Can Rock Music be Authentic within a Home Studio Environment?

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Tom Minter

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Hi Everyone I am doing a research study on the impact that digital technology has had on Rock music and recording, I am specifically addressing the increased use of the home recording studio and its affect or defect on rock and general record production.

I would really appreciate it if you could fill in my survey for me so that I can gather professional opinions on the questions asked.
Many Thanks!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1AjjZoKa58zD4BYPUhZnL-QhWpk0jorM987u5GaYAVtw/viewform
 
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(a) What a dumb fucking question (b) you put your survey behind a subscriber service, guess what happens...

What the fuck does "authentic" actually mean? Meaningless buzzword....
 
The world is survey fucking mad.
Last straw for me was a cold phone call wanting information regarding my wife's last stay in hospital.
I am stomping, sodding mad that MY tax ££s are lining the pockeys of some shit-for-brains survey company.

IF a company or organization REALLY wants to know how they are doing they only need to ask the staff (and staff turnover figures) IF you have happy, contented staff you will have happy contented customers.

Dave.
 
Armistice said:
(a) What a dumb fucking question (b) you put your survey behind a subscriber service, guess what happens...

What the fuck does "authentic" actually mean? Meaningless buzzword....
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Why is that a dumb question? and what does happen then? I am trying to collect data and other opinions for a study based on many things discussed in this forum so what is the problem? And by authentic I mean a traditional rock sound (which is hard to define generally) that does not make use of things like amp sims and drum triggers for example
 
I am sorry that you guys are angry that I am posting a survey in this forum but I am only doing so because you are the target demographic of people that I am wanting to address and collect answers from to make my study more valid. I thought it would be better to ask all of you than to ask students
 
Rock music can still be authentic. I can only speak for myself, but literally everything I record involves a mic on a sound. So even if I'm the last one, I still do it authentic.

I understand sims and samples place in home recording, but there's nothing rock and roll about recording rock and roll without making any actual sounds.
 
That fair enough have you ever used amp sims or drum replacements and thought they were useful at replicating micing the instruments and amps up?
 
Tom Minter said:
That fair enough have you ever used amp sims or drum replacements and thought they were useful at replicating micing the instruments and amps up?
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Useful? Sure they can be useful. In the right hands a nice sim probably sounds better than a junk amp. Sample replaced drums probably sound better than a poorly tuned junk kit with bad mic placement. My beef with sims and samples isn't the technology. My beef is with the lazy users of that technology. The sim and sample user is worse than the sim itself.
 
Okay interesting opinion many people I have spoke to have said similar things that they see it as poor engineering and a lazy way to do things. Many other people however do also say that its not about the technology or the equipment used its more about the performance I don't know what any of you would think about that thought?
 
Tom Minter said:
Okay interesting opinion many people I have spoke to have said similar things that they see it as poor engineering and a lazy way to do things. Many other people however do also say that its not about the technology or the equipment used its more about the performance I don't know what any of you would think about that thought?
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Well this is home RECORDING, not home performance, so I personally put a lot of emphasis on recording. The recording part matters to me. The performance is absolutely crucial no matter what technology one uses, but capturing that performance is important too. Sims and samples take the skill out of recording. Any idiot can download a cracked sim program and "record" guitar tracks direct without making any more noise than a pick hitting strings. Any knuckle dragging fool can use drum loops. I don't like that. That's not recording to me. Those that use and promote that technology without any experience with the real thing devalues those that have the actual skill and balls to lay it down for real into a mic. The art and skill of recording violent instruments is dying. This is probably one of the biggest home recording forums on the interwebz. There are maybe a half dozen of us in here that actually record drums.

Some people say "the end result is all that matters". And that's true for some people. It's true for the listener that doesn't care how a song was recorded. But if those listeners knew they were being lied to, they might care. The backlash against auto tune proves that people do want real shit to an extent, and they don't know how much they're being lied to.
 
Thats fair enough just what a lot of engineers and producers have said to me about performance but I think that both are obviously equal in terms of importance.
But thats very about the fact that anyone can just use and download software nowadays and just not master the art of something so do you think that because of this record engineering is a dying trade due to these technology developments and home studio engineers?
 
Tom Minter said:
Thats fair enough just what a lot of engineers and producers have said to me about performance but I think that both are obviously equal in terms of importance.
But thats very about the fact that anyone can just use and download software nowadays and just not master the art of something so do you think that because of this record engineering is a dying trade due to these technology developments and home studio engineers?
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In the home-rec world, the engineer and producer is often the same person. You can add songwriter and performer to that list of titles too. But at the very least, the engineer and producer is the same guy with budget friendly DIY stuff. In that regard, the skill of engineering is dying simply because the average home recorder is caring less and less about mic choice and placement because he doesn't have to. They don't need to keep consoles and preamps running. They don't need to know how to patch a bunch of outboard gear together. If you're not actually using any mics, then there's not much engineering going on. Engineering is not easy, evidenced by the tons of questions still asked on forums by those that do still try to record real instruments, bless their hearts. But it all depends on the person or band. Like I said, some people just don't care how their shit gets recorded. They just wanna get it down and get it out there.
 
Greg_L said:
Like I said, some people just don't care how their shit gets recorded. They just wanna get it down and get it out there.
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I think this is true in the beginning, but there are some that start to go to the next level and improve. Yes, there are a lot of fly-bys types, it kind of goes with anything requiring skill. Like wood crafts or painting, or (insert craft here). I think for every 10 that try it, at least 1 goes onto improve? (Random number pulled out of the sphincter)

Recording has a huge learning curve, but once one gets past the learning curve, it becomes a journey. Not everyone gets it, and there are many who pass through this site wanting a one button record solution, but about 1-10 stay, which isn't bad.
 
Greg_L said:
In the home-rec world, the engineer and producer is often the same person. You can add songwriter and performer to that list of titles too. But at the very least, the engineer and producer is the same guy with budget friendly DIY stuff. In that regard, the skill of engineering is dying simply because the average home recorder is caring less and less about mic choice and placement because he doesn't have to. They don't need to keep consoles and preamps running. They don't need to know how to patch a bunch of outboard gear together. If you're not actually using any mics, then there's not much engineering going on. Engineering is not easy, evidenced by the tons of questions still asked on forums by those that do still try to record real instruments, bless their hearts. But it all depends on the person or band. Like I said, some people just don't care how their shit gets recorded. They just wanna get it down and get it out there.
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Great answer Greg and I completely agree with everything you've said. Unfortunately the engineer does seem to be a dying trade and it is sad to see. I saw another recent example of technology overruling the need for an assistant engineer or engineer. It is described as "putting the engineering back into engineering" but I really don't see any benefit to an aspiring recording engineer looking to carry on this like you said talented, skilled and difficult art that is engineering, I just see this as another example of technological advances putting people out of work. This is a great product but like I said in terms of skill and job roles as an engineer it is another example of technology taking over a real persons skilled job
Watch this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATitVYJG86Q
 
And you'd certainly like to hope that the aspiring generation do do so
 
Ye very cool and useful product if like you say an individual is producing, engineering and songwriting everything himself but yes otherwise its just replacing what a person could do, and that person won't require a wage so I guess the 250-500 might end up paying for itself.
 
That's why I said intern. They don't get any wages. They get coffee and donuts. :D
 
Tom Minter said:
Why is that a dumb question? and what does happen then? I am trying to collect data and other opinions for a study based on many things discussed in this forum so what is the problem? And by authentic I mean a traditional rock sound (which is hard to define generally) that does not make use of things like amp sims and drum triggers for example
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You said it yoruself - hard to define - so what does authentic mean?
 
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