What sort of engineer are you aspiring to be?

[GarethSE]

A jack of all trades or a master of one?

This isn't to bash either school of thought, just to see how the split is.

edit: should probably go into more detail.
jeff said something in brian's latest topic on rate my mix, where he said that most engineers have a sound that they stick to or something to that effect, or that all their mixes will sound inherently similar.
I found this interesting because I find that most of my mixes end up sounding pretty different, and this is partly intentional. I don't personally believe in sticking to one sound.
So yeah, do you try to stick to one signature sound that people can really identify your work by or are you striving to have constantly different sounding mixes?

It would be awesome if people post with their reasons for their philosophy, too.

 

[Forceps]

There you go, first vote!
As I produced singer songwriters and metal bands, I think they're both interesting to mix. So I wanna be a Jack of all Trades!

 

[Rockchops]

Both, really, unless you're doing a very specific kind of music, it's very difficult to maintain the same mixing style, and it's also good to have a trademark, I mean, many bands go with Andy because they want the "sneap" sound, and when I hear an Andy production, I know what im getting, and the same goes with lot of the big guys, Randy staub, Andy wallace, they all have elements that tell them apart from other engineers.
Obviously you can't maintain the same style if you are mixing Metal or Pop, but I think there should always be something that define them as "yours"

 

[plague_rider]

I'd like to be a Jack of All trades, work on some acoustic based stuff, but i'd like to have metal engineering as my forte...

 

[Jaymz]

Master of one

 

[Ermz]

Mixing, much as CLA does. Always wanted to specialize in that.

Tracking is a great discipline too, but sitting there and waiting for most musicians to get their takes right and trying to coach them through it is like pulling teeth. There is nothing all that creatively liberating about it. Very few have the skill to get in there and nail it easily enough for you to free your mind and worry about production related elements... experimentation etc. With the mix this is all much easier, since the tracks are already there and you can go 'right brain' for a longer stretch.

 

[The spark]

Im the master of my own domain....










....but try to be a Jack of all trades when it comes to audio.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

Master of one. But I'm only really in it to record/produce my own music.

 

[gabriel g.]

You could have your OWN sound but this sound could be very different....

Take andy sneaps work:

KSE-EOH sounds totaly different to NEVERMORE

Or Colin Richardson

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND ->BULLET FOR MY VALINTINE or MACHINE HEAD

Or Ross Robinson

Slipknot iowa or the last THE CURE

Or Terry Date

Unearth - in the eyes of .. and Dredge catch without arms

I think a realy good engineer has his /her own sound but also have to make sure that each production fits the artist the most.

 

[Erik Monsonis]

Master of one, signature sound and blablabla for me.

 

[TheDude]

I've come to realize that no matter what I mix, it still have a similar character. Certain frequencies that I emphasize/cut and so on. But as soon as I think I'm mastering anything, I gotta quit.

 

[Mikaël-ange]

Master of one for me

 

[Notuern]

Id love to be über expert at the warm, fat and rich 80's productions.. but i love most kinds of music so i have to say Jack of all trades.

 

[PhilTheBeard]

jack of all trades i do whatever sounds good for that band i work with

 

[Morgan C]

I respect engineers like Bergstrand a lot more than those whose mixes sound exactly the same one album after the other. A lot more creative, and while some mixes may flop, they usually end up with totally unique mixes that work much better than a 'regular' mix would.

 

[Jaymz]

How I see the question is:

Master of...metal or average at alot of genre's.

 

[DolphinSplatter]

jack of all trades i do whatever sounds good for that band i work with

this

 

[The-Zeronaut]

i think everyone has their own signature when they are mixing (effects, reverbs,amplifiers,certain boosts or cuts in EQ...)
i think we usually go for the things we LIKE to hear on a mix

i always like the drums 2 or 3 db louder than "normal". I LIEK MAH DRUMS BIG!
some like click kicks others "boom" kicks
some like rectifiers and some prefer 5150´s
some like middy gtrs and others like scooped gtrs
some clean bass other distorted
etc

 

[ScootBaloo]

Hey, did you ask the right question in this post ?

There must be a heck a lot of you out there that are like me
and do eveything.

- Compose the song.
- Perform the song.
- Produce the song.

This requires a dizzying array of skills and I find it quite overwhelming
but also a really exciting challenge.

But to answer you question, Master of one. There can be only metal.

 

[plague_rider]

...sitting there and waiting for most musicians to get their takes right and trying to coach them through it is like pulling teeth.

With enough mountain dew i can keep my patience and temper in check so i really enjoy tracking...