Just wanted to take a moment to make a thread in appreciation of the amazing legend Andy Sneap!
It's been 17 years since I joined this forum, and I was around 22 at the time so it's almost half my life (CRAZY)
This was really the only dedicated forum for metal production and engineering at the time, and it was truly the center of the metal production world online for a long time and helped launch many careers and was (and still is) the best source of direct info and community help for metal music.
Yes there was Gearslutz back then (and it still exists) but it wasn't really dedicated to metal and never had the same community feel because there was a serious amount of elitism and you never felt like you were in an accepting community of people at your level looking to learn. In some ways, this forum served as a school for many people in the now golden age of early 21st century metal.
Anyways, a lot of time has passed, and Andy is one of the main reasons I do what I do now, (which ironically isn't even a lot of metal).
The first time I ever heard music where I was specifically fascinated by the sound of it and considered the production was Anthems of Rebellion by Arch Enemy and it started a long and rewarding journey into discovering the wonderful world of music production.
I still remember printing certain threads out and taking it to my entry-level studio to try mic placements and techniques (there was no internet there lol)
I also remember how helpful many here were and AIM chats with several people as well as pms. James Murphy also gets a huge shout out for being the "vice president" of this forum. I spoke to him many times on AIM and he was really helpful and have me feedback and tips on early works I did. I hope he is doing well health wise! Andy himself was extremely helpful via AIM as well, always answering questions and giving advice. I even met him in New York during a Sabbath concert and shared a beer!
Considering he was the most in-demand and popular producer in metal it was absolutely amazing that he dedicated so much time to this forum and its members. Nowadays many have courses and make it a part of their job to train, which is great, as it's more organized and accessible, but Andy did it purely out of love for the craft and genuinely to help people, many of whom were young and just starting out. This is the single biggest takeaway after all these years. It's something I appreciate greatly and think about still to this day.
Several members have gone on to have successful careers and that is great to see as well.
Anyway, I hope everyone from the past is doing well and continues to do well professionally and their own personal lives as well.
And lastly and most importantly, to Andy: THANK YOU!!!!
It's been 17 years since I joined this forum, and I was around 22 at the time so it's almost half my life (CRAZY)
This was really the only dedicated forum for metal production and engineering at the time, and it was truly the center of the metal production world online for a long time and helped launch many careers and was (and still is) the best source of direct info and community help for metal music.
Yes there was Gearslutz back then (and it still exists) but it wasn't really dedicated to metal and never had the same community feel because there was a serious amount of elitism and you never felt like you were in an accepting community of people at your level looking to learn. In some ways, this forum served as a school for many people in the now golden age of early 21st century metal.
Anyways, a lot of time has passed, and Andy is one of the main reasons I do what I do now, (which ironically isn't even a lot of metal).
The first time I ever heard music where I was specifically fascinated by the sound of it and considered the production was Anthems of Rebellion by Arch Enemy and it started a long and rewarding journey into discovering the wonderful world of music production.
I still remember printing certain threads out and taking it to my entry-level studio to try mic placements and techniques (there was no internet there lol)
I also remember how helpful many here were and AIM chats with several people as well as pms. James Murphy also gets a huge shout out for being the "vice president" of this forum. I spoke to him many times on AIM and he was really helpful and have me feedback and tips on early works I did. I hope he is doing well health wise! Andy himself was extremely helpful via AIM as well, always answering questions and giving advice. I even met him in New York during a Sabbath concert and shared a beer!
Considering he was the most in-demand and popular producer in metal it was absolutely amazing that he dedicated so much time to this forum and its members. Nowadays many have courses and make it a part of their job to train, which is great, as it's more organized and accessible, but Andy did it purely out of love for the craft and genuinely to help people, many of whom were young and just starting out. This is the single biggest takeaway after all these years. It's something I appreciate greatly and think about still to this day.
Several members have gone on to have successful careers and that is great to see as well.
Anyway, I hope everyone from the past is doing well and continues to do well professionally and their own personal lives as well.
And lastly and most importantly, to Andy: THANK YOU!!!!
