ll put yourself in front of the competition.
About Joey Sturgis
Joey Sturgis is producer/mixing engineer who’s sound has defined the metalcore genre since he began recording in a friend’s garage in 2004. Since then, Joey has gone on to record and produce over 60 major full-length albums for names like The Devil Wears Prada, Asking Alexandria, Of Mice & Men, We Came As Romans & Miss May I.
In addition to offering advice through Nail the Mix, Joey has done guest articles, podcasts, and classes with CreativeLive, TheRecordingRevolution & Musicians Institute, amongst others.
Joey has helped lead the metalcore community into the spotlight of the industry and is now fully committed to developing the tools needed for the next wave of engineers and producers with his plugin company, Joey Sturgis Tones.