Personal space

[chessrock]

I just thought I'd share an uncomfortable experience and pet peave of mine . . . as well as a dandy solution I discovered to overcome it. In case anyone's interested that is.

Anyway, the way my mixdown / monitoring station is set up, it's pretty normal for me to have people (namely the musicians I'm recording/mixing) crowd around me during playback or mixdown. It's pretty easy to picture -- you've got me sitting on my chair with the computer and two racks of outboard gear and playback monitors all stationed at my desk. I suppose it's pretty natural for people to want to crowd around and watch as I work.

But doesn't this kind of setup make anyone feel a little crowded in, or like someone's watching over your shoulders / staring at you contstantly? Anyway, I don't like it, and I've tried a lot of things to help the situation.

I started out by moving most of my furniture in to the adjoining room. Doesn't work. People still want to crowd around me. Even if it means they have to stand.

So I bought an extra pair of monitors and placed them in the center of all the comfy furniture in the other room so people could have a really nice, comfy listening environment. And I'm still not more than 6 feet away from them, so we can still converse quite freely.

Doesn't work. People still want to hang all over me.

So just the other day, I came up with this idea . . . spur of the moment. First, I set the monitors up in the other room so they'd be significantly louder than what's coming out on my desk monitors. Next, during the middle of the listening session . . . I got up and went in the other room and seated myself on the comfy couch and excitedly proclaimed: "Oh my God, guys! You should hear how great it sounds in here on these speakers ! ! !" And like clockwork, they all file in. Soon, you hear exclamations of "Oh, yea, it does sound so much better in here, doesn't it?"

Next thing you know, they're making themselves comfortable in there, enjoying themselves, etc. I sort of slither away back to my desk, turn the volume back up on my speakers . . . I'm comfortable . . . they're comfortable . . . and all is right with the world, again.

 

[mixsit]

 

[grinder]

Or you could surround your mixing station with barbwire.

 

[bsanfordnyc]

or you could just tell people to back the fuck off

 

[wimat]

You should set up a monitor in there too, so they can entertain their visual needs. Or at least have some porn mags around.

 

[cellardweller]

I, personally, would opt for porn videos.

 

[dwillis45]

Just tell them that they will throw off your ability to judge sound at certain frequencies. Explain to them that they are absorbing to much low end (or whatever) and you are afraid you won't be able to mix properly!

 

[ronsmith]

crowded control room

yeah! human bass traps!

 

[cellardweller]

Tell them you have the Taiwanese avian flu and that you'd hate to spread it to them, because it is mutating. Further volunteer the information that this new mutation includes symptoms not unlike past plagues, including internal bleeding. (At this point, your planning comes into play as you must bite into the blood capsule which is stowed just under your tongue) You then proceed to spew blood in a safe direction away from your stuff in a manner not unlike the recent movie release "Cabin Fever".

Or like someone else already said "Tell them to back the fuck up"!

 

[TexRoadkill]

Just eat some mexican food before the mixing starts.

 

[chessrock]

or you could just tell people to back the fuck off

I've tried that one before, and it actually works surprizingly well . . . but it isn't very condusive to getting repeat business or referals.

I think I've stumbled on what's gonna' work, long-term. I'll definitely try the porno thing, though . . . as sort of an added measure.

 

[tdukex]

Put a humorous/polite but to-the-point sign up over your mixing station encouraging clients to not bother the "Madd Genius Mixer" while he is working his magic and that they should instead take advantage of the comfort and great sound in the lounge area.

 

[Wireneck]

Better yet, why not make it very clear before you ever start the project that you like to do the initial mixes (level Setting/eq and whatever else) without the band present. Let them know that once you have it sounding like you think it should, you will pass them a copy to listen over and make any suggestions. From there maybe do a group mix session discussing the suggestions and making any last changes that the band and you agree upon.
I know a guy who works like this and it seems to work very well in his situation.

 

[acorec]

Just hire a "session" girl to come in and dance to the song in the other room. Then, I guarentee you would only need a boombox set on "3".

 

[Track Rat]

Just eat some mexican food before the mixing starts.

This is the correct response.

 

[cellardweller]

Short of chaining an angry, starved, blood-thirsty pitbull to the console, I'd go with the mexican food.

 

[distortedrumble]

Just hire a "session" girl to come in and dance to the song in the other room. Then, I guarentee you would only need a boombox set on "3".

dude....just have them bring their girlfriends in....girlfriends usually get bored during the recording and talk amongst themselves.....after completing the recording the musician usually feels like more of a man and goes to grope his woman. do a quick mix down while hes fondling and hand it to him and then you have the place to yourself cause she'll want to go home after that

 

[distortedrumble]

make sure you have a ventilation system....flagilation begets flagilation...

 

[vox]

My chair has wheels, I sort of absent mindedly roll over peoples feet and elbow them in the nuts, by accident of course.

 

[distortedrumble]

ooooh didnt think of that one....and the ever classic swing out which hits at the shin or knee cap......nice one