Here's how you can develop problem-solving skills for a career in music production engineering.

I began with editing. It’s not enough to understand the mechanics of recording music. Understanding music itself is what separates the best engineers from the pack. True, knowing how to coil a wire is useful and understanding signal path, differences between dynamic, ribbon and condenser microphones, good mic placement with proper phase relationships are all essential, but an actual understanding of editing music requires knowing something about rhythm, time, dynamics and key signatures, all of which help an engineer/mixer rise above the pack. We had exercises in editing when apprenticing was in vogue many years ago. Try taking a spoken word phrase… any phrase, and edit it into a rhythmic composition. That requires imagination. Good luck.

En base a mi experiencia os dejo algunos consejos: 1. Aprender constantemente: La producción musical es un campo en constante evolución. Mantente actualizado con nuevas técnicas y herramientas. 2. Uso de software adecuado y consciente: Familiarízate con tu DAW y otros plugins esenciales para mejorar tu flujo de trabajo, no te sobresatures con plugins, mejor aprende a trabajar con ellos, no necesitas mucho más que par de EQ, compresores y algún otro efecto especial. 3. Escuchar activamente: Desarrolla tu oído crítico escuchando música de alta calidad y prestando atención a los detalles de la producción.

Good music production is all about effective problem solving. From mic choice/placement to optimal DAW usage, to getting the best performances out of artists, there are always challenges that need good solutions in order for the work to be its best. Music engineering, production, and even composition, has a rich history of troubleshooters who discovered unique solutions (and happy accidents!), and in doing so, created innovative and beautiful art.

Es siempre importante conocer tus herramientas e ir generando un protocolo de trabajo, que con el tiempo se hará parte de ti. Aprender a escuchar los diferentes tipos de procesadores y escoger los que se adapten a tu manera de ver la música. Tu proceso en el studio logrará optimizar el tiempo y reducirá la fatiga auditiva.

Looking back at my 9+ years of self teaching about music production and the use of a simple DAW FL Studio it has made me realise, that music theory and ear training are the key aspects in becoming a proficient engineer to tackle the principles of sound dynamics and overall clarity in the mixdowns. Also grasping the knowledge about how to play a particular instrument gives a proper more engaging insights for problem-solving while working with acoustics and signal flow of the instrument in real time. Whatever is heard out there in the radio and various digital platforms are work done by a particular audio mix engineer or mastering engineer to sound exactly the same in dynamics and overall mixdown through various output mediums.

Yes, and learn by DOING. Create real stuff with the tools, don't just mess around. Making something meaningful, (even if its only for you, and isn't the world's greatest), is profoundly more impactful than just fiddling with the tools/techniques. My path into music production was fueled by my desire to create. So I never gave up, even when I ran into stuff I didn't know. I pushed into it, messed it up, and learned how not to do it. And because of my end goal, I stuck with it. Along the way, I learned the tools!

In the ever-evolving landscape of music production, staying current with the latest technology is crucial. Familiarize yourself with new software updates, plugins, and hardware advancements. By doing so, you'll be better prepared to tackle problems that may arise from these technologies. Additionally, understanding the capabilities and limitations of your tools allows for more creative and innovative solutions. From my perspective, as a music technology educator, I can attest that mastering these advancements not only enhances your workflow but also keeps you at the forefront of industry standards. This knowledge equips you to deliver high-quality, professional results and makes you a more versatile and valuable asset in the field.

When I studied Recording Arts the instructors repeatedly reminded us to follow the signal flow when we encounter an issue at the time of recording. "follow the signal flow" meas to go to the beginning, the root, the source of your problem so all you have to do is kind of go back in time, step by step on what you did to get to where you are and at some point you will find the problem. When recording, the signal flow will guide you through every step of the process of recording from point A to B to C to your final destination and you can always go backwards from point to point and detect the issue. this is mostly how I problem solve, I ask my self what I did wrong to get to where I am, correct it and move forward.

yes of course collaboration is most definitely key to every aspect of music. Having someone you can call or chat when facing an issue will reduce the time you spend researching or trying to fix it yourself, and will allow to put more time into your creative process. Find group chats or online communities that you can rely on.

We need to teach more creativity, and one of the ways to do that is to embody a creative mindset. Think outside the way you've always done it, try something 'risky' and don't be afraid to mess up! There's always the undo button. I think that almost every great song/album out there, (especially the ones that stand the test of time), was founded on a passion for unconventionality, and the creative fire that is fueled by fearlessness.

With technology rapidly evolving and getting better we always need to be ready to adapt, also, with that being said there are so many factors such as the artist, musicians, and even technical issues that may come up so we must always be flexible and adapt and be ready to effortlessly and efficiently correct any issue that may arise.