We live in an age where technological advances in the music industry are so commonplace that they seem to happen every day. Many of these advances have made it possible for almost anyone to develop a system capable of producing hit-quality audio. The only bad news is that by opening the doors for everyone, new audio technology has also made a lot more competition. If you're going to have an edge in an increasingly competitive industry, such as music and audio, mixing and mastering skills are essential. Nothing crushes creative potential more effectively than a shabby attempt at an amateurish mixdown. The S.M.A.R.T Guide to Mixing and Mastering Audio Recordings provides proven, time-tested tools to create mixes that compete well in the musical marketplace and compare favorably with the recordings you hear on your favorite CDs and DVDs. Professional-level techniques are explained thoroughly with numerous screenshots in a hands-on, full-color format. Topics covered include setting up for mixdown, mixing all of the rhythm section instruments, addressing surround considerations, understanding the proper use of effects and stereo imaging, and learning mastering techniques that will give your productions the impact and power they deserve. The companion DVD includes audio examples of the concepts discussed in the text, plus step-by-step instructional video examples that show you how to optimize your recordings in crucial situations.
My academic degree is in composition and arranging, which tends to influence my writing style toward the practical applications of technology in music. I get a big kick out of hearing from people who have been helped by my books. My aspirations in Junior High and High School were to become a recording engineer, so I read every book and magazine I could get my hands on. However, if I would have had someone tell me the stuff I write about today, when I was young, I would have been light years ahead in my early career.
Directly out of college I taught music in a college in Seattle for three years. I decided I would rather get out and do music so my wife (who I met while teaching college) and I formed a band and traveled for several years playing shows, clubs, and bars all over.
I taught recording classes for about 10 years while performing, which is where I began to develop a number of pragmatic explanations for complex recording tasks. Much of the material for my first books were a product of teaching these classes. In 1991, a buddy (Bob Sluys) and I produced "Killer Demos: Hot Tips and Cool Secrets for the Home Multitrack User. This video sold pretty well and started the machine in motion that would end up with my first book for MixBooks in 1996. Mike Lawson, the GM for MixBooks built a great library, which he ended up purchasing from Mix Magazine to start Artistpro.com. For Mike and Artistpro, I wrote several more books along with a complete online course, with online graded tests. Artistpro was eventually purchased by Thomson Publishing in Boston. Mike was acquired with the deal so I still work with him directly to build new tools for recordists around the world. So far, with Mike's help and my family's patience I have written more than 30 books about recording at the same time that I have produced many albums for Seattle artists.
I am currently with Hal Leonard Publishing. They represent the best in the publishing world and for me, the perfect culmination of a long road in the publishing business.
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