Analog is dead, Long live DSP!! Well that is not going to bring you any additional money, is it? There is so much going on in the world of (semi)professional audio
recording and sound reinforcement these days. As DSP chips are becoming cheaper and faster at the same time the world of digital mixing is developing at quantum speed. .... cool huh? By now you are thinking of beer, fastfood or your girlfriend. Well its worth to hang on. The best part has yet to come. Read this article on HOW SOUND ENGINEERS CAN MONETIZE ON THE DIGITAL MIXER REVOLUTION and create a better more stable income! MyChoices: Presonus STUDIOLIVE 24.4.2 or 32.4.2 (now shipping!).... Read on for super practical use of the presonus!
MIXING THE BAND AFTER THE GIG? YES YOU CAN!
The possibilities for sound engineers to work during daytime are limited, unless you are working in install-projects or large projects that also need expertise at day-time. But how can a starting or (semi)professional sound engineer use a DIGITAL MIXER to provide for extra income during hours that are normally wasted? The answer is relatively simple... Like it or not; Get yourself a digital mixingdesk like the Presonus 24.4.2 or 32.4.2 or perhaps the Behringer x32. I would recommend the Presonus as I believe Behringer is still not a indication of high quality, although it is a pretty neat machine. Why these machines? They will increase your income and value per costumer! Just read along:
Search your mixingdesk here: Enter the mixer of choice to find relevant information:
The key to gain extra income is to provide extra services. PAID SERVICES. A big part of the sound engineers out here today are freelancers that can use every dollar/euro they can grab. So lets say you have landed yourself a mixing-gig with a local coverband, tributeband, weddingband, or orchestra. Well done. You are about to earn 80$ to 600$ for this gig, depending on having the mixingdesk/pa equipment yourself or not and depending how complicated the job is, or how good you are.
After the gig has finished you go home, have yourself a beer and tell yourself it sounded really well today. Good job.. now lets wait for the next phonecall.... The rest of the week consists of checking your website, email and phone for another gig...
BTW: if you are interested in BAND MANAGEMENT FOLLOW THIS THREAD
When you are interested in the new hot thing for bands called ''aircones'' read this article (also for sound engineers who want to make an extra $$ You'll find it here
When you are interested in the new hot thing for bands called ''aircones'' read this article (also for sound engineers who want to make an extra $$ You'll find it here
WELL I'VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU !! YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU DO BEST FROM YOUR HOME AND SELL DEMO'S!
Why not make an extra 500$ sitting at home with a cup of coffe or a bottle of beer? Why not make a 1000$ while having your girlfriend on your lap and eating Burgerking all day? This way you would only need half the gigs you normally do, and you can do it whenever you like to do it! You could even buy your girlfriend a proper dinner and still buy that awesome microphone!
Drumroll please! The key is to use the Presonus both as a Live mixer and as a Studio Mixer.. thats why they called it STUDIOLIVE. You add a laptop to the mixingdesk (no extra cards needed), install the easy simple software you can get from the presonus website and there you have a 24/32 channel multitrack system at your fingertips. Ok how is that going to help you?
Search your mixingdesk here: Enter the mixer of choice to find relevant information on PRESONUS OR BEHRINGER:
Studiotime is very expensive, even in a simple demostudio and in many occasions its a frustrating proces with the end result sounding artificial in many occasions. Thereby: today people like to have video along with it as well to put it on youtube, facebook or their own website.
So there you are.... its 10 o clock in the evening and the venue is getting crowded. The band is about to start: you press a single button and all used channels on your mixingdesk become recordingpreamps and the laptop/pc starts to record all data coming in. Unmixed, unaltered, with no effects.
At midnight, the gig is over and you press the same button again to stop the recording. You have now captured every sound that the band produced. So are you still going home to sit and wait for the next phonecall? Or will you invite the band to your home to listen to the 10 second mixes of a few songs you have recorded live? ( there is your 500$ for mixing the rest). The fun part is: you dont need a studio for this: you have the studiolive mixingdesk that can have all recorded channels run back (via inclused firewire) through the mixingdesk. And you simply record it back onto the laptop; mixed from your home!
Do you have a HD camera somewhere? GOOD. You JUST made yourself 800-1000$ bonus. The band has no money? Well: divide 800 by 6 bandmembers and there is the money! A Sound demo is nice, but it all comes together when having a HD 720P/1080P video along with it.
- First: you can make yourself some extra buck: a camera will cost you about 500$ (choose one with a HD like a sony handycam)
- Second: you have sound and video of gigs you worked on which is going to help you with to draw more clients.
- Third: give the video a bumper in front and end with the name of your company (and the bandname ofc). This way your video will be seen by many other musicians as well.
Besides that it is fun to mix audio live and at home, you also can find out exactly how to make this particular band sound great.. you can save the ideal preset of that band to the mixingdesk and start with the ideal settings for this band! WHAT AN EASY JOB YOU WILL HAVE NEXT TIME!
The band will get more gigs as their demo is awesome; you will get more work from them, as well as from other musicians..
What a blast.... Analog has died, Long Live DSP!
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Curious what this incredible mixer can do for you Coverband?
