Kim offers consultation and assistance to other composers, producers and engineers.
The service usually takes the form of a studio demonstration. Send Kim stems of your music and he will demonstrate the composition or mix techniques (such as an example edit or mix of your track) that you need to understand to take your music to the next level. This includes a detailed written explanation of the techniques demonstrated.
You’ll be able to hear the suggested changes on your own music. For mix advice, you’ll also know exactly what processors and settings were needed to get there. For composition advice, you’ll get an in-depth explanation of listener psychology and how the suggested changes will improve your listener’s experience.
This is more than just an opportunity to improve one song/track. The goal is to help you learn the techniques and approaches that will improve all your music from that point onwards. That’s why each consultation includes a detailed explanation of the principals behind the suggested changes.
A single studio demonstration is $50 or three for $100.
The consultation process is pretty straightforward:
- Send Kim an email with a high-res MP3 of your track
- Kim will send you a PayPal link (alternative means of payment are also available)
- If necessary, Kim will arrange with you a means for transferring the stems for your song/track. There will also be some discussion about which stems would be best.
- Kim will schedule the consultation, which is when he’ll provide the mixdown (which includes his suggestions) and a detailed writeup of what changes were made.
When you’re ready, send an email to consultation at kimlajoie dot com.
What are people saying?
“Kim helped provide valuable insight during the production of our recent song. He was able to quickly pinpoint some opportunities for improvement and suggest what needed to be done to get it to the next step. The song that resulted was definitely a notch up from where it would have been without his guidance. We will definitely include him in the process when we go back for our next recording.”
– John Willoughby, Jake and the Java Cats
“Kim’s insights are very useful. He is very good at explaining the theory behind the techniques of not only “technical” subjects like mixing and mastering but also about compositional aspects of music – something that can be easily forgotten in a time where it’s all about “that sound”, but might be of much greater importance!”
– Jeroen Kerstens, http://www.justj.nl/
“I found it very valuable to have an experienced set of ears (and an impartial opinion) provide advice on my composition and production techniques.
I would definitely recommend this service to anyone wanting a (professional) outsiders opinion on their craft.”
– Rohan Lloyd
“As a solo recording artist, it’s very difficult to get perspective on your work as you labor alone in your little studio. Frankly, it starts to drive one mad. Thank god for Kim — voice of reason, 2nd set of ears, and sane little voice to point you in the right direction.”
– Shane Sparks
What if I have different tastes in music to Kim?
This service is not about making your music sound the way Kim wants it to sound. It’s about helping you sound more like how you want to sound. There’s a difference between making suggestions along personal taste lines, and making suggestions that make the music more effective for what you prefer. It’s not easy to tell the difference, and that’s why not all artists make good producers (in the sense of working with other artists).
Most people who request a consultation also provide example reference tracks that they like the sound of. There is usually some discussion around what makes the reference tracks sound great, and how their own music can be brought to that level.
How is this any different to the advice I get for free on forums?
Do people on forums remix your track from stems? And then tell you the exact settings for every processor, including why those settings were used? Do they go into depth about how each individual edit improves the listener’s experience? Didn’t think so.
Kim has been contributing to forums for years. In fact, that’s how his blog was born – as a way to centrally store lengthy responses to common forum questions. And it’s proven to be useful and widely linked. However, the blog isn’t the end of the road. People have been asking for more detailed help – above and beyond the generic advice on the blog. Forums can sometimes be less than ideal – advice is sometimes confusing, and usually anonymous. Kim’s advice and guidance fills a gap for those who aren’t 100% satisfied with forums and other free resources.
But has he released any music in the genre I work in?
Kim engages in music projects across a wide variety of genres. He is not limited to a small variety of sounds, and his composition and production experience spans everything from neo-classical music to acoustic folksy songs to psychedelic to heavy metal to hip hop to electronic. Listen to his range at Obsessive Music. With over 20 years of music behind him, Kim has the expertise and experience to take your music to the next level, regardless of genre or personal taste.
When you’re ready, send an email to consultation at kimlajoie dot com.