5 must-have qualities of a great mixing engineer

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April 3, 2019 in: Blog

Trevor Ahlstrand Design for Kane Brown Tour includes Smarty Hybrid™

NASHVILLE – When lighting designer Trevor Ahlstrand was in search of a powerful yet compact lighting fixture to form the bulk of the floor package on Kane Brown’s current “Live Forever” tour, Elation Smarty Hybrid™ effects grabbed his attention before he ever laid eyes on the light itself. “I was at a demo and it… Read More

in: Blog

L-Acoustics Tops the Rider Lists for DCR Nashville’s Clients

Founded in 2004, Digital Console Rental Inc. was rebranded in 2017 as DCR Nashville to reflect the company’s evolution from a source for high-end digital audio consoles to the AVL solutions provider it is today. DCR Nashville now supports more than two-dozen touring artists and continues to grow its inventory with the industry’s most rider-friendly… Read More

August 29, 2018 in: Blog

DCR Nashville Deploys Claypaky Fixtures, grandMA2 Consoles and MDG Haze Generators for Halsey’s 2018 Touring Schedule

DCR Nashville is providing an array of equipment for American singer-songwriter Halsey’s 2018 touring schedule, including festivals and her continuing “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom World Tour.”  Gear includes Claypaky Mythos 2 and Scenius spots, grandMA2 consoles and MDG ATMe haze generators.  All of the brands are exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Lighting, Inc. Halsey’s… Read More

in: Blog

DiGiCo Mixes The Music Of “Music City” For CMA Fest

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – July 2018 – Celebrating its 47th year, the Country Music Association’s latest CMA Fest drew more than 50,000 country music fans to downtown Nashville this June to experience more than 350 artists performing over four days and nights at Nissan Stadium, Riverfront Stage, Ascend Amphitheater and seven other concert sites. Although the… Read More

August 2017

5 must-have qualities of a great mixing engineer

Mixing Engineers have great personalities: The key to success in any career choice is how you interact with those you work with and those who surround you. There is no difference for live engineers. A FOH engineer must be able to interact positively and except criticism, both constructive and negative from the artist, the artists… Read More

  1. Mixing Engineers have great personalities: The key to success in any career choice is how you interact with those you work with and those who surround you. There is no difference for live engineers. A FOH engineer must be able to interact positively and except criticism, both constructive and negative from the artist, the artists managers, the artists wife or girlfriend and the audience members. FOH engineers sit in the crowd and quite often can be the link to the artist for the audience. A bad attitude can quickly sour the experience for an audience member and or facility. Monitor Engineers have a quality, that allows them to use their personality traits to connect with each artist and musician on the stage. A good monitor engineer can remove his personal tastes from the equation and put himself in the shoes of the musician that he or she is working for. They can diffuse situations that arise either from the artist own nerves or from technical issues that arise and keep everyone focused and on track. The best engineers have an ability to serve and do so willingly.
  2. Mixing Engineers are music fans and or musicians: We chose music for a reason, it is important for us as engineers to be fans of music. Not necessarily the music of the artist you are working for but fans of the process of the music they create and the message they are trying to deliver. Being a fan of music and or a musician yourself helps you understand through listening and or practice what makes a good arrangement and allows you the engineer the ability to execute mixing techniques and decisions that support and heighten the listening experience for your audience. It is important to understand what your artist is trying to accomplish with their music and to be able to translate it.
  3. Mixing Engineers have the ability to adapt to new technology: One thing you learn quickly about creating music is that technology is constantly changing. The up and coming generation is always quick to adopt the newest technology where some of the music veterans fall behind. The engineers that seem to stay on top are the ones that adopt new technology and find a way to incorporate it into their workflow.
  4. Mixing Engineers are perpetual learners: “If you aren’t growing then you’re dying” Mixing is a never-ending learning experience. You don’t just wake up one day and decide that you’ve learned how to mix because you’re always learning how to mix and you’re always learning how to make your mixes better.
  5. Mixing Engineers are willing to share information: If you feel your job is in jeopardy and all of your tricks are secrets, then you have most likely chosen the wrong profession. We have a responsibility to provide better productions throughout our industry and one way we do so is by helping and mentoring others to be successful. If you are afraid that you will lose your job by sharing your secrets then you might want to make sure you are qualifying in the above-mentioned areas as well. Remember this key component “The more you give the more you receive”