I've come to the conclusion that a studio sound is only found in ... a studio

MCI2424 said:
Actually, a friend of mine who is big in New York City and who owns a studio told me that he has had home studio engineers come to apply for a job. They bring recordings that they spent months on that were blow mind. The problem is that in real pro studios, they must do this 20 or more times per year. The fact is that pro recording/mix/mastering houses have to crank out acceptable product very quickly and on budget. They do not have the luxury of endless time and need the tools to fix any recordings they did not track. There are so many things that go wrong that are out of control of the houses, yet they are expected to deliver acceptable product on time and budget. Home recording cannot be put in the same light as pro recording. One is a hobby and the other is a business.
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You're talking about the person...the engineer....which is not the same as the studio, the gear. If they guy needs to fumble around until he gets it right (we’ve all been there) then of course, he’s not ready for prime time, but I solid “home/project” studio engineer should be able to work in a pro environment fairly easily. I’ve seen some guys in pro studios who call themselves engineers and producers…and you know, sometimes they too look like they are flying by the seat of their pants! :D
Also, while home studios can have the luxury of time...that's not always going to yield great product....nor will "pro" studios always yield great product. There are "pro" studios who are in business for that sole purpose, and they too can churn out crap.
I've had friends bring me tapes from a "pro" studio, complaining it didn't sound as good as what they wanted, however, their budged was limited and the "pro" studio only gave them their money's worth.
We ended up re-recording in my home studio, and everyone involved agreed it was way better.

There's just too many ingredients to consider when comparing home/pro...often, the most important being the actual talent. Big $$$ pro studios tend to attract more talented people because they are already established talents and have the funds (not always, but you get my point).
Home studios tend to attract the local garage bands who usually suck and have no $$$, though that too is not always the case.

But to get back to the OP's original premise...a well appointed home studio can achieve pretty much the same thing that *most* "pro" studios can today...with the exception of those places that are true *world class* facilities and that have the rooms the rest of us can only dream about.
Point is…gimme a real good band to work with, and the effort and timeframe will not be much different than what they would encounter in a “pro” studio environment.
 
kcearl said:
isnt there an inbetween...make "artsy" music (whatever that is) and sell enough to make a comfortable living without aiming for the ferrari/supermodel/mansion?
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A good example that comes to mind is Lamb. They even had one of their songs on Music Box, before it degenerated I think into VH1?
 
Theres really no such thing as "studio sound". There are so many artists out there mixing and matching what they record in different ways. TV on the radio, Beck, Flaming Lips CSS to name a few. Just look at what you're using, how you're using it, in what room you're using it in and how your micing/recording it. Sure, if you want an "expensive" korn(y) like sound you gotta do what they did. Otherwise make some other sound(s) cool.
 
miroslav said:
You're talking about the person...the engineer....which is not the same as the studio, the gear. If they guy needs to fumble around until he gets it right (we’ve all been there) then of course, he’s not ready for prime time, but I solid “home/project” studio engineer should be able to work in a pro environment fairly easily. I’ve seen some guys in pro studios who call themselves engineers and producers…and you know, sometimes they too look like they are flying by the seat of their pants! :D
Also, while home studios can have the luxury of time...that's not always going to yield great product....nor will "pro" studios always yield great product. There are "pro" studios who are in business for that sole purpose, and they too can churn out crap.
I've had friends bring me tapes from a "pro" studio, complaining it didn't sound as good as what they wanted, however, their budged was limited and the "pro" studio only gave them their money's worth.
We ended up re-recording in my home studio, and everyone involved agreed it was way better.

There's just too many ingredients to consider when comparing home/pro...often, the most important being the actual talent. Big $$$ pro studios tend to attract more talented people because they are already established talents and have the funds (not always, but you get my point).
Home studios tend to attract the local garage bands who usually suck and have no $$$, though that too is not always the case.

But to get back to the OP's original premise...a well appointed home studio can achieve pretty much the same thing that *most* "pro" studios can today...with the exception of those places that are true *world class* facilities and that have the rooms the rest of us can only dream about.
Point is…gimme a real good band to work with, and the effort and timeframe will not be much different than what they would encounter in a “pro” studio environment.
Click to expand...

It is easier to understand if you split the problem in half. A pro studio that earns a living recording acts in a sustained fashion can make great recordings as it is assumed that they have the rooms, equipment etc, A pro producer is someone who is hired to make a production worth recording. Too many people blame a pro studio of making a bad recording when they rely on the house engineer to become the producer. This is what seperates the pro bands from amature bands. Just because a band pays a pro recording studio to record them, with no producer, no vision, how the hell is any engineer going to know your material in the time alotted?

Engineers, in general, are not producers unless they are. If an engineer is a producer also, he/she is hired as such and spends time with the band.

No one can be expected to make a great recording with no notice and never hearing the material until the tape rolls.
 
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