'I just don't have the time' is a great reason for not using the clinic. I just thought that the reason you put forth "Who am I to tell someone what I think they should do with their mix, if they don't even know themselves what they want?" as a reason not to use the clinic was well, sorta lame.
Well, you're entitled to your opinion on that, of course. But for me, and I'm being completely honest here, what you within your rights consider "lame" is something I believe actually drives right to the heart of this whole thing. If one doesn't know what they want from a recording and needs to get someone else's opinion on that, then I have no idea why they are even there to begin with. It just doesn't make any sense to my little ol' monkey brain. It's like someone picking up a guitar with the expressed purpose of playing a song, but having no idea of what song they want to play or what key they want to play it in. If you don't have that already figured out, then put down the guitar until you do.
Again, if they know what they want, but just need help in learning the techniques involved in achieving that, that's fine by me, which is why I even come to this BBS to begin with.
But if someone comes along - which happens all the time - and asks whether they should hard pan their guitars or throw reverb on the lead vocal or make the floor tom louder or whatever, because they want my opinion of what would sound better, I don't know how to honestly answer that other than to ask them in return, "What do YOU want?" Because, frankly, IMHO, if they don't know the answer to that themselves, then they are stepping in front of their DAW or mixer waaaay too early. Which in my banana-loving mind is the most important of all points above all others, and not a "lame" idea at all. But that's just my IMHO. Sorry if you see that as just being opinionated, but it's what I believe.
And BTW, the thing about not having enough time referred to the reason I am not on a whole multitude of forums. The three that I do regularly visit (recording, mixing and mastering) are the ones that I feel I can both learn the most from and contribute the most to, and take up too much of my time as it is. I've given my reasons for not frequenting the clinic and why I feel that burning even more time away by adding that to my list of forums is not a good idea.
Telling someone what you think they should do with their mix is exactly what the clinic is for. If everyone felt the way you suggest would we even have a clinic?
No, which is my point exactly. I don't buy into the need for it.
You have the right to disagree, and perhaps you and legion and a hundred others find it useful. More power to you. I don't tell you not to go there and I'm not doing that now. I'm just saying that for me and my way of thinking about the whole thing it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense, so I don't regularly participate. Do you really want to begrudge me my honest feelings on that?
That's not to say that I have never done and will never do it again. There have been times here where I have helped a few individuals in that way. But frankly, I don't believe I am doing them a whole lot of favors by doing that. They think I am, of course, and in that way I am happy to make them temporarily happy; but I'd rather them be mad at me if it means a better chance for their longer term happiness by learning that they need to have the will and the self-confidence to figure out for themselves what they want to hear and not to just have them do something because I or someone else thought it sounded OK.
All kidding aside, you have alot of great skills that would benefit us just as much if not more in the clinic as in this forum. I don't spend enough time there myself but I'd actually be happier if you'd be there to critique anything I put up there.
Well, I thank you kindly for saying that, I do appreciate that as a compliment.
I have no problem producing and mixing or other people, that's what I do, and I'd like to think that I'm not awful at it. But there's a difference between that and telling someone else what to produce and mix, even if they ask for it. If you're going to mix, mix. If you're going to produce, produce. If you want me to do it instead, I will, just step aside. If you know what you want to do, but need help in learning the technique of how to get it done, I'll help if it's something I know. But if you just want to know WHAT to do, I'm really not all that interested in telling you what to to do. I figure that's your own personal domain, not mine or anyone else's.
G.
