I feel that the democratization of music and recording technology has been a good thing in general. The important thing is the participation.
Important to whom? To the player - singer yes. For educational reasons perhaps..... but for the art form called music ?!?
Does the world need a CD by Bruce Willis ?!?!? Or a guiarist who learned 3 chords last night and now becuase he has a burner is
wroking on his own CD ?!?!?
The Internet has contributed greatly to the democratization of several things. I've heard things on mp3.com that I would never have heard if the only source of music was polished CDs that record companies publish. I don't want to hear what some record company decided I should hear. They cater to the majority to make money.
There is many positive things in the internet. I have nothing against the web. It's the ilusion it builds that all you have to do is record and post and <Alkazam>! your music is heard by all.
Perhaps the truth should be shouted out once loud and clear...
Nobody gives a shit if you have your own site and after your friends and family download your songs, your site will most probably become a deserted island. If you are extremly (I mean extremely) agressive you might find a trickle of people to come.
Even after 1000 downloads a year you are no were closer to sucsess.
I say this with out glee or gloat. Ad please nobody bring me the example of the single band that did make it.
Record company head hunters have been saying for years that they have searched the web for talent yet to come up empty handed. How can you find talent if every Dick and Jane are swamping the web with their CD? How can anybody be taken seriously these days?.
It's not always the result...whether it comes out good or bad. It's also the process. People want to experience the whole process of making music, recording it, mixing it, and putting it on a CD or a web site. Just because they aren't any good at it doesn't mean they shouldn't do it.
Of course they should and as a hobby it is one of the coolest things around. I'm all for the fun of recording and creating.
I find it an important process of human development.
However it's when the borders of fun-hobby cross over to art is were it starts to be problematic.
In no other field that I can think of now, is there such a crossover.
No hobbiest cooker will cross over to become a chef at a fancy resturant.
No First aid expert will operate on your liver.
If you buy a Tele does it mean you are now Steve Morse
Yet in this day and age if you own a computer and a guitar you are a recording artist........
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Why is it that many famous musicians—who have already become famous by recording albums in the studio and who should know the value of a good studio—build their own home studio?
From my experince most of them were charmed by the concept untill lately. Many are comming back to the studio after the first tries have worn off. Many of them like to work at home to create Demos and later come into the studio with the idea.
Some record certain tracks at home (like all direct insert tracks)
and continue the process at the studio.
And last....some build a studio that I would hardly call it a home recording studio. At home it is but they buy the top gear and tend to bring in a engineer to record it with them.
If people are buying recordings that sound like crap and taking money away from the "good" recordings, then what does that say? Maybe they hear something in those crap recordings that they want and haven't been getting.
I dont see people buying crap home recorded cd's. Maybe I'm wrong here but from my knowledge it isnt happening.
I'm not sure if you're including home recording in the term "recording industry". If not, I'm not sure how the fact that more people can now record at home reflects on the industry. The average may be worse because more people are participating. But aren't the best still the best?
People are cutting corners. I get tracks recorded at home that are helpless. Low levels - noise - no depth - one dimensional -
sterile - overcompressed - Eq'ed to death - bad mic choice - effected to death - plain sounds bad....etc........
They save time = money but in the long run it lowers the quality.
Should we tell people that they can't do home recording so that we can maintain a pure standard? Yes, everybody is doing a CD these days, and I think it's great.
Dont get me wrong for a sec. It IS great !. Music doesnt belong to the pro's. And who are pros making music for? themselfs?
It's when the lines get blured the problems start.
My main idea I'm trying to get across is - if you beleive in your art and you tell the world that is the most important thing to you then give it the outmost care. Would you not search for the best medical treatment if you needed it? would you compromise and go to a Doctor who wasnt as proficent?
Yet some people claim their music is their baby but then proceed to butcher it themselfs.
If it's all about fun then knock yourself out thats cool. If you have intenions beyond that I fail to understand why you submt your art to mediocrty.
We all started from somewere and most of us wern't very good at start and most of us still need to improve but we devote our lifes to it and do not do it for the fun.
What we need from the experienced recording engineers is not to tell us to leave the job of recording to them. But we do need them to remind us and teach us the difference between better and worse quality recording.
Why not! It gives the illusion that I am anti-establishment these days......
