About Esbee Records
Esbee Records (📀Beats 📀Recording 📀Mixing 📀Mastering) is a simple and cool studio from Germany. Last month (June 2020) they won the Zaor Studio of the Month competition, therefore we decided to ask Sascha Becker (Founder of E.R) a few questions about his work and studio life…
#1 Why did you start Mixing?
Well, at the beginning I only did beats, but I quickly realized that the song just wasn’t complete. I felt somewhat unsatisfied. That’s why I started looking for artists for my projects right from the first beats. I practically did vocal recordings, mixing and mastering right from the start for me the project ends after mastering. So it was clear to me that I couldn’t just do beats. Magic just happens when mixing, every mix is different, it’s special. You can work on so many things. I just love to conjure up certain effects from vocals which then make the finished song a hit.
#2 Things You need to Setup Your Home Studio?
Well, I think., the starting position is different for each producer. It is now possible to get an initial set of equipment at a reasonable price. I personally started with inexpensive equipment. I work with Logic Pro X for Apple, Yamaha HS7 monitors, a UAUDIO Apollo Twin audio interface and a Neumann TLM 103 microphone. I also equipped my studio furniture from Zaor, Akustik GIK Akustiks and Addictive Sound.
#3 Budgeting: Choosing the right Gear and Studio Furniture
When I was at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt in 2017, I looked at countless items. At some point, I came to the Zaor booth and sat at a studio desk (Miza Z). At that time I didn’t have my own studio and I was dreaming. But I knew I wanted this desk in my studio. After a few projects and a lot of work, I was finally able to fulfill the dream of my own studio.
If you love music like I do, but you still can’t make a living from it, then all you have to do is start small, work hard and get closer to your dream bit by bit. So the budget is different for everyone. I have been investing in student accessories, equipment, plug-ins, software, etc. for almost 5 years.
A tip that I got from the multi platinum producer O.Z. is: “you can only afford it if you can afford it 2 times“!
#4 Copyright & Ethics: Mixing skills - How far can I go?
The music world is fast paced and new songs appear every week. The consumer who sits in the subway with small headphones definitely doesn’t hear the full range of mixes we do. I am fully aware of that. But I think a producer should grow with every mix. Always something new to try, new plugs to test and further education. I personally always want to be able to identify 100% with the end product. Because my name is under this product. Therefore it is irrelevant to me how deep I am in the mixing. The end product has to be right.
#5 What is the real life of a music producer like?
Haha, I can’t answer this question yet. I have a main job with which I finance most of my work. My dream is to be able to live from music at some point. That’s why I’m currently working a lot. Full-time and part-time so that I can live my dream at some point. So far I can only say music is exactly what I want to do all my life. Of course there are difficult “customers” but there are also those who really appreciate your work. I make music because I want to leave something to the world that survives myself. I want my daughter to be able to proudly say in 50 years, “The song here, Dad made it” Dad was the greatest!
