Today we’d like to introduce you to D. Shim.
D. Shim, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been a professional audio engineer running my own business for about eight years now. I first discovered my love and passion for music at Homestead Middle School. While in middle school, I picked up the trumpet and joined the band. I enthusiastically set out to master my instrument. Playing the trumpet every day in a band taught me everything I needed to know about music theory. Upon graduating from middle school, the trumpet became my absolute favorite instrument and I decided to continue education in music at Robert Morgan High School.
In my early years of high school, a friend introduced me to a program called FL Studio. I was fascinated with making music which led me to pick sound engineering as an elective. At that moment, I decided this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. After high school graduation, in 2009 I enrolled into Full Sail University. I majored in Recording Arts, where I learned critical-listening skills, production, sound design, recording, and mixing techniques. After graduating from Full Sail, I applied for an internship at a studio called Audio Vision in Miami. This is where I received my first real-life understanding of the audio industry. After finishing my internship, I knew I had to do something big. I knew I wanted to do my own thing. I came up with the idea to transform a room in my parent’s house into a studio. This was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. In 2010, D.Shim Productions was born.
I’ve run D.Shim Productions in this studio from 2010-2015. It was here where I started to gain a lot of traction from the local community. Being able to vibe out and connect with the community helped me gain experience and exposure throughout Miami. My desire to expand led me to get my own location. Over the span of three years, I opened and closed two recording studios in a bid to find the perfect spot, where I could create and produce freely.
In 2018, I decided to create a new approach to an old dream. I rebranded my studio to something more catchy and easier to remember. I’ve decided to call my studio Vibe Out Studios. After the name change, I began to expand my services and grow Vibe Out Studios into what it is today.
Has it been a smooth road?
Honestly, it wasn’t a smooth road; well at least not at the beginning. The closest people to me didn’t understand why I wanted a career in the music industry. I come from a Chinese and Jamaican background where my parents wanted me to have a traditional job like a nurse or banker. It was very frustrating trying to explain this type of industry and let them know I can make it a career. The way I was able to get my family to believe in me was by showing them I could sustain myself off my passion. Within three months of opening my first studio, I worked extremely hard to make good enough money to pay my bills and keep the studio running. This led to more belief and support from my family and friends.
Tell us about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I’m a producer, engineer, and studio owner. I specialize in audio engineering and music production. I have worked with artists like YFN Lucci, Bankroll Fresh, Trick Daddy, Young Scooter, and many more. Some of my work has appeared on Miami based stations like 99 Jamz, 103.5 The Beat, & Drake’s OVO radio. Some of the aired projects include Mike Smiff’s single “Now” and DJ Nasty’s single “I like” also featuring Tory Lanez and Ball Greezy.
Do you feel like our city is a good place for businesses like yours? If someone was just starting out, would you recommend them starting out here? If not, what can our city do to improve?
With the resources we have today, I believe a person can pursue a career in audio engineering or music production from anywhere in the world. In order to answer the question, I would say Miami is a great place to start if someone wants to make a career in the music industry. There’s a big local music scene out here with plenty demand of audio engineering and music production. Since the late 80’s Miami has been known to produce a lot of major talent and mainstream artists such as Uncle Luke, Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, Trina, Pitbull, Lil Pump, City Girls, and many more. We have several major recording studios. We’re also the home of some of the biggest musical events such as Rolling Loud, Winter Music Conference, Revolt Music Conference, and Ultra.
Pricing:
- Recording: $50 an hour
- Beat Leases: Starts at $29.99
Contact Info:
- Address: 14025 sw 142nd ave 33186 Unit #41
- Website: vibeoutstudios.com
- Phone: 3055209753
- Email: dshim@vibeoutstudios.com
- Instagram: @dshimbeatz
- Twitter: @dshimbeatz
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