# Mixing Rates - What are they?



## SF_Guy (Dec 22, 2011)

What's the price range for mixing 1 minute of symphonic music? All sample based. Someone like John Rodd?

Anyone know?


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## midphase (Dec 22, 2011)

Why don't you simply ask him directly?

http://www.johnrodd.com/contact.php


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## Mr. Anxiety (Dec 22, 2011)

Let us all know what his rates are........ I'd be curious.

There are also a lot of other guys out there who are just as happening, if not more, who have their own studios to mix in.

Mr A


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## midphase (Dec 23, 2011)

I think if John Rodd gives SF Guy a particular rate, that should be strictly between him and his client.

If John would like to chime in and give out a range, that's his prerogative.


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## Mr. Anxiety (Dec 23, 2011)

OK Midphase....


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## John Rodd (Jan 14, 2012)

Well Mr. Anxiety (whomever you are)

You don't really know my situation all that well, I think... as I own a world class studio, nicer than most. Designed by a top architect / acoustician and built from scratch. 

Photos on my website. 

And you can see some comments about my work on my website. Seems a lot of people think I'm pretty "happening"

8) 


My rates vary depending on the needs of the project. Each project is unique, and is billed as such.



John.


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## mikebarry (Jan 14, 2012)

It is more usual for mixers to charge daily rates. 1000-3000 a day is a fair expectation.


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## John Rodd (Jan 14, 2012)

SF_Guy @ Thu Dec 22 said:


> What's the price range for mixing 1 minute of symphonic music? All sample based. Someone like John Rodd?
> 
> Anyone know?



It varies a lot depending on a few things - including:
- is it a demo, or a commercial project?
- would I be delivering just one full mix back to you, or a full mix & multiple stem mixes?
- attended mixing, or unattended?
- on a deadline, or not?
- stereo or 5.1?
- is the multitrack that I'd be mixing 20 tracks wide, or 150? (for example)
- am I mixing only, or am I mixing & mastering?
- how many mix revisions will you make? A few, or many pages? (I can do either, but I bill my time hourly.... so if you make a ton of mix revisions... it is only fair that I invoice for that time)

If there are a lot of cues - do the audio tracks on the multitrack have 100% consistent track names? If yes then I can make a mixing template based on the biggest cue and this will make subsequent mixes faster.

- etc.

Drop me a line if you'd like more info.

Thanks, and best regards

John


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## John Rodd (Jan 14, 2012)

mikebarry @ Sat Jan 14 said:


> It is more usual for mixers to charge daily rates. 1000-3000 a day is a fair expectation.



I work on many different projects - sometimes a few in the same week... and I find it most equitable to bill my time in 1/4 hour increments.... always rounding down..... 

This works well if I am mixing one cue (as the original poster inquired about) or a huge project.... either one, and everything in between.

I own a TON of outboard gear, but I can recall any given project in about 5 minutes, do any mix (or mastering) revisions, and upload the files - all very quickly and efficiently. I think this is a fair and cost effective way to work. :wink:


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## Mr. Anxiety (Jan 15, 2012)

John,

You totally misunderstood my comment. 

I never implied you weren't "happening". I also didn't imply that you didn't have your own studio.

You do have a nice studio......

I was implying that there are other engineers out there that do what you do as well...... and they might even have bigger credits, that's all.......if credits means anything to anybody......


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## wst3 (Jan 15, 2012)

Mr. Anxiety @ Sun Jan 15 said:


> John,
> 
> You totally misunderstood my comment.
> 
> ...



All true of course... but I would encourage the OP to strike up a dialog with John for several reasons. From his activity here one can surmise that:
1) he's very familiar with mixing virtual instruments. Don't underestimate the value, you could get e.g. Bruce Sweiden to mix your cue, and there are few mix engineers with his track record (wow - double pun, sorry), but this is not his specialty. He'd still do a great job, but it might take him a bit longer<G>.
2) John is remarkably helpful - more so than most of the engineers I've dealt with. It's really refreshing! Now if he is that generous here, imagine what you'd learn from him when working on your project!

Your point that credits are not the only benchmark is true, but, credits do provide us with a starting point. We can listen to the results and make an educated guess about the results we might enjoy.

Your point about gear is also completely on point. All the gear in the world does not make an an engineer any more than all the libraries in the world make a composer or arranger. (I think, however, that the room does make a difference.)

I do know, full well, that John does not need anyone coming to his defense, and I've never had any kind of financial arrangement with him - heck, I don't even know him except here - but I too felt that your comments were a bit edgy at least with respect to the original post.

Also, I prefer billing for actual time and materials over day rates, unless the day rate represents a HUGE discount! I applaud John for his approach. I've tried both approaches as a contractor and a customer, and if the contractor is willing to put in the effort I think actual time is far fairer to all. It is, however, a lot of work!

(Unless John has figured out a way to have one of his computers figure it out for him<G>... a friend and I tried to cull the automation data from an old console computer to compile billing stats - never did get it to work!)


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## dannthr (Jan 15, 2012)

John is also just an awesome dude!


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## wst3 (Jan 15, 2012)

dannthr @ Sun Jan 15 said:


> John is also just an awesome dude!



That does count for something...


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## John Rodd (Jan 15, 2012)

dannthr @ Sun Jan 15 said:


> John is also just an awesome dude!



As they say Dan.... It takes one to know one!

:wink: 

Comin' right back at yah.



(thanks for the kind words, btw)

John


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## dannthr (Jan 16, 2012)

Hah!

I will see you at GDC, sir!


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## Dracarys (Jan 16, 2012)

Nice studio John, and sexy Neve.
I wonder how that sounds compared to the vintage 88-R, boy do I miss her, and her routing matrix's.


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## John Rodd (Jan 23, 2012)

dannthr @ Mon Jan 16 said:


> Hah!
> 
> I will see you at GDC, sir!



Speaking of GDC- here is a link to my 1 hour lecture at GDC this year.

*Tips and Tricks of Game Music Mastering for Composers and Audio Leads*

http://schedule.gdconf.com/session/6710 ... udio_Leads


=o


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## John Rodd (Feb 25, 2012)

midphase @ Fri Dec 23 said:


> I think if John Rodd gives SF Guy a particular rate, that should be strictly between him and his client.....



Thanks for mentioning this. 

Each project has it's own set of parameters:

*stereo or 5.1

just a full mix / a full mix & many stem mixes

attended sessions / unattended sessions

few mix revisions / many mix revisions

recording & mixing / just mixing / recording & mixing & mastering / just mastering / mixing & mastering / etc

etc ....*

so rates are different for every project. 

What one project might cost hourly and overall is NOT what another (different) project would cost hourly & overall.

and...

I do my best to get people the best 'bang for the buck' when they work with me. 8) 

cheers

John


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