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Originally Posted by seaneldon  I come from the world where one engineer does the record from top to bottom. That engineer's job is to properly record the music to where it would be HILARIOUSLY STUPID to try and command $500+ per song to "fix" what could have been handled during the recording in seconds. For $500, you can get an entire day in a great studio recording the same song again, properly, and not need to spend extra money "fixing" what an incompetent "producer" thought was "fixable later for more money".
And yes, I've taken on mix projects before...reluctantly. I certainly didn't do something as closed-minded as charging "per song". Have the artist book the room for a day, see how many songs you can get done in that day. Book more if you need more. |
Recording and mix engineering seriously takes 2 separate set of skills. While 1 guy can handle both tasks, he would need some time away from the material and come back with a clear perspective. What I mean by "clear perspective" is that anyone that has tracked a song for a few hours will know that it stays saturated in your mind (like driving home still hearing the tune in your head). If you come back to the song a day after tracking to mix, though you can get a mix done, I don't believe it will be the best mix due to mental fatigue from repetitive exposure.
For record engineering: you have to really be good at capturing performances at the right time and the right way. This is an art to itself. Do you use a ribbon mic or a shure on the snare? Should you record a bass through amp, DI, or both? Are you getting the best level going to track, and should there be some soft knee? Is the artist ready to give the best performance now or do they need an hour to prep? Ok, the band is in a jam session before the scheduled work... you are recording this right? Most recording engineers these days are usually the producer of the record.
For mix engineering: its up to you to make the tons of tracking sound like a RECORD! One superstar mixer once said to me "I start my process by making sure i can hear the silence", meaning he gates and clean each track before mixing so to sustain a quality sound by trying his best to eliminate an audible noise floor. The recording engineer is not performing "strip silence" in PT as a rule of thumb to reduce noise floor, the mixer takes on this task. Vocal dynamics with processors and manual fader automation is an exceptional talent of ears and reflexes. Making 60 tracks play nice in a 2 channel mix takes alot of experience and specialty talent, that is if you want it to sound like a professional record.
I know of a few top flight guys that have received up to $20k a mix. Album deals $100k.