MIXERMAN's Ultimate GUIDE to PRODUCING Records, Music & Songs: Everything You Need to Know About Producing, Recording, Mixing & Mastering Music at Home or in the Studio

by Mixerman

596 pages, Paperback

Published May 18, 2025

About the author

For most of his career, Mixerman, aka Eric Sarafin, was known as a Gold and Platinum record producer, mixer, and recordist. He has worked with numerous nationally and internationally known acts in multiple genres, including The Pharcyde, Ben Harper, Barenaked Ladies, Lifehouse, Foreigner, Pete Murray, and Spearhead to name a few.

In 2002 Mixerman gained widespread notoriety in the Music Business when he anonymously published online his work titled The Daily Adventures of Mixerman--a cutting satire of the way things were in the early aughts, in an industry carried away with record profits, and a marked disdain for the consumer. The book is often cited by readers as hilarious and entertaining. Mixerman and his Producer Aardvark also created a fully produced audiobook in the style of Firesign theater, complete with music, leitmotifs, character performances by well-known Producers, foley, and sound FX. You can read (and hear) a significant portion of The Daily Adventures of Mixerman online:

Between 2010 and 2014, Mixerman wrote three technical books on Hal Leonard (Zen and the Art of Mixing, Zen and the Art of Producing, Zen and the Art of Recording, which read more like self-help philosophy books than dry and ineffective how-to manuals. Throughout the Zen Series Mixerman addresses the thinking behind effective record-making. He is often praised for his no-holds barred, cut to the chase style, in which he relays the lessons he's learned over the course of his record-making career in a pithy and entertaining manner.

In 2014, Mixerman released digital versions of all three of his Zen and the Art of titles, which include hours of supplemental video instruction and demonstration of various recording, mixing, and producing techniques.

In 2015, Mixerman wrote #Mixerman and the Billionheir Apparent, his second satire of the Music Business, this time through the broader prism of current American politics. Much of #Mixerman and the Billionheir Apparent can be found online.

Both the hardbound book and the audiobook of #Mixerman and the Billionheir Apparent will be available for purchase in July of 2016.

Reviews

[Simone Zuin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem every page

Bought this through the pre-sale, worth every page of it! I was reading this chapter about mixing some days ago, and this gave me a strong backup for trusting myself more on this practice I was/am secretly applying within my own productions! The whole book has this kind of gems, that give a new perspective, and it is a guided trip to "get to the core" of music production...I am almost finished with the first read, but I think I owe a second read of the full book to soak its meaning and its sense even more...Thanks for this great book! Cheers

[Ross Nockles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed each of Mixerman's previous books which cover the various aspects of music production (and also enjoyed his other books on life in the music industry) This "Ultimate Guide" is an up to date revision of the previous works gathered into a single volume. The author's style is conversational and engaging giving practical advice drawn from years of real world experience and success recording, mixing and producing music. Although opinionated he is not dogmatic and makes it clear that the key to success is experience gained through practice. At previous periods in the music biz many up and comers had the benefit of a mentor to guide them, this excellent book goes a long way to fulfilling that role in todays situation where anyone who has a computer can use a DAW to do what used to require access to a recording studio. Along with practical information about strategies and methods of capturing a compelling performance there is a deal of discussion of the various roles that one has to fulfil whether as a self producing solo artist or working with a band as a producer for hire and the many permutations in between. Never loosing sight of the fact that making music is making art and the song and it's performance are paramount this advice is balanced by stressing the importance of business savvy, vision and planning with a section on legal agreements and money division.
The final chapter is a review of the concepts developed throughout and a brief nod to the future in which AI cannot be ignored but ends with the rousing piece of advice: "Focus on what makes you and your music unique, and capitalize on that."

[Wil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the last five years, I have literally read just about every book in existence on the subject of music production, mixing, and mastering. Additionally, I have listened to gobs of videos and podcasts, and read thousands (if not tens of thousands) of pages of posts from various forums...and, after spending just about every minute I can studying music stuff, I am quite certain this book is without a doubt the best thing out there on the subject. Mixerman, who is not just a writer interviewing producers and mixers but a legitimate award-winning producer and mixer himself, covers all of the bases in an informative and entertaining fashion, and provides everything you could possibly ever want or need to know. The cover sums it up: this is everything you need to know about producing, recording, mixing, and mastering music at home or in the studio!

[Nolan Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book (and Mixerman’s other great books) as gifts for all of my audio engineer friends this year. Eric’s approach to producing music is full of wisdom. I learn something new every time I read something from him. My background and use-case is largely live audio which has some obvious differences from the context with which this book is written. However, I have found the techniques and practices to be just as helpful in the live space. Must read!

[Shane Lindeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a musician for like 23 years and into making records for at least 10. I've taken courses, read books, and watched tons of YouTube material. I think all those things have been very helpful and informative. With my background producing music this book is a perfect capstone to my existing knowledge. It's something every producer can probably get a lot out of and if you don't want to read it from beginning to end just look up what you need some perspective on, it will most likely help you.