are clients supposed to be this difficult?

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cello_pudding

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This is my first time recording more than just some of my own stuff, or friends that I ask or ask me. So i first was like..ok, lets do a scratch, and then put things over it for finals. he was a non-believer in it, and said the performance would lack.

This guy wanted to do guitar/vocals/wife's vocals/ in 1 take.

So that took forever because one little blip and he wouldn't take it. He wouldn't do a punch in...etc.

That's just fine. Now he wants to do the songs over, because he plays them in different keys now. Okay..sure.

And now, listening back to some songs that took forever to record, have a background vocal that is out of tune, and the punch in didn't sound good to him.

We've also spent hours adjusting his egg shaker rhythm, he constantly can't hear his guitar when its way above everything to the point i turn everything down and have the guitar at maximum. we just tracked a 1 minute piano song for 40 minutes, and at the end he says...I think I should record it on my parent's baby grand piano, because the upright doesn't sound as good.

His piano playing was off rhythm, i'm using an mxl 990, and a 57, getting free studio time (i'm in the band), and he's complaining that the recording doesn't sound like a professional one and that the easiest solution would be to relocate (unmount) my gear, transport it...and use the same mics to record a 1 minute song??

i'm just doing this so i can open for the band, get exposure, and test out my equipment before i record my own music.


this is the hideous piano by the way...

http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/file.php?fid=5168

oh...and he now thinks its better to record things separate so there's no mic-bleed.

thanks...i coulda told you that 13240832409243 takes ago
 
cello_pudding said:
This is my first time recording more than just some of my own stuff, or friends that I ask or ask me. So i first was like..ok, lets do a scratch, and then put things over it for finals. he was a non-believer in it, and said the performance would lack.

This guy wanted to do guitar/vocals/wife's vocals/ in 1 take.

So that took forever because one little blip and he wouldn't take it. He wouldn't do a punch in...etc.

That's just fine. Now he wants to do the songs over, because he plays them in different keys now. Okay..sure.

And now, listening back to some songs that took forever to record, have a background vocal that is out of tune, and the punch in didn't sound good to him.

We've also spent hours adjusting his egg shaker rhythm, he constantly can't hear his guitar when its way above everything to the point i turn everything down and have the guitar at maximum. we just tracked a 1 minute piano song for 40 minutes, and at the end he says...I think I should record it on my parent's baby grand piano, because the upright doesn't sound as good.

His piano playing was off rhythm, i'm using an mxl 990, and a 57, getting free studio time (i'm in the band), and he's complaining that the recording doesn't sound like a professional one and that the easiest solution would be to relocate (unmount) my gear, transport it...and use the same mics to record a 1 minute song??

i'm just doing this so i can open for the band, get exposure, and test out my equipment before i record my own music.


this is the hideous piano by the way...

http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/file.php?fid=5168

oh...and he now thinks its better to record things separate so there's no mic-bleed.

thanks...i coulda told you that 13240832409243 takes ago
Click to expand...


Tell him he pays for what he gets and since he's not paying you he's lucky that you don't record your stool sounds over his vocals.
 
Been there and done that. I have no patience for that crap anymore. After about the 70th vocal take and the moron asks for JUST ONE MORE because it's just not fitting his "artistic vision" I'll cut him off at the knees.
 
i would have no problem if i was getting payed cheap studio time.

at this point it seems like minimum wage would make me a millionaire.

the wife is pretty annoyed with the amount of tracking time too.
 
sounds like he didn't have his act together. It's a good idea for artist to do some pre production with a four track or somtheing.

After the whole key change bit, I would have told him to get out, and don't come back til your ready.
 
Unless the person is close friend AND talented, I would recommend to never record for free or "By the Project". Many people will not respect your time and waste as much of it as they can. When they are paying by the hour (whatever cost you feel) they are more respectful of the time they spend in the studio. Before I record a band I tell them to practice as much as they can before coming in. Studio time is NOT rehearsal time.
 
Might want to have your upright tuned, though, it sounded a little chorus-like, which is never good.
 
Fishmed_Returns said:
Studio time is NOT rehearsal time.
Click to expand...
Unless they're paying by the hour, then they can use their studio time to clip their toenails for all I care :D.

If it is the rare special situation where I'm doing pro-bono or a set project bid, I'd try to get a time limit in there; e.g. "I'll give you 4 hours, then I gotta get back to my paying jobs," or, "I'll track your 4 songs for $500, or give you a maximum of 8 hours of studio time for $500, whichever comes first."

G.
 
zacanger said:
Might want to have your upright tuned, though, it sounded a little chorus-like, which is never good.
Click to expand...

Without listening to the clip :o , there it is right there. If you are running a studio for fun AND profit, you have to do things like have your piano tuned before each project, session, whatever is necessary, and bill the client accordingly.

Let this be a lesson, and draft a contract that clearly spells out expectations before you take money from someone, or let them waste your time.
 
Hey Cello,
There's a point in this escapade where you simply say "If you insist on doing it your way, then we need to discuss my rate. Otherwise it's time to start doing doing this my way, which happens to be the way most any producer or engineer would steer the project after the first dozen scrapped takes". Alternately, you can say "if you insist on doing this in one concurrent pass, then I must insist that you come back when you and your wife can consistantly nail it in one pass". I have a feeling that's just not gonna happen though, so I'd go with the first option. ;)
 
TexRoadkill said:
It's funny how much things change once they're paying by the hour.
Click to expand...

This is the truth. Nothing will make a take sound better to a musician than putting them on the clock:)
 
Yeah, you need to set deadline by which the guy starts paying studio time. Like when he wants to re-track songs he's already tracked, then you need for it to become a paying gig.

Blame you wife. :D You know, "my wife is pissed because I'm spending so much time on this and it's not bringing in any money", etc., etc.

Southside is right, there's a time limit and then you've got to go back to paying work. Or just spend your time working on your own stuff. That's actually kind of paying work, at least I always feel that way. I recorded an album a few years ago that is still bringing me royalties and some sales. So time you spend in your studio on your own projects is potential income producing work.
 
yeah....i play in this band, so it would be strange to have him pay.

but...i didn't record one instrument today...and i play like..6 in this band.

we did 3 songs...and dallied in 2 others.

they came at 9:30...and only took breaks for lunch and supper...they just left.

we practice tomorrow.

he was like..after we practice..we can record taht piano.

i was like...maybe in your mind...but...i don't want to move my junk
 
and...the piano is about 100 years old...

its pretty close.

i do need to tune it...haven't tuned it with a tuner for more than 5 years...
 
cello_pudding said:
and...the piano is about 100 years old...

its pretty close.

i do need to tune it...haven't tuned it with a tuner for more than 5 years...
Click to expand...

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
Tell this fucking clueless diva he's got one more session to get it right and then you're pulling the plug. Your time is worth much more than this.

"Nice guys finish last" may be a cliché but it exists for a damned good reason.
 
I've only had a few that really got under my skin like that. Most of the time I'm workin' for charity or working with people I know already. When I get into a new act situation like that and it's more of a business deal, I'll spend just a little time up front and talk about what the talent is expecting then tell them what I think is the best approach and make compromises accordingly. Once we have an agreement, I sell a block of time. After that, we change directions or approach, it's by the hour. I don't care if he/she wants to go at it all night long. The hourly will add up pretty quickly.
 
In that sound byte, I hear what sounds like a metranome or something ticking. The piani sound a little out of tune to me as well. Like an old time saloon upright.

Just my observations
 
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