An Engineer's Most Important Job

[NYMorningstar]

An Engineer's Most Important Job? It's mixing the coffee. Everything else is secondary, especially on Monday morning.

 

[Fletcher]

I'll be ready with the SSL commands...Go to Title Execute!, Cycle Drop-In Execute!, Play Mix From Here Execute!, etc...

Those are "G Series" commands [if you had done play join mix from here it would have been an "E Series" command]. I know those desks inside and out [can even make them do some stuff they don't mention in the manual!!]... it's the "j" and "k" series computer where I refuse to take the time to learn the command set.

FYI... a year out of school to "sitting in the chair" isn't all that unrealistic... but it ain't gonna be on a Pearl Jam session. After a year you'll just about know how the equipment works... you won't have a real idea of what to do with it and definitely won't be able to "wow" any real clients... kids that want a fast and dirty demo... yeah, they'll worship you... real records? They won't even know you exist.

Plan on a good 5 years of assisting for large to medium artists, sitting in the chare for minor label work and demos... but it'll usually be a good 5 years before you're even considered for a gig in the big leagues. If you're really good you can jump from AA ball to the big show... but most of the brothers play a year or two in AAA before they come... and every year there is a rookie of the year who will often go on to become something of a commodity... but I'm getting way ahead of it all.

Be prepared to spend SEVERAL years after school actually learning the trade... making coffee is a means to an end, the end being full time, gainful employment.

Peace.

 

[legionserial]

I have to say this thread is really inspiring to me..I an amateur. Althogh all my life I have been fucking around with the record button on a tape deck of some kind. I was lucky enough to have a dad that got into the computer industry before I was born, so there was always a computer of some kind with a sequencer to screw around with.

This was just a kid having fun however...its only now I realise the purity of that. A few years ago I did some experiments with my guitar, a P2 333 and acid music with some drum loops.

Anyway...enough of my life story...

I only started getting serious a year ago, after a 3 year hiatus from music (read: being a lazy stoner). 90%+ of what I learned originated in some way from HR.com.

Very recently I have been struggling with myself. Constantly stressed an insecure about my work. Pissed of with myself and my ability. Worrying that it doesn't sound professional enough. I am never totally happy with my abilities.

In the last week especially I have been ready to throw in the towel. Probably because I have been asked to give a guy a CD of my music so he can use it to go on a documentary he has been commissioned to make....and the trailer is being shown at the Cannes Film Festival, with my music playing on it. Never before have I pressured myself so much to get it perfect. The guy is happy with the CD I alrady gave him, and thats a bunch of no so good mixes from 6 months ago when I knew even less. Perhaps I should take note of that.

Reading through this thread, I realise I am being pretty dumb..in a way.

I see some posters on here that really know their stuff, and reading through what they have to say, I feel inspired. I started my first project in JULY '05 (just took a look at the files). Less than a year ago.

Lee you mentioned that many professionals still feel insecure about their work sometimes. Fletcher you said that it can take you between 5-7 years to listen to an album as an album without stressing over it. It feels kinda good to know that the real professionals, the guys that know what they are doing still feel like that. Its also made me see reality a bit more. I have been learning this stuff for less than a year for Christs sake. What business do I have expecting myself to be able to pull off a mix like what someone with years of experience could do.

I feel a little more confident in myself after reading this in a way. I know my limitations more now, and I know that just because there is room for improvement, doesn't mean I suck. When I realise that I have been doing this shit for only 10 months. I realise I have learned a lot, a hell of a lot. I know I'm a fast learner but I feel kinda impressed with myself in way. And to be honest, thats thanks to everyone on here lending and sharing their knowledge. I would know nothing if I hadn't stumbled on this place one day while I was trying to find out why my mixdowns weren't loud enough...lol

On the other side, my insecurities, and my endless perfectionism are perhaps a good thing. If I can see room for improvement, then I'm gonna work on improving it, rather than getting pissed off and thinking I'm not cut out for it. I'd rather be that way than think I know it all. Cos I don't. Not even a fraction of it. But the way I see it, if I can do what I can do after 10 months, imagine what I'll be able to do in another 10 months. Thats the way I like to look at it.

So basically...thanks guys, I would say that a lot of you I see almost as mentors...tutors and inspirors. Not kissing ass. Its just a fact

Oh and sorry for the huge rambling post...

 

[TuoKaerf]

I feel confident when the artist feels confident about a mix. I'm the kind of perfectionist where I'm never really happy with anything (that's why I'm sitting on like 30 songs of my own material that'll never see the light of day...).

You get to a point where you just need to bounce the mix and hand it to the artist for review. If they dig it, you did your job.

 

[dgatwood]

The cocaine, hookers, blow up dolls, strippers, video games, lubricants, candles, posters of hot girls, or other stupid and pointless items....that's all the producers territory.

Just as long as they don't ask for a naked picture of Bea Arthur, we're all okay.

 

[Fletcher]

feels kinda good to know that the real professionals, the guys that know what they are doing still feel like that. Its also made me see reality a bit more. I have been learning this stuff for less than a year for Christs sake. What business do I have expecting myself to be able to pull off a mix like what someone with years of experience could do.

You should expect 100% perfect results each and every time you set foot in a room... you should expect to be as good as Ed Cherney every minute you're sitting in the chair. You should push yourself to do the best work you are humanly capable of doing... while you're learning at every turn.

It doesn't matter if you have 1 year or 30 years in the chair... do the best work you are capable of doing every minute of every hour you're sitting in that chair. There are no excuses, you have someone's music in your hands [might even be your own music]... you owe that music 100% of your attention and 100% of your dedication to making it the best product it can be.

Last night I stopped mixing after I sat back, listened to the mix and decided that I was "overdoing it". I decided to take some time and get some space between me and the product. Today I'll jump right back into it and probably undo about the last 2-3 hours of work I did as it seemed like the product was getting a little too "wet" when I left last night.

On this particular mix, this is my second attempt at it. The client liked the first attempt but I thought it sucked so I'm taking a second stab at it [on my own dime... if the client likes the 'second attempt' he'll be more than welcome to buy it... but I'm doing this for me. While the client was cool with my first attempt I didn't feel like I captured everything there was to capture... I didn't feel like I got the song to feel as good as it could possibly feel so I'm giving it another shot... but I'm doing this for my own head... because I'm not satisfied letting out work that isn't "right"... on the other hand, once this mix is done it will indeed take 5-7 years before I'll be able to listen to it and not say to myself "damn... if I had only done ____... what the fuck is wrong with me?"

To quote my dad... "experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted in the first place"... hopefully you'll get what you wanted in the first place every time so 10 years in the chair won't give you nearly as much "experience" as it does/did for me.

Peace.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Today I'll jump right back into it and probably undo about the last 2-3 hours of work I did as it seemed like the product was getting a little too "wet" when I left last night.

Remind me to deduct 3 hours of billables from the next invoice you send me

Just kidding. We all have gond back and throown out hours of work that just turned out to be crap in the harsh light of day. The key is not to look at that as a point to quit, but rather as a point to re-do it better.

G.

 

[djhead]

I went to Conservatory in AZ too. I did my Intership over a t Saltmine. My mistake was that i did it right out of high school, in my drugs and partying stage, so most of what I've learned is lost on me. For what I paid, it was not worth it. Sitting here on the forum, and practicing at home have taught me much more practical (and lucrative) practices.

 

[Harvey Gerst]

What Fletcher is describing is known in the trade as "What was I thinking?".

 

[LeeRosario]

You should expect 100% perfect results each and every time you set foot in a room... you should expect to be as good as Ed Cherney every minute you're sitting in the chair. You should push yourself to do the best work you are humanly capable of doing... while you're learning at every turn.

It doesn't matter if you have 1 year or 30 years in the chair... do the best work you are capable of doing every minute of every hour you're sitting in that chair. There are no excuses, you have someone's music in your hands [might even be your own music]... you owe that music 100% of your attention and 100% of your dedication to making it the best product it can be.


Peace.

I think that was one of the most important parts that I had forgotten to bring up a goot point to, but of course is worth highlighting.

You never stop learning in all this. Or should I say, your drive for learning should never stop. I think if there's something I like about this place is that there seems to be an infectious thirst for knowledge.



If re-mixing (not to confuse anybody with a "remix", which is something else) a song 30 times isn't insanity, I don't know what is.

Yet, you guys know what I'll be doing every day at 3am. Yep, you guessed it, re-mixing another song all over again. For personal improvment.



And of course, I wouldn't dream of doing that on the clients budget and time.

 

[Fletcher]

What Fletcher is describing is known in the trade as "What was I thinking?".

Thinking?

Who the fuck said anything about thinking?

I don't "think" when I work... I just over-react.

 

[chessrock]

I've know plenty of really excellent engineers that are a pain in the ass to work with and clients don't return to them, I know this because they show up at my place and compain about said engineers.

Either that or you just get all the complainers that the other guys don't want to deal with. "Say, I know this great engineer, Sweetnubs, and he's tons better than me. Sorry I'm so busy, maybe next time?"

On a serious note, though, I'm not sure if this has been said or not ... and I know it's totally cliche' but you know the whole 80-20 rule that applies to customer service also applies to engineering or most any job for that matter. For those who aren't sick of hearing it , you spend 80 percent of your time listening and 20 percent talking.

Keep in mind that artists are, by nature, somewhat sensitive creatures, and sometimes they just want the reassurance that you're listening and paying attention to their wishes. Sometimes, this is extremely difficult to do, because some musicians don't know when to shut up or talk any sense, so you need to remind yourself over and over how important it is to make the client feel like you are being attentive and that you hang on their every word. Even when they're driving you insane.

.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

I know it's totally cliche' but you know the whole 80-20 rule that applies to customer service also applies to engineering or most any job for that matter. For those who aren't sick of hearing it , you spend 80 percent of your time listening and 20 percent talking.

Back when I was in tech support we had a completly different definition for the 80/20 rule:

80% of your trouble calls will come from 20% of your clients.

G.