Musician's Survival Guide to a Killer Record

by Mixerman

It takes many years to excel at recording (whether at home or in a commercial facility), and if you desire to become a professional recordist then that's what's required. But if you're a musician who wants to garner a reaction to your song, then you don't have time for that. You need to make a Killer Record right now. But how? First, stop thinking like a recordist.If you're a musician, and you record, this book will prove an invaluable resource (I encourage you to read the reviews. People love this book). I explain all the things that I've learned as a high-level professional recordist, mixer, and producer over the course of decades, but as they relate to you as a musician, your songs, and the long view of your recording career.The GoalThe stated goal of this book is to convert recording decisions into musical ones, and technical decisions into practical ones. Not only do I explain the musical strategies for making a Killer Record, I also break the technical information down to its core so that you can strategize based on your recording reality. So long as you have what you need to make a record, I can help you make it a Killer Record. This is the only additional gear you'll require to greatly improve the quality of your records.Who am I?I'm Mixerman, a gold and multi-platinum award winning producer, mixer, and recordist. I was in precisely your position at the early stages of my career. I was a musician, frustrated that I could write a good song, only to feel the record itself fell short of it's potential. Over the course of my decades recording, I noticed that the performance and arrangement had a far greater impact on the sound than anything I did on the engineering side. The more musical my decisions, the better my results.What You Can ExpectThis Studio Field Manual is chock full of recording, mixing, and producing strategies designed to keep recording a fun and focused process. You will return to this manual time and time again to help you overcome any impediment--technical or musical--that might prevent you from achieving the results you seek, regardless of your recording environment, regardless of what equipment you're using, and regardless of your current skillset.You can make a Killer Record under nearly any circumstance. It just requires the right mindset. Enjoy, Mixerman

Genres: Music

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2018

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

[Kata Bitowt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly what it says it is

[David Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really entertaining and thoughtfully set out. Easy to follow advice for recording and mixing makes it a must-have for all home studio engineers.

[Mr. Veyvoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book over a few days and felt inspired to record some of my music. Inspiration had been lacking because making a "killer" recording can be frustrating if not impossible without the skills. Mixerman, as he is called, takes you through aspects of songwriting, recording, mixing, etc. to give an overview of the process from beginning to end. No matter what level you are at, if you feel like recording your music, this book will (most likely) leave you feeling more confident believing in yourself.

[Tony Manard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good insight for any musician who records themselves. It filled some gaps in my technical understanding, and more important gives pretty specific thought processes to make decisions quickly.