Stop Engineering Your Way Out of the Problem
Here's a pattern I see constantly when working with mix engineers: When things get tough - when the clients aren't coming in, when the mixes aren't hitting right, when the career feels stuck - there's an almost universal response. They dive deeper into the technical side. New plugins. Different processing chains. More complex routing. Endlessly tweaking and refining the engineering approach.
It's like having a car that's perfectly tuned for city driving but struggling on mountain roads, and instead of learning mountain driving techniques, you keep trying to make mechanical adjustments to the engine.
The Comfort of Technical Solutions
I get it. As mix engineers, technical problem-solving is our comfort zone. It's what we're trained in. It's what we're good at. When faced with uncertainty or fear, it's natural to retreat to what we know best.
But here's the truth: Most of the significant challenges in your mixing career aren't technical problems. They're business problems. People problems. Strategic problems.
Your clients aren't paying enough? That's not solved by a better mix bus chain.
Not getting the types of projects you want? A new summing setup won't fix that.
Struggling with consistent work? Even the most perfectly tuned workflow won't address that.
The Real Terrain Has Changed
The landscape of being a successful mix engineer has fundamentally shifted. The same technical skills that got you here won't get you to the next level alone. The terrain has changed, but instead of adapting our driving style, we're just trying to modify the same car.
What you actually need might be:
Better client communication skills
Stronger business development strategies
More effective networking approaches
Clearer positioning in the market
Improved project management capabilities
Breaking the Pattern
The next time you feel that urge to solve everything with technical optimization, pause and ask yourself:
Is this actually a technical problem?
What skills outside of engineering might help here?
Am I avoiding something by retreating to my comfort zone?
Moving Forward
The path forward isn't about abandoning technical excellence - it's about expanding beyond it. It's about developing new capabilities that complement your engineering skills. Think of it as adding new tools to your toolkit rather than just sharpening the ones you already have.
The most successful mix engineers I work with aren't just technical wizards. They're well-rounded professionals who can:
Navigate business relationships effectively
Market themselves authentically
Price their services confidently
Manage projects efficiently
Build and maintain professional networks
The Challenge
Here's what I want you to do: The next time you face a career challenge, resist the immediate urge to solve it with engineering. Instead, ask yourself what other skills or approaches might be needed. What new terrain are you actually trying to navigate?
Because sometimes, the best solution isn't a better engine - it's becoming a better driver.
Your technical skills got you where you are. But it's the non-technical skills that will take you where you want to go.
