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Things You Never Want Recording Engineers To Say...
- Thread starter capnsandwich
- Start date
- Mar 1, 2004
- 348
- 25
- 53
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: RotoSound Strings / Mono / Beyerdynamic
"Hey guys, your reel of tape has become stuck to itself but I think I can fix it by putting it in a food dehydrator"
This actually happened and the food dehydrator actually worked.
This actually happened and the food dehydrator actually worked.
Like others have said, its all about getting the best final result.
Sometimes you have to suppress your ego and submit to the greater good.
I've been on both sides of the fence. Years ago, I was with a band that got signed by Columbia. We were booked for two days at Capitol Studios in Hollywood. The producer brought in Jim Keltner and Tim Drummond on the 2nd day. I saw it as an opportunity to learn from a master and it was a great experience.
Not quite related but this year I had the pleasure and the privilege of working on a recording that Kevin Doyle was engineering. Kevin did lots a Glenn Goulds recordings as well as things as far removed from that at Alannah Myles. Anyway, we'd finish a take, there would be silence and you would hear Kevin say, "Sooooo, what did you guys think?" That meant we had to do another take. 
Amazing experience.
Amazing experience.
First day of tracking for an album, the engineer sits down at the console, looks back at us with a worried face and says "so many knobs and buttons -- what do they all do?" Luckily he was just joking and everything turned out fine!
Where are all these tools that freak out at the sight of a new bass? I love it whenever someone brings some new instrument in to record that I haven't messed with before.
As an engineer, from the other side of the glass, the worst I've heard is at the end of the session when I expect to be paid I get "Hey we didn't bring enough cash, can you cut us a discount?". To top it off, when I was young and inexperienced I'd often make the rough mixes before being paid so I had no leverage.
As an engineer, from the other side of the glass, the worst I've heard is at the end of the session when I expect to be paid I get "Hey we didn't bring enough cash, can you cut us a discount?". To top it off, when I was young and inexperienced I'd often make the rough mixes before being paid so I had no leverage.
MikeBass
Supporting Member
- Nov 4, 2003
- 11,943
- 3,140
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist- Suhr basses, PedalTrain, GHS, Ultimate Ears
JoshB
A great man is always willing to be little. -RWE
Then you're not going to the right guy.
I get hired as an engineer because of my ears, my ability to pull tones out of my ass at a seconds notice, my training and most of all, my ability to make you sound GREAT on a record/EP/demo/jingle/etc. If you're unwilling to take constructive criticism in the studio, then you shouldn't be there. Live and studio are two VERY different animals...trust me, I have experience in both worlds as an engineer AND as a bass player.
Now...if the engineer doesn't know what he/she's doing on the other hand, you're in the wrong studio.
This happened when my previous band was recording a demo, after we had almost finished a particular track, after several days of tracking.
"Hmmm.. not sure what I did there, but it seems the track recorded at half speed for some reason.."
We managed to get a handle on it, but every time he opened that song file he had to fix the sampling rate to get it to play at normal speed.
"Hmmm.. not sure what I did there, but it seems the track recorded at half speed for some reason.."
We managed to get a handle on it, but every time he opened that song file he had to fix the sampling rate to get it to play at normal speed.
I don't care who it is on the recording, I just don't want to lose the respect of my bandmates.
Nice!
heard a great joke:
What did the Protools Engineer say to the singer . . . .?
That sucked, c'mon in!
HAHAHAHA I'm going to tell that at the Audio Engineering Society convention next month!
This...
There's always a diplomatic way to tell the band they're getting a better product for less money if they use another (translate: better) player.
My go-to guy for drums is Brian at www.drumoverdubs.com
Then you're not going to the right guy.
I get hired as an engineer because of my ears, my ability to pull tones out of my ass at a seconds notice, my training and most of all, my ability to make you sound GREAT on a record/EP/demo/jingle/etc. If you're unwilling to take constructive criticism in the studio, then you shouldn't be there. Live and studio are two VERY different animals...trust me, I have experience in both worlds as an engineer AND as a bass player.
Now...if the engineer doesn't know what he/she's doing on the other hand, you're in the wrong studio.
YES!! Often the engineer has to be the producer as well. "Yes sir" from the engineer/producer means you'll have recordings without the benefit of expertise or a fresh set of ears.
Good music, like a good band, is a collaborative effort.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pasta4lnch View Post
Nice!
heard a great joke:
What did the Protools Engineer say to the singer . . . .?
That sucked, c'mon in!
HAHAHAHA I'm going to tell that at the Audio Engineering Society convention next month!
Of course, don't forget the tage line..."We'll fix it in the marketing."
Originally Posted by pasta4lnch View Post
Nice!
heard a great joke:
What did the Protools Engineer say to the singer . . . .?
That sucked, c'mon in!
HAHAHAHA I'm going to tell that at the Audio Engineering Society convention next month!
Of course, don't forget the tage line..."We'll fix it in the marketing."
when i'm paying, i never want to hear:
"i know start time was a half hour ago, but can you guys just hang out
for 30 more min. while i finish up with this other client? thanks!"
- i've heard that one a few times. and walked out of a few studios
with my deposit money.
"i know start time was a half hour ago, but can you guys just hang out
for 30 more min. while i finish up with this other client? thanks!"
- i've heard that one a few times. and walked out of a few studios
with my deposit money.
Then you're not going to the right guy.
I get hired as an engineer because of my ears, my ability to pull tones out of my ass at a seconds notice, my training and most of all, my ability to make you sound GREAT on a record/EP/demo/jingle/etc. If you're unwilling to take constructive criticism in the studio, then you shouldn't be there. Live and studio are two VERY different animals...trust me, I have experience in both worlds as an engineer AND as a bass player.
Now...if the engineer doesn't know what he/she's doing on the other hand, you're in the wrong studio.
I'm not saying that your expertise wouldn't be appreciated, in fact it would be expected as long as it is preempted by me or one of my guys asking you: "what do you think?"
"So, i get paid in nature. Right?"
"Oi drummer, dont play so hard!" (Our drummer hits HARD as -something-)"
"touching myself, in the moonlight, thinking of little boys"
(Now when he mumbled that he seriously worried me)
"YOU CALL THAT A BASS!? THIS IS A BASS *pulls down his pants*"
(It's a good thing we know our studiorecorder quite well)
"So, who's buying me pizza today?"
(Sometimes, we have to feed him to)
"Heil -evil dictator with funny hair"
(Oh well, thats how we greet eachother, nothing seriously tho, just for fun)
"Hm, thats NOT supposed to be smelling like that *looks at an old amp*"
(An very old amp shortcircuted when we plugged it in, loads of dust)
"I wonder how much i could make out of selling you boys... hmm.."
Do notice that he is a good friend of ours and one good mixer.
Acctualy, one of the best in the middle-parts of Sweden. So we were extremely happy to work with him.
"Oi drummer, dont play so hard!" (Our drummer hits HARD as -something-)"
"touching myself, in the moonlight, thinking of little boys"
(Now when he mumbled that he seriously worried me)
"YOU CALL THAT A BASS!? THIS IS A BASS *pulls down his pants*"
(It's a good thing we know our studiorecorder quite well)
"So, who's buying me pizza today?"
(Sometimes, we have to feed him to)
"Heil -evil dictator with funny hair"
(Oh well, thats how we greet eachother, nothing seriously tho, just for fun)
"Hm, thats NOT supposed to be smelling like that *looks at an old amp*"
(An very old amp shortcircuted when we plugged it in, loads of dust)
"I wonder how much i could make out of selling you boys... hmm.."
Do notice that he is a good friend of ours and one good mixer.
Acctualy, one of the best in the middle-parts of Sweden. So we were extremely happy to work with him.
I remember once I was in the studio and got curious about using a bass SPEAKER as a mic...
Engineer - "You'll have to re-record the bass..."
Me - "Eh? Why?"
Engineer - "It's not tight enough..." (I was starting to get annoyed - we'd recorded everything WITHOUT click-track coz our drummer had never played to one and I didn't have anything except me in the headphones when we tracked it live...)
A couple of days later I asked the producer "Hey, can we try that speaker for a mic on my bass amp?"
His reply - "Ok, but only if you don't mind not hearing it..."
Fair enough lol (he wasn't being awkward - I was just inexperienced and we had time restrictions...I WOULD have liked to try it out though)
...whilst talking to the producer "You're spending DAYS putting every little thing in time with a click that wasn't there before...you may have to make some adjustments but surely it would've been better if we'd used a click?"
Producer - "It doesn't really matter if you use a click or not, we've still gotta spend ages doing this..."
...IS THAT TRUE? (I personally can't imagine it taking anywhere NEAR as long...)
Engineer - "You'll have to re-record the bass..."
Me - "Eh? Why?"
Engineer - "It's not tight enough..." (I was starting to get annoyed - we'd recorded everything WITHOUT click-track coz our drummer had never played to one and I didn't have anything except me in the headphones when we tracked it live...)
A couple of days later I asked the producer "Hey, can we try that speaker for a mic on my bass amp?"
His reply - "Ok, but only if you don't mind not hearing it..."
Fair enough lol (he wasn't being awkward - I was just inexperienced and we had time restrictions...I WOULD have liked to try it out though)
...whilst talking to the producer "You're spending DAYS putting every little thing in time with a click that wasn't there before...you may have to make some adjustments but surely it would've been better if we'd used a click?"
Producer - "It doesn't really matter if you use a click or not, we've still gotta spend ages doing this..."
...IS THAT TRUE? (I personally can't imagine it taking anywhere NEAR as long...)
