Things You Never Want Recording Engineers To Say...

[jruberto]

I remember once I was in the studio and got curious about using a bass SPEAKER as a mic...

i recently tried a yamaha subkick (check it out if you don't know what it is) on a bass cabinet. that thing is *genius* on kick drum but it wasn't really working on the bass -- on this session anyway. but i have definitely heard tracks that have benefited from a subkick as a second source.

 

[MisterMagician]

I don't mean this maliciously, but some of that time could probably be spent practicing your timing then.

Who says my timing is bad?

 

[ryognbass]

i dread recording mostly cause im the engineer an bassist. so most of my quotes are internal or just come out as a long string of profane and jerky gestures. like this...

 

[xgator4u]

"O.K. now let's try it again. This time with more cowbell. I've got to have more cowbell."

 

[TomB]

When you're working on a for-hire project and he says:

"Not to worry, that sounds great... nobody will notice that little mistake but you..."

...and notice, and notice, and notice...!

Isn't it just a polite way of saying "it's only the bass"?

 

[sloasdaylight]

Who says my timing is bad?

No one, but if your timing is bad, then you'll get your parts over dubbed later by some one else. That's what he's saying.

I honestly don't have any horror stories yet about the studio, going in the first time on Friday, and the guy recording it is a bass player and a drummer, so he knows how to get good sounding bass and drum tracks, not to mention he seems like a cool guy who wants to mic my cab and run me DI into the board. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[JohnL]

Engineer: "That bass seems to have a lot more low end than your other one."

My Reply: "Yeah, that's because it's a 5 string..."

 

[Febs]

This:

" "

[engineer's lips moving in the control room while he is saying something to the producer that I can't hear, and glancing at me from time to time]

 

[pasta4lnch]

This:

" "

[engineer's lips moving in the control room while he is saying something to the producer that I can't hear, and glancing at me from time to time]

Ha! I've been on the giving and receiving and of that when the talkback was on

 

[Jimmy Bones]

After spending 9 hours recording:

"Yea, so my boss told me to tell you that the special we were running doesn't apply today because we have no more bookings this week."

They charged $75 an hour normally for recording, $50 an hour for mixing and mastering. Their special was a three song demo for a flat rate of $300, mixing and mastering included.

I gave him the number of my lawyer at the NLSO (JAG office on Pearl Harbor) and told him to let my lawyer know that we only paid the advertised price and that they wanted to enforce the bait and switch.

We paid $300.

 

[jruberto]

...but if your timing is bad, then you'll get your parts over dubbed later by some one else...

that's less true than it used to be. modern digital editing can work wonders. however it can be a little awkward when the band looks at the screen and sees one track that looks like a jigsaw puzzle.

but if your timing is *that* bad, it may throw off the drummer and/or the rest of the band while recording, and there ain't much i can do about that (except turn you down in everyone's headphone mix or suggest overdubbing the part later)