Do you think anyone can be an AE with effort and commitment?

[shred101]

I dont think that *anyone* can do it. Mostly because you need to be very self-critical and analytical. It all boils down to attitude for me and having an open mind that is always willing to learn and strives always for improvement. A lot of people can't bear to be criticized by other people because it threatens their ego and so to criticize themselves would be too much.
I think at the same time you have to have the balls to just stop fucking with a mix and say that its done because I always find that the longer I mix for on a song the worse my mixes get and finding that kind of balance is hard to do imho.

 

[jval]

I think any musician could be an AE with effort.

But I don't think anyone who doesn't have some degree of natural musical ability can ever be a successful engineer. If all you had to do was learn pro tools and turn knobs you could teach a monkey to be an AE. All of the best producers / engineers are musicians first...

 

[Jind]

I don't believe in natural talent, so yes i think anyone can do it if they put the time and effort in.

While I agree that with effort almost anyone can do anything - I most certainly challenge the comment about natural talent. I'm sorry to say - for some folks certain activities come much easier than to others.

As an example - my stepson took up bagpipes some 10 years ago - he had never played an instrument before in his life, within a year he was already at the level that others took many many more years to accomplish (this was at a competitive level being judged), and this was with much less practice time (he's a bit lazy at times) than others put in. He was one of the younger members of a Grade 2 competition band - one of only about 12 or so in the USA within a year - after that. As a result I certainly do believe in natural talent. He still plays - a bit less these days, much more interested in girls you know. He makes quite a bit of cash doing funerals, weddings, a much more working musician than me

 

[Force666]

I don't believe in natural talent, so yes i think anyone can do it if they put the time and effort in.

I used to kinda believe that. Up until my friend at age 16 picked up a guitar, took lessons for a month, learned by ear Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien and Steve Vai - Passion and Warfare and was full shred within 2 months. Kinda hard to deny natural talent at that point.

 

[shred101]

I used to kinda believe that. Up until my friend at age 16 picked up a guitar, took lessons for a month, learned by ear Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien and Steve Vai - Passion and Warfare and was full shred within 2 months. Kinda hard to deny natural talent at that point.

Im not being an asshole here, but after working with a bunch of different musicians over the course of my life the most important thing to me in defining talent is someone who can write their own music. Natural talent is simply the ability to be self-critical, self-analytical and creative. I dont care how many sweeps you can do per beat if you cant write riffs and songs.
Steve Vai wouldnt be where he is now if he was only good at playing Joe Satriani solos.

 

[LeSedna]

Im not being an asshole here, but after working with a bunch of different musicians over the course of my life the most important thing to me in defining talent is someone who can write their own music. Natural talent is simply the ability to be self-critical, self-analytical and creative. I dont care how many sweeps you can do per beat if you cant write riffs and songs.
Steve Vai wouldnt be where he is now if he was only good at playing Joe Satriani solos.

For me, even if this is about technicity, I would call this a "talent". Being able to shred - even without good style - in 2 months, is a good hope of a good musician with some years of experience and maturity of playing behind.

 

[John_C]

Technical competence is a matter of practice and study, the ability to create something of inspirational beauty and form requires the correct mind/mindset

how much is mind and how much is mindset is something I'm not sure of yet.

Not being deaf helps

 

[professorlamp]

Not being deaf helps

 

[nwright]

Im not being an asshole here, but after working with a bunch of different musicians over the course of my life the most important thing to me in defining talent is someone who can write their own music. Natural talent is simply the ability to be self-critical, self-analytical and creative. I dont care how many sweeps you can do per beat if you cant write riffs and songs.
Steve Vai wouldnt be where he is now if he was only good at playing Joe Satriani solos.

IMO you are trying to equate 2 different talents, though.

Being a good songwriter is not really at all like being a technically gifted instrument player.

 

[Josh Burgess]

I think any musician could be an AE with effort.

But I don't think anyone who doesn't have some degree of natural musical ability can ever be a successful engineer. If all you had to do was learn pro tools and turn knobs you could teach a monkey to be an AE. All of the best producers / engineers are musicians first...

This.

 

[Jeds7800]

“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."
I think it's mostly just a matter of practicing a ton, so I think anyone could eventually.
Unless you were deaf like skeksis said.

 

[HandsOfDespair]

I don't think anyone can become an AE. I've seen lot of people recording/mixing since a couple of years and all their stuff still sound like shit. Sometimes, you just don't have it.