{"id":78488,"date":"2026-11-02T13:03:31","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T12:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hofa-college.de\/?p=78488"},"modified":"2026-11-02T17:59:50","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T16:59:50","slug":"the-path-to-your-own-professional-recording-studio-an-interview-with-raik-menzel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hofa-college.de\/en\/blog\/the-path-to-your-own-professional-recording-studio-an-interview-with-raik-menzel\/","title":{"rendered":"The Path to Your Own Professional Recording Studio \u2013 An Interview with Raik Menzel"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Raik\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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With the AUDIO DIPLOMA online course, Raik Menzel has turned his dream into reality: Today, he runs his own recording studio and makes a living from producing music. In this interview, he shares how he achieved his goals.<\/p>

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How did you first get into music production?<\/h4>

I originally come from a hip-hop background. Like many others, I started out with a simple \u20ac80 microphone in my bedroom.<\/p>

Over time, I realized that my strengths weren’t necessarily in making music as an artist myself, but rather in working with other artists and producing their music.<\/p>

I was already looking for ways to develop my skills further when I came across HOFA-College and decided to enroll in the AUDIO DIPLOMA course.<\/p><\/blockquote>

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You’re now working full-time in music production. How did you get there?<\/h4>

After completing the HOFA AUDIO DIPLOMA, I went on to earn my bachelor’s degree through your partner, Triagon Academy, followed by a master’s degree in Project Studies.<\/p>

My bachelor’s degree initially helped me get a better-paying job outside the music industry, which allowed me to reduce my working hours. This gave me more time to build up my own studio business.<\/p>

After completing my master’s degree, I was finally able to focus entirely on being self-employed.<\/p>

Today, I can honestly say I’ve turned my hobby into my profession. Of course, some people were skeptical at first. But I strongly believe that if you have the determination and discipline, you can make it happen.<\/p>

For me, it’s a double success: I’m living my own dream while also showing others that it’s possible.<\/p><\/blockquote>

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What did you particularly like about the HOFA AUDIO DIPLOMA?<\/h4>

For me, the biggest advantage was being able to learn with my own equipment.<\/p>

Some educational programs give you access to professional studios and high-end gear that you might not have available later on. I wanted to learn how to get the best possible results from my own setup.<\/p>

That’s exactly what HOFA allowed me to do. The flexibility was another major benefit, as I could easily fit the course around my full-time job.<\/p>

I think this approach is especially relevant today. You don’t necessarily need a huge studio to achieve professional results.<\/p>

For example, I often work with artists who record their vocals at home or even in hotel rooms. Some of those productions have actually made it into the charts.<\/p>

So it’s not necessarily about how expensive your equipment is, but how well you know how to use it.<\/p><\/blockquote>

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Practical assignments and individual mix analyses are an important part of our courses. How did they help you?<\/h4>

The mix analyses really helped me improve my skills. What I particularly appreciated was being able to reach out whenever I had questions and getting quick answers through the chat.<\/p>

Especially when you’re starting out, it’s easy to get stuck in a loop while mixing because you’re unsure about certain decisions. Having an experienced engineer listen to your work and give you feedback was incredibly valuable.<\/p>

The most helpful modules for me were the ones where I could submit my own songs for analysis. Some of these were already real client projects.<\/p>

I received specific suggestions for improvement that I could immediately apply to my everyday work.<\/p><\/blockquote>

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You already had some experience before starting the course. Did you still learn a lot?<\/h4>

Absolutely! The course is structured so that even complete beginners can get started without any problems. At the same time, the content gradually becomes more advanced.<\/p>

Even though I’d been producing music for years, there were still some fundamentals I hadn’t fully understood.<\/p>

A great example is compression. I’d been using compressors for years, but it wasn’t until I took the HOFA course that I truly understood what a compressor actually does.<\/p>

Before that, I was mostly turning knobs and relying on my ears. Afterward, I had a much more systematic approach.<\/p>

That made a lasting difference to the way I work.<\/p><\/blockquote>

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What advice would you give someone who’s considering taking a course at HOFA-College?<\/h4>

I’d recommend the course to anyone who wants to refresh their knowledge, build a solid foundation, or take their audio engineering skills to the next level.<\/p>

But you have to be willing to put in the work and stick with it. Audio engineering is a marathon, not a sprint. You need discipline, persistence, and a genuine passion for what you’re doing.<\/p>

I think HOFA is particularly valuable for anyone looking to build a professional career in the music industry.<\/p>

And the AUDIO DIPLOMA also provides a great foundation if you’re planning to pursue an academic degree afterward.<\/p>

That’s the path I took, and it worked out really well for me. So I can definitely recommend it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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You want to learn all about audio engineering and music production?
<\/strong>The AUDIO DIPLOMA online course from HOFA-College will give you the complete knowledge and practical experience for excellent sound.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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“Before, I was just experimenting. Now, I have a system.” With the HOFA AUDIO DIPLOMA in Sound Engineering, Raik Menzel has turned his dream into reality: Today, he runs his own recording studio and makes a living producing music. In this interview, he shares how he achieved his goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":78482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[126,129,127,121],"seitengruppe":[],"class_list":["post-78488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-video-en","tag-career","tag-hofa-college-en","tag-interview-en","tag-music-production-en"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t