Name: Nate Edwards
Position at Sweetwater: Sales Engineer
Education: AAS degree in recording and production from McNally Smith College of Music
What was your occupation before coming to Sweetwater? I was freelancing in Minneapolis, playing bass in a club band, working as an engineer in a voiceover studio, doing radio commercials in my own
studio, and doing technical support in the studios of McNally Smith
College of Music.
Why did you first apply for a job at Sweetwater? I knew about Sweetwater because we always had the ProGear book around, and a friend of mine told me about the company culture and the great training. I thought it would be a good gig. It turned out to be a great career.
Technical strengths: I’m a well-rounded guy with a lot of technical and practical knowledge in DAWs, synths, virtual instruments, outboard gear, live sound, and best practices for composing, editing, and mixing. I view the studio and PA as a gestalt entity and can help my customers avoid tunnel vision and focus on their goals and how to reach them while maximizing their budget and minimizing their learning curve.
Favorite music-related website: createdigitalmusic.com
Instruments you play: Bass, drums, guitar, Ableton Push, and computer
Gear you own: Too much to list; favorites include my Access Virus, Moog Sub Phatty, Empirical Labs processors, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, several boatloads of virtual instruments and plug-ins, and a rotating cast of mics, preamps, and compressors.
Other stuff we should know about you (hobbies, talents, interests, etc.): I’m an EMT and a music director at a small community church. I’m big into neighborhood outreach, and I’ve been working (for far too long) on a short film about Casey Jones (of TMNT fame) but inspired more by Frank Miller and Martin Scorsese than, say, Michael Bay.
Personal motto: If it’s not difficult, it might not be worth doing.
Favorite magazine: Sound on Sound
Guilty pleasure of choice: I’m certain that I could eat a whole jar of peanut butter… based on historical evidence.
What do you enjoy most about being part of the Sweetwater team? This place is a surreal collection of smart, funny, talented people. Any kind of project you can imagine, somebody at Sweetwater is working on it, and you can get involved. It’s incredible. You’re always learning.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned at Sweetwater? Creativity means very little without a lot of hard work. A lot of hard work without inspiration doesn’t make you happy. It’s a great place to work hard and be inspired.