Roger Nichols says:

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mixmkr

mixmkr

we don't need rest!!
Now I know, many here don't give a hoot about Roger, or say, "so what." However in the last issue of EQ, which I'm sure many of you get, he states something about recording equipment that I have not really read anywhere else from anyone of his *stature* really admit. He says [and I pull out of context, without altering his point, imo):

...."some of the best-sounding records I've recorded were done on black-face 16-bit ADATs with more than 10,000 hours on the heads. If you listen to what you're recording and make it sound the way you want, then it doesn't matter whether you record 48-bit/96kHz on next year's top-of-the-line system, or 16-bit/48 kHz on 10-year old ADATs. Every one of the hard disk recording systems available today has the potential of recording next year's "Best Engineered" Grammy."

He then lists a couple formats, admits that he does have preferences, but then finishes up saying:

"......it does not have to be the best, shiniest tool, it just has to be a tool that works."

I say Amen to that, it is a great time to live in [recording equipment wise, that is], and I have still alot to learn after all these years!

Now, I'll don the "asbestos suit." .....but remember, Roger said it first!!:D
 
Track...you're asking me to get you a man??....I didn't think this thread was gonna be that kinky:p
 
lets see what Roger can do with my old Ross 4 track......
 
Gidge said:
lets see what Roger can do with my old Ross 4 track......
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In all actuallity, that would be pretty frikin' interesting. ...ya know...like mastering with Sound Forge (hey...deja foo!!)

In the same issue of EQ, the "Room with a VU" feature with Michael Whalen, he states that has sent his stuff for Roger to mix and master at his home studio in Florida. I thought you weren't *allowed* to master at a home studio.....:confused:
 
mixmkr said:


In all actuallity, that would be pretty frikin' interesting. ...ya know...like mastering with Sound Forge (hey...deja foo!!)

In the same issue of EQ, the "Room with a VU" feature with Michael Whalen, he states that has sent his stuff for Roger to mix and master at his home studio in Florida. I thought you weren't *allowed* to master at a home studio.....:confused:
Click to expand...

Be careful who you say this stuff around. ;) We don't want to start another competition.
 
Did someone say MASTERING???????????????


heh-heh-heh....................
 
sssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You might wake the Bear...

(he's hibernating)

Queue
 
The more I learn about recording the more I believe that equipment (software included) quality both does and doesn't matter.

Doesn't Matter - I've learned and invented (reinvented?) some clever ways to make cheap equipment sound very good. For example, when I only had Sonic Foundry XFX and two other free reverb plugins, I came up with a method of splitting tracks or groups of tracks into 3 frequency bands and applying my three different reverbs to each, then adding the wet components back to the original tracks. This way I could get very smooth lush reverbs with otherwise shitty sounding plugins.

Does Matter - Since I got Waves I can get comparable (though different sounding) results with a few quick mouse clicks. This leaves me more time to work on improving other aspects of my sound. Maybe I'll even try my technique with Waves reverbs and perhaps get some extraordinary sounds? The point is, better tools make me more productive and free up time to work on even better sounding mixes.

As a side note, productivity is another reason why big budget studios have the advantage. In some cases there may be a TEAM of engineers working on a project, each tweaking and perfecting his or her piece of the pie. One homerecer working just a few spare hours a week would have to be exceptionally gifted to compete with that.

barefoot
 
I agree, barefoot. I've seen people do some very creative things to "work around" their jerry-rigged setups.

Although the modern equipment means you can get from concept to CD faster, it doesn't ensure that the music is any good (I'm living proof of that.) Good music will *always* take talent, and a measure (or a heap) of patience.

-Shaz
 
great points I think we understand, Barefoot....but you put it into words very well.
 
I know a guy in Southern California who makes aluminum body panels for Cobras- not replicas, but the actual Shelby American 289 and 427 street and comp cars. He is one of the top restorers of original cars, cars currently used in vintage competition and the concours competition world.

He uses an old shot bag, an English wheel, and a set of hammers that are older than him- they were used to make Spitfire cowlings in World War II, and before that- who even knows.

You could set up a CNC milling machine to hog Cobra body panels out of billet, or you could have Ford tool up a set of dies for a ten-gazillion-pound press and knock 'em out by the millions. Or whatever. But those handmade fenders, and boot lids, and cowl panels he makes- *damn*, they are things of beauty. He starts out with a flat sheet of 6061-T0 aluminum, and a day or two later, it's a satin-finish Cobra body panel, all by the sweat of his own brow. The tools are medieval at best, but there's art for you: there's no sexier car in the *world* than a freshly-restored Cobra with _no paint on it_, just those gorgeous shiny satin body panels just as they left the shot bag and wheel.

Mr. Nichols is dead on. The tools *are* important; but not as important as the creative spirit that drives them, and the feel for the elasticity of the metal. And that all comes with practice. There ain't no such thing as the Magic Bullet, the free lunch, or *easy art*.

Panelbeaters and recording engineers have more in common than you might think...
 
Barefoot, I think you're right. There are some problems I've only been able to solve by getting better gear. There are some problems I've only been able to solve by learning to use the gear I've got already.
 
I think you only have to look as far as Harvey and Ed for the answer to that question. They've both said to go with whatever works on many occasions. Mr. Nichols is just re-enforcing what I think we've all heard before...It's just that sometimes we choose not to listen because God forbid it might be our fault that our tracks suck and it's not the equipment. What we're trying to do isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world for most of us.
 
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