I had some guy griping that his username was already taken here at the RecordingReview.com forum. I deal with this sort of thing daily, but this time the guy actually claimed to have the name trademarked. I thought, “Hmmm. This is interesting”.
The username in question was “Mixerman”. A quick search in Google pointed me to a certain book called The Daily Adventures of Mixerman, which promised to be a true insiders look of the day-to-day goings on in the major label big boy land. It seems our Mixerman was a real engineer doing the kind of records that people used to pay for.
Mixerman and I shot the shit a bit through emails, he gave some advice on consoles (coming soon), and he helped me out considerably. In return, I snagged a copy of his book from Amazon and off we went on our separate paths.
I generally try to read a book a week, but I usually have 4-5 books I'm reading at any one time. It took a while for my queue to make it to the Mixerman book.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
You see, I'm a very busy dude. I always seem to attempt to squeeze more than is physically possible into any given 24-hour period. The end result is I end up getting mad and demoralized when I feel the rippage from the overstuffing. If you've got some dirty ideas in your head, you are not too far off track.
As I turned from page 1 to page 2, I find myself being reminded of that chapter in Mind Of The Market (Michael Shermer) where he explains how the brain's pleasure center juice causes us to not want to stop certain behavior. In short, this damn book turned me into a temporary crack addict. I simply could not rationalize putting it down. I felt I was committing treason every time I stopped reading it. My only savior was the finite number of pages. I don't find many books that keep me THIS hooked....and I read a lot of freakin' books.
What Is The Stupid Thing?
The Daily Adventures of Mixerman is a daily journal of everything that happened on a major label gig from an audio engineer's perspective. No, he didn't document compression ratios and attack times, unfortunately, but he certainly painted a vivid account in a non-holds-barred fashion as to what it's really like being a “big boy”.
I think, deep down, all of us home recorders who've been beat up and down by our local clientele have always wanted to sneak a peak at what the big guys are really up to. All the sessions I've attended didn't get much done. Now I know why.
I came very close to seriously “going for it” in big boy studio land (another story for another time) and always wondered what it would have been like if I had chosen that path. The are certain delusions of grandeur that the greener grass of big boy land intoxicates as we struggle with often closet-sized room, micron-sized budgets, and even smaller-sized talents.
I can't think of a way to get any closer view of the engineer's perspective in big-boy land than The Daily Adventures of Mixerman.
Fair Warning!
Mixerman is a certain breed of human......a hair cynical, highly intolerant of bullshit, even less tolerant of idiocy, quite intelligent, and maybe even a bit smug. To put it frankly, he's an asshole. At the risk of insulting Mixerman, I've got to call a spade a spade. Mixerman is honest. He says what he thinks and I laughed HARD dozens of times.
It's no wonder he had people flipping over his once-publicly viewable journals. Honesty is about as welcome as birth control in a Catholic orgy these days with the one exception (which just happens to be this book's core demographic): other assholes. (It taking one to know one may apply.)
Conclusion
The Daily Adventures of Mixerman is a MUST READ for anyone who owns a microphone. The humor is on the crude side (which MAY offer some explanation as to why I enjoyed it so much) and the old Make Twain quote about the difference between fiction and non-fiction being fiction has to actually be believable may apply here. In short, this story is INSANE.....therefor proving it's validity.
Just one note: Because this is a journal, don't expect a giant Lord Of The Rings battle at the end with the good guy coming out on top. The ending isn't a bad one, it's just of a Sony Picture Classics-style ending as opposed to however Bruckheimer ended his last “movie”. Order The Daily Adventures of Mixerman (Book) Today. 11 Responses to “The Daily Adventures Of Mixerman Book Review”
na118 Says:
October 26th, 2010 at 8:10 am edit
Went to the website to check out what appears to be the first few chapters of the book. Looks sweet, think I'm going to add it to my Christmas wishlist (after KHR, of course). It seems that assholes or guys that don't really care if they piss anyone off definitely are the most entertaining to read.
Also, it beats me why he didn't return a message titled "F**k you", if someone sent that to me I'd be immediately intrigued, which was probably your reasoning behind it.
devastone Says:
October 26th, 2010 at 12:39 pm edit
I've read MM since the days when it was public on the web, and there was more on the web than made the book (which I also own). Lance even took up the daily diaries while in NY, courting the princess (unfortunately this did not make it to the book). I laughed until I cried for most of the book, highly addictive, and it dispels most of not all grandiose ideas of what it's like to work in the "major leagues". It also coins the term "Wegro" (okay, maybe it's not the first use of the word, but it was a first to me).
devastone Says:
October 26th, 2010 at 12:42 pm edit
Just an FYI, the diaries are still on the web: http://www.mixerman.net/diaries1.php
Although after you start reading you will be moved to spend the $16.50 on the print version of this classic work of literature.
IMAWriter Says:
October 26th, 2010 at 12:45 pm edit
brandon, I also read what seems like most of it on line. I'll give nothing away, and I TOTALLY concur with your assessment. I was hooked, and didn't leave the computer for 7 hours at one stretch. It IS addictive.
After working in the big city for 18 years, I have a hunch who the producer was, though several could easily fit the mold, drugs being the common denominator.
AsWeGoHomestead Says:
October 26th, 2010 at 2:16 pm edit
I read this book a couple months ago and agree it is must reading for anyone that enjoys home recording. I got hooked on his website with the free read chapters and had to finish it. I found this one totally entertaining. For a novice like me it was enlightening to exactly what goes on in real studio recording sessions. It was well written and made me feel like I was in the studio watching it all happen. Haven't laughed so hard in ages. You gotta get this one and read it!
devastone Says:
October 26th, 2010 at 3:09 pm edit
No need to guess, it's public knowledge now, http://www.myspace.com/eric.sarafin
Read the Sept 1 blog...
solidwalnut Says:
October 27th, 2010 at 12:38 pm edit
Yah, I started reading it when I stumbled upon it on the web and then picked up the book last year and read it. It will sure cure anyone from thinking that 'they all have it together' at the top of the industry. It cured me from even wanting to be associated with the top of the industry! Although I'm sure that there are some fine people at that level...Ehh, to each their own.
perpprog Says:
October 28th, 2010 at 9:25 pm edit
Bought the book on your recommendation this morning. 1/4 of the way through already. Loving it! Thanks Brandon!
Jonny Hightower Says:
October 29th, 2010 at 3:37 am edit
Yep. After reading the online version (thanks for the link devastone), I concur that it truly is a great and addictive read! I am definitely going to buy the book.
tona9101 Says:
November 1st, 2010 at 4:43 pm edit
dammit! I ordered the book, started reading online on his website, now I've read all the website and been without my fix for three days! The book should come tomorrow!
Mixerman Says:
November 10th, 2010 at 8:37 am edit
Hey Dave,
Sorry I didn't respond to your correspondence. I'm not really sure I got it, but I can assure you a header of Fuck You would not bother me in the least.
Thanks for the great review! Can't wait to read your review of my new book Zen and the Art of Mixing (now available)
Enjoy,
Mixerman 
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