For those of you who long to be a "pro" engineer...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Harvey Gerst
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I didnt work in publishing but I dealt with people in the magazine industry alot. This girl I went out with a couple of years ago worked for a movie magazine and I would hear about what went on all the time. I worked in financial PR for a while and interfaced with people from all parts of the PR world including publishing.

what kind of writing do you do?
 
Losing interest are we? I have a couple of comments. First, a quick story. I was in the Iso booth doing a vocal take while the violinist was to practice along in the main room for a subsequent take. A luscious vintage stereo mic was up already above him, plus a mic to make up the M/S pattern, and the pre's were dialed in. My girlfriend (not bitch) was *gasp* in the control room, where there wasn't a no talking sign, and unbeknownst to me, had the brilliant idea to tell the engineer to punch in the violinist, and not tell him. I sang the first verses and choruses, and then waited through the violin solo, which I had written. The violin wasn't mixed into my cue mix, so I heard nothing till, when I was getting ready to sing the third verse, the control room exploded with applause and cheers. Puzzled, I ripped the cans off my head and went into the control room to see what happened. The violinist came in right behind me, and as the tape was rolled back and the play button pressed we both heard the most incredible violin solo come out of the monitors that either of us could have imagined. It was one of those moments that magic happens in the studio, and would never happen so perfectly again......not in a million takes. I married that bitc....girl. So, there's my commentary about girlfriends in the studio.
Band members missing, distracted by girlfriends? Explain to them about recoupment, and vanishing monopoly money.
I'm still enjoying reading this, though I wish that there were a little more nuts and bolts info mixed in with the bitching and moaning. I care a little more about the recording process than about mixermans aversion to trough urinals. But hey, nobodys paying him to write this, so rant on , I guess.
RD
 
I find this story totally fascinating. I would say that over half of the job description of an audio engineer is to be a psychologist/counselor. It's amazing to me that Mixerman has even stayed this long.

I would have walked out as soon as the "gak" showed up. That is simply not tolerable with me.

-c
 
crgman said:
I find this story totally fascinating. I would say that over half of the job description of an audio engineer is to be a psychologist/counselor. It's amazing to me that Mixerman has even stayed this long.

I would have walked out as soon as the "gak" showed up. That is simply not tolerable with me.

-c
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As if fatties werent bad enough.

Its pathetic how adolescent and unprofessional the music industry still is decades after so many have died and had careers destroyed by blow and everything else. Aside from its profound destructiveness, rule no. 1 in recording is that your judgement is extremely compromised by shite in your system.
 
Right on. While fatties are benign enough (except in inexperienced heads), once the weasel dust breaks out, that's always a clear sign the session is toast. Beyond being grossly unprofessional, it puts a layer of haze on the brain that makes any sort of coherent judgement impossible. I've seen too many recordings turn to complete ass from that shit, and that last installment from Mixerman is my idea of pure hell. Willy needs to be fired for allowing it (and especially if he supplied it), and the band needs to be slapped upside the head.
 
Mixerman gets my vote!

This guy is an incredible writer.

Leaving aside the moral debate about drugs (I'm a non-smoking teetotal vegetarian, but who cares?) Mixerman's instalments from the studio are breathtakingly hilarious.

This boy sure knows how to write a story and what a story it is. I never thought the daily musings of a studio engineer could have any literary merit, but this takes some beating. If this gig falls apart then Mixerman has definitely got a career in writing. I read the whole of his diary today & was amazed at how well the story kept my interest. And as for poor Cotton......I'm a drummer & I have some sympathy for this poor guy, but if he can't hold it together at this level of the business it's just tough. Not many drummers get to the level of major label studio projects so it's only fair that Mixerman should have his reservations if this guy can't keep time.

More to the point, not many engineers get to the level of major label studio projects, so I think that tells you all you need to know about Mixerman. His nagging perfectionism is what makes the whole thing so damn funny. Though I felt his pain when the "crowd" invited into the recording room started moving the mics & the amps. Don't they understand???!!!

Nice one. Will definitely keep reading.
 
This story continues to be well documented and a wonderful opportunity to be a "fly on the wall" in a professional recording situation.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if anyone beside Mixerman actually started acting like a professional. But I suppose the story might not be as fun and unpredictable if they did...

Mixerman - you are doing a great job and THANK YOU so much for allowing us to watch from the sidelines with your remarkable insight, wit and candor.
Best Regards,
Anderew
 
I ANYONE HAS BOTHERED TO READ THIS FAR...Funny story, entertaining, good. engineers disdain for everyone around him... predictable. engineers have the luxury of being armchari music critics. They do not have to preform so its very easy to walk and talk like they are one up on all. In fact, were the roles reversed would Mixerman do so well playing his instrument under less than freindly conditions. Maybe not. That is not to say some points are not valid, only to say that the attitude is just the usual engineer bullshit. And for that I have a bit SO WHAT. That's his cross to bear. In the meantime, I think some Televsion producer should consider a series based upon this story.
 
Jack Hammer said:
I ANYONE HAS BOTHERED TO READ THIS FAR...Funny story, entertaining, good. engineers disdain for everyone around him... predictable. engineers have the luxury of being armchari music critics. They do not have to preform so its very easy to walk and talk like they are one up on all. In fact, were the roles reversed would Mixerman do so well playing his instrument under less than freindly conditions? Maybe not. That is not to say some points are not valid, only to say that the attitude is just the usual engineer bullshit. And for that I have a bit SO WHAT. That's his cross to bear. In the meantime, I think some Televsion producer should consider a series based upon this story.
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Mixerman is a very good keyboardist and he has contributed keyboard parts to many hit records in the past.
 
This has been very entertaining to read. I agree with comments about his writing abilities -difinitely captivating. Am I missing something or is there nothing yet written past week 3? Last I read Mixerman was commenting Friday morning about his all-night session and his hope that he would not have to go in that evening. I'm eager to see how things progress -not to mention how Fast Fingers is going with his great studio space.

Azimuth
 
theres a link down at the bottom of week 3 for week 4, If you can't get to it that way go to the mixerman forum,and go to week 4
 
Am I the only person who thinks that those sessions are the furthest away from being professional !?!?......

Having been part of the market from both sides Engineering and producing I find the whole thread extremly entertaining but NOTHING like the real life I have ever encountered.

I have yet to meet a top end producer so impotent like Willy...perhaps there are some around...I have never meet someone who sits in the producer chair (as a big name producer) and when hearing badly played percussion become speechless and answer with a "uhhh...."

I have never been on a session were the engineer walks in and just records who ever seems to be standing in the booth at the moment as thousands of $'s go down the drain. That is irresponsible at the least !!!. I cant think of a single engineer I know let things come to what they are. I say with 100% conviction that almost every engineer I know would quit by now or put his foot down with the producer and ask for set rules to work with.

Which record company lets a band come in and decide for themself (as the story goes, it seems each member decides what he wants to do for the day by himself....?!?!?!?) and let this gone on for weeks ?!?!?

I have yet to see such a session were somebody else was footing the bill (beside the band) and yet see a engineer let things roll the way they are and the producer let the recordings be so uncontrollable.
If I was the engineer or producer I would be expected to be fired.
Or in worry of my name being tarnished.

My guess is that this is all a nice fantasy. Entertaning well written but If I had to choose an engineer for a very serious project, Mixerman would not be my first choice no matter how good he can be becuase (if all this story is real) responsible he isn't. Money or no money...I would have quit myself in order to save my reputation.
 
I'll speculate but I think there's way too much specific detail about the people involved to be a pure fantasy.

Sounds like almost every hard rock/heavy metal session I did in 2 years as a session drummer in L.A.. One can't compare these types of sessions to jazz, country, or almost any other type of music because the vibe is way different, and the musicians (in many cases) are not as skilled professionally. The producer sets the rules, and many producers don't want to lay down a nazi-like regiment because it tends to put the band in a bad mental space. That being said Willy definitely lives at the loose end of the spectrum.

I'd hire Mixerman in a second, because he knows his shit, doesn't take himself too seriously, and is willing to experiment even if he personally disagrees with the concept. I've met a lot of engineers who are so dialed into their methods, they don't want to move out of that space. And every band they record ends up sounding like Boston (or whatever band they dig).
 
Shailat

I think there are some other politics working here that mixerman is not going into. Both Willy and he are definitely putting up with a lot of stuff. This may be one of those, the singer is the nephew of the president, kinda things. This would explain the tolerance levels of the two pros in the mix.
 
Bdgr said:
Has anybody else noticed Day 15 is missing?
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I did. I was trying to figure out why there seemed to be a lack of continuity and realized there was a party or something and that day was left out.

A few of my opinions regarding people saying:

"Why doesn't MM just quit. I would soooo be out of there"
If memory serves me correct this is his big break. It sounds like he has done lots of engineering (he had passed the producer in the halls before, he mentioned) but he eludes that the big labels were saying "Mixer who?" when the band wanted him in. If he comes out with a good product it could mean a very different career money wise for him. Also, if they band has a big hit I know the Producer get's a % of money from sales, and if I'm not mistaken the chief engineer recieves a smaller portion. He's holding a lottery ticket and is doing anything he can to make it pay off. Who would want to walk away from that knowing that walking would effectively end their chance at working with the big labels?

"Why doesn't the label just pull the plug?"
2 million reasons why. Plus, doesn't the cost of the recording come out of the advance given to the bands? I always understood it to work that way (unless that is just with smaller labels). And if that is the case the label doesn't give a rip how much of the band's money the band is spending to make the record.

"Why doesn't MM exert more control of the sessions"
I think Harvey wisely pointed out many of the reasons why, he's not the one in control of the sessions. As far as not allowing the bass player to sing or the singer to lay guitar tracks, he can't. He's not paying for the studio time, the band is (or the label if my previous assertion was incorrect). He is there to facilitate their creativity and hopefully capture it on tape, not to run how the band goes about playing the music. What if something genious came out of the switcheroo (I know a long shot, but still...)? He can't dictate their creativity. Notice how even the Producer didn't try to stop it but instead, after realizing nothing good was going to come out of it bailed out (because he could! ;) ) and left MM to mop up.

"How can this band stay together when they don't get along?"
"Why do they even bother...they're going to break up anyways?"
I have been here. And while my band wasn't in the studio with 2 mil on the line, we were headed somewhat close to there. I think one thing is that studio's bring out the worst in bandmates. There is something about the experience that is just totally stressful. I think it is that everyone knows that you are laying down what people are going to hear from you until the next album and it's that permanence that makes it so important to each member that it sounds exactly like THEY want it to sound like. The problem arises when people don't see eye to eye. I have heard stories of everything from band's breaking up in the control room, to actual fistfights where the engineers are trying to keep combatants off of the board. It's crazy. Why do they stay together? They know that they have made it further than 99.9% of gigging musicians out there and that they have a chance at something big. There is nothing like a hit record to make members overlook each others disdain and even hatred of each other.....for a little while :D

"Why the hell is there video games and basketball. Why would a studio even have that stuff around?"
Big label projects last for weeks and oftentimes months on end. It is very rare that everyone is actually present and playing except when laying down drum tracks. Studios offer up these lounges as alternatives to sitting in the control room, to relieve the stress for the members that aren't needed at the time. It's good for the musicians to get away from the music when they don't need to be there. It keeps music related fatigue away, and let's them get away from each other if need be. Unfortunately the engineer is the one who probably needs the most breaks but in reality gets the least.

"If I was there I would run things totally differently..."
I would answer this two ways:
1) That may be why your not there....
or
2) Get there, and while trying to stay there, write and tell us how you are doing it differently :D

I think it's a great column, but one thing makes me wonder about it's authenticity (or I should say "that it is happening right now")...they had to move the articles because it was being read so heavily. It would seem to me that SOMEONE associated with the project would see these columns and bring it to the attention of the producer or someone else that would land MM in trouble. How many Cotton's can there be in the studio's right now. I know he changed names, but if he really nicknamed that guy Cotton and they are all calling him that, then it would seem this is far from an anonymous band. If the members cought wind of this it would be a disaster. How are they gonna feel reding what he thinks about them? If he just made up the Cotton nickname and the laughter surrounding it, then it's still anonymous because there are lots of crappy drummers in studios right now, but if the name really is being said...well it would just seem he would have too much to lose to really write and release these columns.
 
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