Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Truelove.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I got started recording music when I was in high school, 2007. At the time my cousin & I were interning doing online talk radio, I was the producer/mixer of a show called SdOnlineRadio & my cousin wanted to make music that we can play during the show (because of licensing we weren’t allowed to play a lot of popular music).
I had an iMac as an early graduation present, which had Garageband recording software on it. My cousin Toby bought me my first microphone to record his rap songs. & I was hooked from there!! I realized I can record any sound on my computer & SO MANY different ways to manipulate it, make it sound better/different/ or even worse haha.
Something about it told me, this is where you belong! it just felt right. I never played an instrument & all of my friends were in bands. I always tagged along to shows as the ‘roadie’ or march guy. I quickly found that the behind the scenes stuff was more interesting & an art of its own.
Over the years I met & began recording different local artists (mostly hip hop & rap, but did some acoustic songs for friends in bands.) All these artists have taught me what I know today. Each would ask for something different in their music, & id have figure out how to make that happen! I became fascinated with microphones and different recording tools. I would read magazines & watch youtube videos for days.
Along the way, I started to develop a sense for producing records, I began to understand song arrangement, organizing the sounds, breaking things down in sections, & would sometimes make suggestions to an artist that would completely change the song.
I would say that I am self-taught because I never went to school for what I do now, but really, it was all the artists & friends I’ve worked that taught me… I’ve met some of my best friends through music & learn some my greatest life lessons, from the experience of making the music.
Has it been a smooth road?
DEFINITELY NOT. aside from the personal struggles of having a son at 19yrs old, and navigating life as a young single father. Engineering is sort of like a lost art, in the sense that there’s not a ton of credible information out there about it. you really have to dig deep to find the right answers, & even deeper to get the right questions you need to be asking (if that makes sense).
It’s something that takes a long time, a lot of experience, & knowledge like that isn’t taught, it can only be learned, through time. Not a lot of people do this, but I’ve been fortunate to meet some friends that also an engineer, & one key opponent has been our willingness to share information & knowledge with each other. Not only that but there are only a couple professional studios in San Diego if I lived in LA, I’d have more opportunities.
That’s why I’m EXTREMELY fortunate to have found Roy, @ Rarefied Recording Studios. He offers a professional quality studio, at an affordable rate. I can get independent artists into a pro studio like we see the top billboard artists working in! I get to use microphones and high-quality analog recording gear, just like the guys in the magazines! that was exciting!
I discovered this studio 3yrs ago, & it changed my career. I went from recording people in home studios part-time, for $10/hr. To recording in the studio full time for $50/hr.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a recording engineer and music producer. I can record anything you need, music, podcasts, commercials, audiobooks, ‘ADR’ or dialogue for movies. The majority of my work is recording hip-hop/rap artists & I sometimes produce beats/songs for them. A lot of times, an artist will book the studio,& come in with the music ready to record their vocals onto it. I will record them & mix the vocals w/ the music, getting it ready for radio or streaming services.
Most artists I work with have an ongoing relationship with me, & as that relationship builds, I become more a part of their music. They begin to trust me & allow me to incorporate my ideas into their music. At that point, I cross the line from just being an engineer, into now producing the song and ideas with you.
I think what sets me apart as an engineer, is that I’ll allow this process to happen. I feel like a lot of people are very set in their ways of doing things, and I believe that that can really hinder the artist and the art for that matter. The art isn’t ours, it’s just made through us, we are like a vessel, I do not own it, so I let the ego go, and I don’t constrict the process. I DO NOT DO the same thing with everyone, every artists and situation is different
I’ve learned the rules so that I can break them!!!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The city is flourishing with culture right now!! & music is a direct reflection of that, I think San Diego music is in a good place. There’s a lot of talented artists out here, & there always has been. They just need to find a way to be heard or get their voices louder. with that said, yeah its good for my business because there’s always people that want to make music.
I’ve worked with Rob Stone & he’s making a lot of moves in Lemon Grove to better his team, which has helped bring a little attention towards the city. San Diego is a good place to work, BECAUSE everyone else is having fun, if you put your head down and really grind, you can do something here!
Pricing:
- Studio time $50/hr 2hrs minimum
- Beats/Production starting @ $200/track
- Online Mixing service $100/song
Contact Info:
- Website: https://soundcloud.com/justintruelove
- Email: justintruelove.music@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixedbytruelove/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mixedbyTruelove
Image Credit:
Chris Gonzo, Hollywoodeiman, Xavier Green, Endo Rosales
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
