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JIMMY DOUGLASS, RECORDING ENGINEER, MIXER, AND
PRODUCER
From a very early age, Jimmy Douglass had a
passion for music. As much as he
loved listening to it, he loved to play it even
more. He took piano lessons, but taught
himself to play guitar, bass, drums, and
keyboards, and performed in a number of
bands around Long Island, New York. While he
was attending college classes, a friend
of a friend got him a part-time job making tape
copies in an Atlantic Records record-
ing studio. While there, he took advantage of
occasional down time to learn how to
work the studio's sound and recording
equipment. That knowledge, combined with
his experience as a lead musician in bands,
convinced him that he had the ability to
become a music producer.
Encouraged by the studio staff, Douglass tried
his hand at producing the demos
for three bands that he hoped to help get
recording contracts. He had to be convinced
to double as engineer, because he had only
watched others perform that function, but
had never actually done it himself. When he
took the final tapes to Atlantic in an
attempt to get the bands signed, he was told
that the label did not care for either the
songs or the bands, but they were really
impressed by the production. Deciding that it
didn't matter what position he played as long
as he got into the game, Douglass
switched his focus to sound engineering and
mixing, and each job led to the next.
Over the years, Douglass' skills as an engineer
and mixer put him in great demand
with artists like the Rolling Stones,
Foreigner, AC/DC, Genesis, and Aretha Franklin,
and finally led him into producing. As music
evolved in the late 1980s, and came to
rely more on digital technology, he found that
the sound he had developed was no
longer selling records. Essentially taking a
year off to learn the new technology and
absorb the new sound, Douglass returned to the
streets, offering his services cheaply
to gain experience working with emerging urban
musicians. Transforming his
approach, he was soon back in the studio,
producing platinum projects with Missy
Elliott, Lenny Kravitz, Ginuwine, Aaliyah, and
Timbaland. Nicknamed Senator Jimmy
D, he explains, "When you're mixing, you're
often off in the room by yourself, but
when you're recording you have to be a
diplomat--it's so political! So I call myself
`Senator Jimmy D.'"
www.myspace.com/jimmymagicmix
ENGINEER · SECOND ENGINEER
JOB OVERVIEW
These engineers are charged with set-up,
connection, and notation of all the
equipment to be used during a recording
session. They serve as backup for the engi-
neer, taking on his board duties when
necessary.
CASE STUDY:
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