Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dave Humble. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dave, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The Tune In Project is the most meaningful project I’ve worked on and created. I have operated Eternal Studios MIA since 2015. I had a large warehouse in little Haiti for five years and the remainder has been a studio run out of my home in North Miami. I have had the opportunity to engineer for some of the best musicians and artists from Miami. My main focus was always helping others to make their artwork the best it could possibly be. I enjoy and find it fulfilling to work with others in a collaborative way. At the same time I was also producing for a couple of artists. Through that process I began feeling the urge to make something for myself. To push my art to the forefront instead of playing more of a supporting role for others.

I started the Tune In journey not knowing exactly what the definitive sound and concept would be. I just had the idea of producing and mixing different genres and styles of music in conjunction with all my favorite artists and musicians in Miami. As a producer I am a bit like Rick Rubin in the sense that I don’t play instruments but with more of an engineering background. I began with looking for samples and sounds that moved me. As a producer and creator, I need a concept or an individual artist in mind for me to be inspired to produce. I spent the time to create a number of beats or just melody ideas leaving space for the different artists that I wanted to work with. In some cases I had the concepts already in mind of what I wanted the song to be about, but many of them I just let the artist have creative freedom to write as they saw fit.

As I was determining how I would present all of these different styles together, I came up with the concept of using radio noise in between as if the listener was changing the radio station, hence the name “Tune In”. The act of putting the songs in an order that would flow conceptually created absolute magic for me. I realized there was a much deeper story to be told. I saw for the first time that there was a narrative that was a reflection of my own story and spiritual evolution. I realized that “Tune In” like a radio could also have the double meaning of tuning into yourself on a spiritual level. A eureka moment. It was not an intentional idea at all, but the songs and lyrics just came together for me in this very empowering and meaningful way. Like I said before, some of the songs I created the concept initially but others I left to the artists’ own interpretation. Yet it all came together to form this movie of an idea to tell a story of spiritual evolution, which is something that is very close to my heart. I had to cut a couple songs that did not quite fit the story but were actually the weakest of all the songs anyway. The understanding of the full concept of the album gave rise to new ideas to create some transition songs and segues to better tell the story.

This was a 7 year process for me. A very long time for a project but more than worth the wait. I have learned through this process that my philosophy of creation is to have an idea or vision, but to have no expectations of how that creation will conclude or even how it will happen along the way. Sometimes delays are blessings and certain events need to happen or relationships need to begin or even end. We often put deadlines and pressure on ourselves to finish creative projects. It’s good to have goals and work to make those goals happen, but patience and always doing your best work is what is far more important than an arbitrary chosen finish date. When you have taken your creativity to the highest of your ability and as far as you can, you will find that the universe has a few surprises for you. The time is right when it’s right and not necessarily on our scheduled time. This is what you call Divine Timing. The Tune In Project will always have deep meaning for me and hope it will for others, but ultimately I made it for me. How it all unfolded will be forever empowering to me. It’s the journey not the conclusion that is the real meaning of it all.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I attended the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences for sound engineering in Arizona way back 2003 when they still recorded to tape. After graduating I was an intern for South Beach Studios.

In 2015 I opened Eternal Studios MIA in little Haiti and in 2019 moved the studio into my home in North Miami.
I produce for a select few artists that I have made connections with over the years.
I track, mix, master and even engineer live sound, but my speciality is the creation, production and recording stages of a music record.
Taking a demo idea to a full and professional level is what I enjoy the most.
References: The M.A.D. Man Moses, E.T.OP., Gino Cortazar, Inez Barlatier, Tewahedo, David Zilmer, Suun, American Grime

My first album release is called TUNE IN and it’s available on all platforms. More to come.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

From a sound engineering perspective, the lesson I learned is that you don’t always need to have the latest and greatest equipment or software to make great music. Besides the fact that it will cost you an arm and a leg to keep up with the Joneses with studio equipment and software. Creativity is often about using less to make more. It’s about technique and capturing the vibe of the art itself. I have bought equipment or software that I don’t even use or I’m not proficient in using. I have my go to pieces that I use and know all the ins and outs. It’s about thinking ahead too. Ask yourself will this equipment be useful or even relevant in a couple years from now. The ability to grow with it is very important.

I have spent more money than I would like to admit on equipment and software. I’m very much a gear head. I have learned sometimes the hard way that you just need a few quality things. In the recording field you really just need a decent computer with a DAW of your choice. They all do the same thing. It’s about preference and work flow. A recording interface with the amount of inputs necessary for the style of music you do. If you’re not recording a band then you only need a couple inputs. I recommend buying one high end mic preamp if you have the budget and a couple good mics. Don’t go cheap on your cables either. They are your weakest link. The rest is some studio monitors, some headphones and a midi keyboard. With that you can go a long way. You don’t have to get it all at once. You can do it over time. Gives you a chance to build your skill level and to really know your equipmen in and out. I see through the lens of an engineer, so maybe all you need is a computer, software and a midi keyboard to make demos. Then you come to someone like me to bring your production to a higher level.

The most important part is the quality of the art you are capturing in the first place. You can have all the high end equipment in the world, but that does not guarantee great music and art. Time is of the essence when recording. When artistic ideas happen, they happen fast so you want to be ready and not be lost in the technical aspects of engineering. Know your equipment and always work on improving your workflow so that you can capture those magic moments when they come.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

As a creative I can’t stop being creative. I have plan A and that’s it. If I take plan B, it’s to get back to plan A. I don’t think non-creatives think in this manner. We saw it during the Covid era. The creatives including myself accelerated and expanded our creativity during that time. We had more time to focus on our creative sides. I saw people jump head first into more creative endeavors. Even quitting their day jobs in order to pursue their creative dreams. Many of non-creatives suffered at that time. Their identity is often tied to their profession so if they lost their job then they lost their identity. Creatives tend to think outside the box and find the deeper meaning in life. Non-creatives tend to follow trends and be the consumers. We can’t all be creatives. We all play our role. Some are to play on the stage and the rest are to be in the audience.

Speaking for myself, it’s not about money or fame. I will do it for free. Creativity is something I do because I love it and I need to express myself. It’s a passion and not necessarily a means to an income though it can be. Creatives will do it even if there is no money in it. It’s a calling. For me the goal is not the money but the freedom to make art. I have been fortunate enough to have found a way to earn money making my art and helping other creatives make theirs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tuneinproject.com
• Instagram: tuneinproject / eternalstudiosmia / dave.humble.mia
• Facebook: Tune In Project
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tuneinproject