Newbies - Recording Industry The Truth.

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"i read a lot of posts on here , and it never ceases to amaze me the amount of money people spend on recording equipment.
the same crazy questions day after day like is this convertor better than that or this mic better than that when the guy does not even have a basic understanding of the rudiments of audio engineering.
so heres some TRUTHS about the audio business.
1. no matter how much you invest 95 per cent of you will never see major radio play in a major demographic market unless you have something that is really superb or your mother owns the radio station.
2. major labels only care about sales. most people dont realise it but most submissions to labels never get heard.
3. there are millions of project studios so dont expect to make a living at this unless you have built a local or world rep.
and finally dont spend a lot of money on instant coffee quick solutions. the next plug in or mic or preamp or whatever is not going to get you there."



As has been stated multiple times (and I think it's very important), not everyone is in the music "business" or is even involved in music for the purpose of becoming a superstar and selling millions of records. Music is great because whether you are making money doing it or just playing by yourself at home it's a great way to enjoy yourself and be creative. It isn't just a money-making tool. Just my $.02, however.
 
"Personally I think anyone who thinks a <$20k studio will ever produce anything but song writer demos is kidding themselves. They would be better off spending a few bucks on a cheap porta studio and spending the big money on real studio time."
___________________________________________________

I suppose with a narrow-minded view of what music of all types means to people, this might be accurate. However, despite what American Idol will tell you, there is no magic formula in anything to do with music. Not with the cost or brand of your equipment, nor with the style, presentation, or marketing of your music. In today's world, there is not ONE music industry. There are hundreds of niche markets, then there are the primary mainstream markets. There are equally diverse levels of "acceptable" recording quality in all of these markets.

Case in point:

Jan Michael Reibach (a Native American flute artist) purchased $2700 worth of starter recording equipment in April of 2003. He recorded his first album in July and started marketing it up and down the West coast (simply by walking in, giving store owners a copy, asking them to listen, and if they liked it, to please buy 10 copies at wholesale price.) By Sept he sold over 5000 copies, no buy-back options, and with the distribution costs of several thousand miles worth of gas and convenience store sandwiches. Those stores include everything from roadside vegetable stands to 8 Sam Goodies outlets in Oregon and California. It was a poor quality recording (by commercial standards), but the music carries itself when it's good.

He spent August and Sept. recording his second album, contacted the outlets that carried his first, and 80% of those either agreed to carry the second or ordered more copies of the first. As of 3 December this year, the 2 low budget albums have sold a combined 17,000 copies and are being sold across the U.S and Canada on the Pow-Wow circuit. He has been contacted by Four Winds Distribution ( a Sony subsidiary) about a deal to distribute in Europe where Native American music has exploded in popularity. Notice I didnt say a STUDIO deal: a DISTRIBUTION deal on a novice's first attempt on low-budget equipment.

He has since purchased more recording equipment, but the total value of his home studio is still under $8000 as we head into production on his local artist colaboration CD, only 8 months later. As with everything, it's crawl, walk, run.

I know this is certainly not typical. But regardless of what your goals are related to home recording I hope you'll remember there ARE NO absolutes. Ever. (Pardon the pun, I couldn't help myself :) )
 
Manning- nobody here needs a reality check except you. I dont care if you're Jim Morrison or Buddy Holly, or if you enginered their albums. People record for whatever reason they want.

If some kid thinks he's gonna make it big - let him pour his heart into his portastudio recordings. He'll be that much happier with them later.
 
Nilbog

ive said my piece on this nilbog in the hope it will at least make newbies think and realise maybe investing in a engineering course or production might get them further than adding
yet another 2k microphone .
sadly some DO need a reality check . because they spend themselves into big debt and bankruptcy.
 
Green Hornet wrote:


"I just have a home studio but in it are some nice toys. My studio is what was supposed to be a second bedroom -- but, there isn't room for a pillow in there. "

This is funny because this is my dream! My first "studio" was a smelly, hot, air tight air lock aboard a Navy ship where I recorded my buddy and me with accoustics and vocals into a Tascam 4 track and a Radio Shack mic duct taped to the ceiling (which fell off constantly due to condensation). My new "studio" is piled up in a closet BUT, on Saturdays when I have the house to myself, I break it out, set it up on the top landing, my i-mac, Behringer mixer, ART pre, SM-57 and my HD-28 (the one good piece I own). I hang blankets and sheets on the walls and doors, pile pillows in the corners (finally a use for all the pillows your wives buy for the bed but never seem to leave the floor on her side of the bed) and record my music. And, as I learn from all of you on this post and read books and mags, my music is sounding better. Not that any of you would agree but I hear more of what I try to do. I wish I could play in your set ups with you guys behind the knobs but that will come some day. My dream is to be able to make a decent sounding recording to give to someone like you guys so you can hear what I want to do when I come to your studios....to save time. Does that make sense or would that help you? Also, my home studio is growing. I will buy more cheap stuff but it will all help me a little and I'm having a blast doing it. And some day, when I have enough stuff and guts....I will fight my wife for the spare room she confiscated when I was fighting in Iraq for 10 months...want to know a real money pit? Crafty stuff! Spend a grand on a mic? How about scrappbooking! Its scary how much money they can spend on scissors, paper, stencils and "cute crap"! I get my revenge buy using one of her knitting hoops as a pop filter with kleenex.........yes.....!!

Anyway, I hope this post finds you and yours happy and at peace this holiday season...take care and smile....this is all about the music and thats a good thing... dont get wrapped around the axel.....enjoy it....and one last thought...

MY BEHRINGER EURORACK MX802A ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

: )

Michael
 
Dammit Floored!

Now you got talking to myself in the shower again...practicing for VH-1 Story Tellers! Just in case I make it.... : )
Great story though....unbelievable...best of success to that guy!
 
No one has the ability to have THE final word on the subject, yet we all keep debating over it. Home studio is essentially anyone with the ability to record themselves or others with their own equipment out of their own home. Does it really matter what kind of equipment people have? No. If the home studio guy has the tools he needs to acheive what he wants, then absolutely not.

The problem doesn't seem to stem from that It's more along the lines of when joe home studio comes to a forum such as this and asks about equipment purchases that the conflict arises. Everyone has the equipment in their arsenal that they think is just great and when someone talks shit about it, they feel obligated to defend the equipment that they are so fond of and use all the time to acheive their recordings. It's almost becomes a question of one's pride after a while. People think that if what I use to record is shit, then maybe my recordings are......shit. Listen, if you want to find out if your mixes are shit, get your stuff out there and find out what the regular music listener thinks of your stuff. If they think it's shit, pretty much everyone else probably will too.

Bottom line, don't listen to other "engineers" about what is a good or bad mix. Mixes are subjective to the listener. When it comes to equipment, you can only do the best you can with the tools you have (that is unless you really don't know what you are doing).
 
What I do with my $500 dollar studio and the recordings I make there is enough to scratch the musical itch I have to create. Some people go overboard, some don't go overboard enough. Isn't that what's it like in anything. Beyond this, I don't understand the debate.
 
manning1 said:

1. no matter how much you invest 95 per cent of you will never see major radio play in a major demographic market unless you have something that is really superb or your mother owns the radio station.
Click to expand...


95%!!!! I wish, try 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999%

not to offend any one individual though I am speaking more about the industry as a whole
 
my 2 cents

... i stated some of this on another thread, but think it might fit here as well. i think we need to focus more on the craft, art and enjoyment of songwriting, and a little less on the gear or medium on which it is recorded (unless of course you are an audio engineer mainly just recording other artists... in that case, that IS your craft, and it is time very well spent).
a great song and performance transcends the gear used to capture it (up to i point, i guess). i feel that the slick, overly affected, overly processed, majority of songs we hear on the radio, has lowered the bar somewhat on the craft of songwriting, and created an "industry standard" that puts too much emphasis on this production value. unfortunately, some of the biggest selling artists happen to need all this processing (actors turned singers, young, inexperienced bands, etc), and i think we are getting used to hearing these glossy, seamless, mixes, that lack a bit of "real", for lack of a better term.
this has trickled down to the home studio, which is more capable than ever these days, for a relatively small investment. i would like to see more artists creating unique, "imperfect", home recordings that showcase their art, rather than strive for this new "industry standard". 4 track porta, computer, reel to reel, daw, whatever... take what you got and what you know, and do your best. enjoy learning the recording process, and glean what you can from forums like this, and from those experienced engineers that take the time to help out here (i appreciate them very much). if you desire, put your music out there so others may enjoy it, and be inspired by it. i'm not knockin those who want to shoot for major label stardom... more power to ya... but there is definitely a place, and a market for honest little recordings, that might even sound like they were made at home.
whew... my typing fingers (both of them ) are tired. hope i didn't bore anyone too much, and thanks for reading.
peace- jv
 
you're very welcome

... thanks for taking the time to read my take on this. there are some people out there recording some amazing stuff at home these days... some that rival high end studios, and some that might be lo-fi by some standards. in the end, if it sounds good... it is good... and that's an oh-so-subjective thing.

merry christmas back atcha, peace- jv
 
Ok, I'm a newbie and I don't feel like learning the hard way. How bout some useful information on how to get into the music industry via sound recording. I have read a few post and all I hear is how hard it is and how its so much of a pain.

Can someone tell me anything about when they got into the indrustry or something to that effect. Music is my life and thus I do not have life without it.
 
I think manning1 would be the first to tell you that you don't need a lot of expensive gear to get some decent recordings if you are willing to work at it,and learn from others. The old rule of garbage in,garbage out still applies. Whenever I get a bit frustrated with my equipment, I remind myself that, for about $600, I have better equipment than George Martin had when he helped the Beatles record and mix Sgt. Pepper.
Us humans are never satisfied though, so most of us are always wanting some piece of gear that's just a bit better than what we have. In the end though, some of the best times I've had musically speaking...was with an old acoustic and some friends with 5 gallon buckets,tin cans,sticks, or anything else lying around.Still though, there's nothing quite like having an idea, recording it,expanding on it, and ending up with a tune that that came from a simple idea, and if others like it...it's just a cherry on top.Besides, there are people who spend more on birdwatching than I do on home recording.Oh well, just my 2 cents worth.Thanks again manning1, for all the help.
 
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gargage in... garbage out

nicely put, monkeyshock. (although i am one guy who would gladly pay $600 for access to the bitchin analog boards, tape machines, and mics that george and the beatles used to record sergeant pepper... but your point is well taken ;)
peace- jv
 
MonkeyShock said:
The old rule of garbage in,garbage out still applies. . . Whenever I get a bit frustrated with my equipment, I remind myself that, for about $600, I have better equipment than George Martin had when he helped the Beatles record and mix Sgt. Pepper.
Click to expand...

Yes and no, the yes being 'garbage in garbage out', of course. :)
 
keep it REAL!

Hopefully the art of songwriting will not be lost altogether before it's all over. I come to this message board expecting alot of talk about gear and the next best most expensive upgrade, but it's refreshing to hear folks mention that the song and the craft of recording are the most important elements of the process.

And johneeeveee, I couldn't agree more about wanting more artists to create unique, imperfect recordings that showcase the art! As someone who records and multitracks everything "live", I really feel validated by those comments.

The biggest thing I think we all need to remember is that music should be about feel! That's something that no computer, machine, or sequencer can replace.

Best of luck to everyone for happiness and personal fulfillment from their music , because without it, none of this is worth it.
 
hey kesterdevine,

glad my take on things helped fuel your fire. yeah, the right gear can be a serious asset, and it's great to learn all we can so we can have an accurate representation of what we hear and intend in our final mixes... BUT, in the end, they are JUST TOOLS, and a means to an end. without a solid song and performance we don't have much to work with. it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. right on.

hey emissary,
you asked for an easy way into the industry via sound recording. if you are an engineer, you should try to apprentice or intern at a studio (which might entail getting the coffee and burritos for a while:). there really is no easy way into anything in this industry (or, at least i haven't found it). there are dues to be paid no matter how talented you are. i'm really not sure exactly what you are looking to do, so with a little more info, i might be able to give you a little better advice.

peace - jv
 
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