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 Hola   I am a full time Audio Engineer working in a large studio. I mostly record Rock and Alternative but have experience in all types of music. Use digital and analogue gear. Also do some Live work. Ask me anything really, although I do want to stay relatively anonymous. The music industry has always held a weird place in society, and attracts a lot of people who soon come to understand the realities of what it means to be in it. It's a lifestyle choice, and completely upturns how you live day to day. Studio's have been shutting down all over the place, and the rise of digital technology has completely changed peoples ideas of music recording. I won't put a lengthy  post here, but will add relevant information to the OP if people are actually interested.Rock on! queef anxiety fucked around with this message at 19:12 on Jul 3, 2014 |
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Jul 3, 2014 19:02
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nielsm posted:So let's start with something: It took a whole lot of time and experimentation to know what to use for certain types of guitar tones. Amps, guitar, mic, mic placement. Nowadays I can pretty comfortably whack an SM57 on an amp and be confident the sound will be good. Strings also take a bit of time, getting that roomy feel can be a bit of effort. None of it is easy, but with time and a good room and knowledge of mics, it comes together. I still find new ways to record instruments every day. Malcolm posted:What software/platform is most commonly used in recording studios? Long ago I used MOTU Digital Performer on Mac OS, but I imagine Pro Tools on Windows boxes is dominant these days. I've been out of the loop though. Pro Tools is the industry standard, although Cubase is still prevalent. The fluidity of Pro Tools to cut a song and get it on the grid and in time is just unbeatable. I still prefer Cubase for a few things though, and use Nuendo a lot for rough mixes and mastering. I use a Windows PC as I am from an It background and it is what I know. I don't buy into the idea of spending 5k on a rig I can build for 2. Getting a rig that is solid with PT takes a little research but it is mostly just getting the right RAM/CPU, especially with PT 11 finally utilizing more cores. Elmepo posted:What gear (As in monitors/Mics/Amps) does your studio have? Pair of NS-10's for nearfields, JBL 4355's (newish so not 100%) for bigs. Mics: SM57's, Sm7b's, bunch of Nuemanns, AKG 421 +451 + d12's, Rhode NT2, NT1, a couple of original c12A's, and a whole bunch more. They are the most used though. Amps we don't have many in the studio but are luckily enough to have a repair shop next door that we just rent off depending on the need. Biggest mistake is not having your poo poo together before you go in. Recording is stressful and strenuous and needs to start at a good pace or can quickly dissolve into poo poo. Please have your track together, your gear. LEARN TO PLAY TO A CLICK TRACK. Understand your band and how to communicate. if that is all good then everything becomes easy and it really starts being a great time. Of course if you are coming in for 6 months and want to write a concept album things are a little different. You can chill out and spend more time writing and crafting a good sound. This is rare these days though unless you're working somewhere commercial. I do live work occasionally. It's fun, but I don't enjoy it as much. Studio gives me space to experiment and try a whole bunch of crazy things. It's art, you are creating a piece of art and have time to really dig into it and bring out the best of what a band has to offer. Live sound is just gain structure, and making sure everything is balanced and level in the quickest time possible. Plus all the organizing and lifting and driving. Don't get me wrong, it can be a wild time and I have had many a crazy night but it just isn't the same. Aggressive pricing posted:How common is drug use while recording? Do you see more or less with different kinds of music? Quite often in rock bands and the like as imagined. I don't see anything as crazy as the 70's but it is still apparent. A lot of weed, pretty much always. Coffee and nicotine, the powder normally comes out once tracking is over and the band can relax and listen to their work start to come together and add whatever input they feel it needs. I imagine there is still a whole bunch of coke going around in studios around other sides of the world. Emushka posted:Why do you think people in general feel that they shouldn't pay for music anymore? Oh god, I have been having this argument for days on another forum. I'll write up a proper answer when I get time, I'm in the middle of a session! AA is for Quitters posted:How the hell do you develop an ear for this stuff? While it is certainly something you can develop, not everyone can do it. I'm sure some people start off with better hearing but really it is just training. Listening to A LOT of music, and actively picking out everything about it you can. What instruments can you hear, how have they been shaped to fit in a mix? Is it bright? Do all the instruments have room in the mix? Does the kick drum stay out of the way of the bass? etc etc Your two most important things are Gain structure and EQ. With good preamps and an EQ you can carve your way out of almost anything. Read up on how the human ear picks out different frequencies, and which space these instruments fit inside of it. Once you think you have something that sounds ok, and doesn't hurt, pick out where everything is and if anything is getting in the way. Obviously for broadcasting your dealing with things a little differently, especially when it comes to compression. As for the talent. I think being in a band is crazy, the amount of work and dedication is incredible and I put my hats off to them. I know a lot of musicians who have stuck with it but haven't really tried to punch out of their own little scene, regardless of talent. It's sad because I think some of it is really quite good. They just cruise along and get by with there regular gigs and the odd national tour. If you want to hit the big time you need to be smashing it. Constantly touring, plugging your album, just play play play. Hopefully you'll get a break and find a record deal somewhere. Most labels want to see that they are signing an investment. They need proof of touring, recording, management capabilities, and that you have a good host of demos on the backburner and are pumping out fresh material regularly. This becomes hard when you consider the little money these guys are making and the costs to play around a country. queef anxiety fucked around with this message at 18:58 on Jul 4, 2014 |
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Jul 4, 2014 18:46
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stratdax posted:I looked in going to Nimbus years ago. I spoke with a few graduates and they said "don't bother, the recording industry is so small that you'll never get a decent career". It's true, while going down the education route is a great way to get down your basics and an understanding of what is to come, it is not going to get you a job at a studio. This is probably one of the hardest industries to get into and most major engineers won't hire anyone who isn't already being paid a good sum for their work. I was lucky enough to be friends with a studio owner and hung around for years picking up what I could until I was confident enough to ask him to give me a go. We still work together a lot and has taught me a great deal. So really just luck. The general outlook from grads and even people in the business is pretty grim, but if you have the luxury of time i'm sure you could find something in the end. polysynth posted:Do you do any formal, time set aside everyday, ear training? If so, what's your routine? Aw man, I am nearly always working or listening to music regardless. Hence the late replies to this thread! I always use albums that fill the same area of sound I am trying to achieve as a reference point. It's quite easy to go into the woods during a mix otherwise. I guess that is some sort of ear training? Only a few hours a day where i'm NOT using my ears or trying to pick out something. The Locator posted:When I was much younger, I did a lot of live mixing, and I really enjoyed it. To this day I sometimes regret not staying with it and making that my career (either live or studio). Live mixing is great fun man. You probably made the right choice if you like earning money though! I wouldn't say I enjoy music less because of that. A lot of music does lose it's mystique though. Being able to pick out all the tricks of the production values is kinda distracting. Before I thought it was amazing how good these artists were but really it's just quality production work with some tricks and a great mix engineer. Pretty much the way I see it, (incoming poo poo analogy) a band comes in and says 'ok man we want to draw a dog.' It's then the engineers job to put it all together and shape it in such a way that the final product looks and feels like a dog. We create sounds. When I listen to music now it's hard to switch off unless it is really somwthing magical. I'm always picking out the compression or the verb or the crazy poo poo they have done. I guess that makes me enjoy it more in a sense, having an appreciation for what an engineer has done to make this great recording. you lose a bit of raw excitement. I still love music, or I wouldn't be here. Of course, there is a whole lot of poo poo out sadly. Bad mastering etc. A lot of stuff ends up going under the radar because of it. But in the day of mp3's and radio everything gets compressed to all gently caress anyway. Anyway, i've been awake for 36 hours and don't want to listen to anymore punk music. Sleep. Hope this wasn't too scatty. Cheers
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Jul 6, 2014 03:25
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Hey guys, I totally forgot about this sorry! I'm on my phone right now but I'll update with answers to everyone's questions when I get back on my computer. Only 3 months late! Life of an engineer. Been busy doing projects and a 3 month migration for some other stuff. Talk soon. Edit: although it looks like some other guys have had you pretty covered! queef anxiety fucked around with this message at 08:44 on Dec 5, 2014 |
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Dec 5, 2014 08:40
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