October 29, 2016

Meet Atlanta Record Producer and Mixing Engineer: David

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to David.

David, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m a Russian producer and mixing engineer currently living in Atlanta, GA. I’m 30 now and I’ve gone a long distance from poor Russian province to the place where I am now.

Born in Volgograd (better known by its former name Stalingrad), Russia. In mid-nineties, when I was a kid, my home country was recovering from a massive political, social, and financial breakdown of 1991. None of us had computers or the internet back then. So at the age of 11, I was given my first compact cassette with Metallica ReLoad album on it. Listening to music, sharing and exchanging tapes with friends was the only indoor fun we could have without any investments. And I guess that’s when I decided I wanted to play music not just listen to it.

Five years after that I was already playing drums and touring with the punk rock band I started at high school. We didn’t have any studios in our town so we had to learn the recording craft by ourselves. And to be fair we were very bad at it. Probably because we couldn’t just google the answers to all the questions we had. But that’s how everything started.

The band made it till 2011. After producing some of my own songs I started helping other artists to get a better sound and that’s how it slowly became my full-time job.

What are your plans for the future?
Most of my favorite producers and engineers such as John Feldmann, Manny Marroquin, and Andrew Scheps say that they never stop learning. So, first of all, I want to keep on growing and mastering my craft. The rest will inevitably follow.

Let’s explore some of the challenges you’ve faced along the way. What was the most difficult part of your career so far?
If we discuss the career itself, not the life challenges that we all have to face sometimes, I’d say the hardest part was the final decision when I said that I wouldn’t go to the office anymore. I used to have a regular job that gave me money and stability but took my sleep and happiness in exchange for that.

I’m blessed with being married to the woman who always puts happiness and harmony before any material profit. That was my wife who supported me and helped me to make that step.

Are there days when you feel like you’ve done everything you wanted to, careerwise – the “I’ve made it” kind of moments?
It happens in some way every time I finish projects. I mean it’s not some exact day or time when you say “Yep! I’m there now”. I guess this whole thing is not about the result but about the process. I’m enjoying the process.

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