Posted by Puke on July 17, 2000 at 18:51:33:
In Reply to: Your perceptions... posted by Slider on July 16, 2000 at 12:42:40:
Well, I guess I'll give you my pathetic opinion
of all this. I'll tell it as it relates to me, because
I think all too much of this business is ran by
the same "don't know a thing" shit.
I'm in l.a., Hollywood, or whatever you wanna call
it. So that's where my view is coming from.
(I don't do a hell of a lot in the business anymore,
but at some point I'm gonna attempt to retire back
out of contracting and do music recording only.)
Way back, I was fairly timid, so we spent a lot (or
someone else spent a lot on our behalf) of money
on 2" format studios. I usually sat there there, knowing
I'd been on tour and all of that, thinking it has
got to be easier than sitting there watching these
idiots eat your money up at $50 or $100/hr. (probably
now it's more)trying to mix something and after 10 or 20
hours it sounded no better than it did when it started.
As time went on I got a little less shy (I grew up
on a farm, I knew everyone within 10 miles, so sitting
in front of a half or quarter million dollar console
was intimidating to me, and I didnt' feel proper to
say to an engineer to pull his head out of his ass
or let me do it). I was trying to get one project
mixed and a friend suggested I have a certain dude
mix it (not in L.A.)... I happened to know this dude.;
He had a studio on the cover of mix in about 1985 or 86.
SO I gave it a shot, since it was like flushing
money down the toilet anyway.
Damn, he had the first song sounding radio ready in
a few minutes, of course it takes a couple hours past
that to do the final touches, etc.,e t. But, he
REALLY helped me understand how pathetic the house
engineers were at the places we were at. Now, there
are good engineers out there, but they are usually
independent, really buzy, and cost more than the studio
itself does. (or they now own the studio and push
books). I NEVER ran on to another really sharp
engineer like this guy. I know a couple other good
ones, but it would take them more time to get the
same result.
So anyway, it's not real hard to be a good tracking
engineer. BUt quite a bit harder to make something
sound as good or better that the stuff on radio.
If you get so you can do that, and still need a job,
I'd say you really have a personality problem or
something. Anyway, my impression is that most of
the engineers didnt' give a shit enough to figure out
what to do. And I think some of the ones that
THOUGHT they cared NEVER figured out they were
competing against the best in the world, NOT joe blow
down the street.
Of course, now I'm not timid,
if I was in a studio and needed to say something
to correct a problem,
...it would get said NOW, not a second later, and
if shit didnt' happen, I'd be gone so fast your
head would spin.
There is NO sense whatsoever, of
turning out ANY product that is not the best it can
be, and DO NOT LEAVE THE CONSOLE until you know
it's the best (unless you need sleep, that's why
so many engineer's wives hate them, by the way).. Compare to the best in the world, then
put the stuff you're mixing on, then back again. Make
sure than if there is any problem left, it is
the problem of the artists lack of musicianship, and
not the "engineer" problem.
Remember, this business is full of a lot of bullshit.
Usually if you're not bullshit, you end up a studio
owner fairly quickly, but trying to find someione
to work for you who is not bullshit is a very hard
thing indeed (at least here in L.A.)I know guys
who retired early just because they couldn't stand
having to babysit their studio's 24/7 forever. You
cannot find an honest manager once you get a studio,
you have to do it yourself.
This is all, of course, my opinion. And I can't check
my spelling cause my wife wants me in to supper.
Later, Puke
- Puke... compare mine to the best? Got any suggestions as to some songs you consider to be in that category? [e] DanH 09:00:13 7/21/00
(0)