Making The Leap: Becoming An Independent Mix Engineer

Getting The Gig
As many of you know, Dave now enjoys enviable success as an independent, including mixing for all of the previously mentioned artists in addition to Van Halen, Bad Company, Richard Marx, Boz Scaggs, Liza Minelli, Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones since 2005, and numerous awards shows. He shares an anecdote that provides additional insight into the process of dealing with potential clients.

“When an act that I was really interested in mixing was preparing to go out a number of years ago, they solicited suggestions for independent and staff mixers from the sound companies that were bidding on the tour,” he says. “By that point I’d been independent long enough to have established a working relationship with most of those companies.

“Apparently, my name was on almost everyone’s list. Band management personally knew a bunch of the acts I’d mixed, and I guess they called their counterparts to get some references. Eventually they requested a copy of my resume.

“Normally in these circumstances,” he continues, “you would talk to the tour manager or production manager. In this case, however, I was asked to interview with the band principals on a specific day convenient for them. This is an organization that does their homework, so I assumed they already knew everything about me. I guess they just wanted to vibe me out to make sure I wasn’t some kind of Martian.

“Honestly, I thought I was never going to get to interview because of a prior engagement. I had a direct conflict – I had committed to mix a few shows for a longstanding client, and I was not going to walk out on an account for any reason. But and management were adamant the interview had to be on that day; they kept leaving me messages saying ‘see you Tuesday.’ I kept telling them I had a commitment and would be unable to make it. Finally, I withdrew my name from consideration.

“To my surprise, they finally called to suggest another date. I later learned that management respected my obligation to fulfill a previous commitment, no doubt something they’d appreciate if I was working for them.

A formal interview process with the artist was not something he was used to. “Talking to a tour manager is pretty easy, but when you’re in a room alone with very successful musicians, it can be unnerving. Primarily you’re there to listen, and you must choose your words carefully. When it was my turn to talk I simply played the name association game, mentioning the performers and managers I’d worked with in the past. For many acts, this is very important, and this artist was no exception.

“Honestly, I wasn’t that confident I’d get the job, as I knew that other qualified engineers were also being considered. A few days later management called to give me the good news, which was great, and in retrospect I’m also very glad that I didn’t skip out on my prior commitment.”

This brings us to a word of caution to independent mixers when approached by a new client – if you’ve committed to an existing client, never leave when approached by another act.

“It’s a very small world, and people talk,” Dave observes. “I’m always careful to complete the commitments I make before taking on another assignment, unless previous arrangements have been made and agreed to. Not walking out on a commitment, for any act regardless of stature, is a value to live by in this business.”

Next time: Preparing for – and surviving – the preproduction process.

Danny Abelson has worked in professional audio for more than 30 years, and enjoys writing about the subjective nature of reinforced sound and the human factors that are so critical to a successful event. He is fascinated by where emerging technologies will take our industry and how they’ll impact the guest experience.