Technical Skill vs. Adaptability

Recording & Production
1

Currently, I’ve been mixing more on the live music side than in the studio and production side, and it’s been really interesting to see the similarities and differences in how you mix and how you can end up with different results because of the environment, different factors, and how much control you have over certain aspects. On the live side, I’ve found that mixing tends to be the easiest part, and troubleshooting everything before that is the hard part but anyone can learn how to mix.

I’ve only been in a studio a few times, and I haven’t had much of a chance to use hardware, so I mostly depend on my computer, monitors, keyboard, and microphones.

How much of being an excellent mixer comes from technical knowledge versus being able to understand and adapt to the environment and factors you can’t control?

2

Id say having a great listening environment that translates (use references at the start to compare) is really critical especially once you start working with labels and bigger clients. You simply cannot mix what you can’t hear. It’s like painting with a blindfold on. Secondly I think you can get really far with less technical ability and amazing taste. Trusting your gut on making moves and creative decisions. Having all the technical knowledge in the world doesn’t mean too much if you can’t apply it in a creative way to bring a clients song to life, hearing what it needs and sometimes taking risks to add that extra ear candy that the song needs.

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