well... being born in the united states doesn't really make a difference in the 21st century. now the internet can afford you a way to do similar things - if that is what you are talking about. joey proves that this can be done anywhere and with very little. but you must be willing to put 200% of theory behind hours and hours of practice. also, it won't hurt to learn by your mistakes.
- first you will need music. from you or another. but the musician must be skilled in an effort to capture the best performance.
- you will also need good instruments. it's not important for the instruments to be perfect... but it is important that the guitars are not noisy and everything is in tune.
- the computer you use will be the most important thing in the room if you intend to do everything on it (so buy smart and think ahead of the tech curve).
- the digital audio workstation (or daw) is the second most important thing in the room. pro tools/cubase/audition/logic/live/sonar ...LEARN them.
- pod farm is a good start for recording guitars (if you can't afford amps and cabs etc). but joey uses pod farm so if that's what you're after, then...
- make sure to purchase a really good DI box (do research) this will ensure you get a clean signal into your computer.
- next you will need an audio interface. these can range from $50 to $3000 so choose wisely. it's important to buy based on converters (a/d - d/a) do research.
- usually the next phase is monitoring but that is all based on how you hear stuff. so find a way to listen back (or monitor) that is most comfortable for you.
- anything after performance/tracking is entirely subjective. learn to mix with your heart and "soul" don't expect everything to come together all at once.
- buy tutorial dvd's that will push you in the right direction for what it is that you are trying to do... go to
groove3 for starters.
- the old saying is "a mix is never finished, it's abandoned" ...this just means you may or may not be completely satisfied with your mixes so sometimes it's just best to walk away to get more clarity. people will let you know how they feel about your mix/music. so you can't always be the judge.
the most important advice i can give is... be yourself. we all love joey's mixes/masters but mainly because it brings out a special vibe (deep down) that can potentially make us creative and unique. don't go out of your way to "sound like -insert producer-" because ultimately, you will be mostly recognized as a copycat which can be flattering (i'm sure) but derogatory nonetheless.
i'm sure joey likes all the love/hate he gets from his listeners because in the long run it just makes him better and better but copycats can be insulting and most significantly cheapens the idea or concept of joey's work.
everything i have said here is just based on ideas... people can/will expand and eventually (after years of experience) you will find yourself right where you want to be... or not.
edit: i forgot to mention drums... joey has used
steven slate drums for a while but he always uses different kits that will work best for the band he is producing or mixing. and besides slate products being amazing i would say they have some of the best customer service i have experienced in the realm of digital audio products.
