SAE Institute, which was recently recognized as being the best audio engineering college in America by Vibe Magazine, welcomes digital recording pioneer and Grammy-winning engineer/mixer/producer Charles Dye to the faculty of its audio technology program at its Miami campus.
Dye will be working with students who are pursuing certification in, and eventually careers as, audio engineering professionals.
“To have an active and respected pro like Charles on our team gives our audio technology program students a huge advantage in their education, and will provide them a valuable competitive edge when they hit the job market,” says Vincent Brooks, Campus Director of SAE Institute Miami. “They’ll be learning from one of the world’s most influential educators in digital recording and mixing, and the useful insights they’ll be gaining from Charles will be immeasurable.”
Dye grew up in Michigan and Ohio, and studied audio and video production at Ohio University School of Telecommunications in the late 80s. He recorded and produced albums for area bands while still a student, and upon graduation, began working for Grammy-winning songwriter/producer Desmond Child in recording studios in New York and Florida.
By the early 90s, Dye became an early adopter of digital audio workstations (DAW) – specifically, Digidesign’s Pro Tools system – and was in-demand for his ability to create edgy, punchy, and aggressive aural treatments of a project’s sound components.
In 1999, he was the first engineer/mixer to create an entire recording in a hard disk system via his work on Ricky Martin’s #1 pop hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca” – which changed the course of how mainstream pop music was produced, engineered, and mixed. He engineered and mixed 5 additional songs on Martin’s English language debut release Ricky Martin (including the hits “Shake Your Bon Bon” and “Private Emotion”), for which he received 2 Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations.
Dye went on to work with such artists as Jon Bon Jovi, Shakira, Sammy Hagar, Lauryn Hill, Aerosmith, Jennifer Lopez, Frank Sinatra, and many more. His work on Thalia’s album Arrasando – which was entirely produced and recorded using Pro Tools – won him a Latin Grammy for Best Engineering in 2001.
“I love teaching and helping people how to express themselves through their craft, so the opportunity to share my knowledge with SAE students is win-win for all involved,” says Dye, who has toured the world teaching “Mixing In The Box” master classes for Digidesign’s DigiWorld events and also created the critically acclaimed “”Mix It Like A Record” mixing course. “The school’s curriculum is complete and well thought out, and it gives a broad intro to a variety of topics, areas, and subjects that students can choose to focus on, and that employers are looking for.”
Along with teaching at SAE and operating his Ranch Labs mixing studio in Hollywood, FL, Dye is busy mixing Puerto Rican singer/songwriter Ednita Nazario (Sony Music) and Mexican rock artist Alejandra Guzmán (EMI Latin). He’s also studying film directing and screenwriting at UCLA.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with SAE grads over the last 10 years, and I find them to be extremely well-prepared,” says Dye. “I believe that job opportunities for engineers, mixers, and producers are on the rise, and the reborn music industry is about to return to the vital and thriving place it was 10 or so years ago – which means that it’s a great time for SAE students to be getting into the business.”
