So, How Bad Do We Suck?

  • Thread starter Thread starter crawdad
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JMarcomb--C'mon! Its not silly to ask "how good can we get" or to try and push the envelope of possiblility in the home environment. I mean, look what Sluice is achieving sonically--if it ain't pro, its really, really close--and Tom's still experimenting and learning. (Damn, thats a scary thought!:D)

Now I'm with you and Lt. Bob on the whole PURPOSE of homerecording. Lt Bob is right--most of us don't even have aspirations to make it in the music business, but if anybody does, I certainly am not trying to discourage that dream. I LIVE by dreams and I know exactly the types of people you refer to as slowing down ones ambition. Man, I hope you don't place me in that category because I've done nothing but try to help others here--as they have helped me.

The kind of person you speak of is the guy who walks into your studio and says "you'll never be able to get a good recording in THIS room. That mixer is semi-pro and it sounds like it. You really need some better mics--those Chinese mics are all junk. With what you've got here, pro results are a pipedream, so dream on." That kind of shit makes me ANGRY!

All I'm really looking for is reaction to the idea expressed by sonusman that pro results have never been displayed here. And--if that is true, can it be accomplished? Or what can take us closer to that sonic plateau we all kind of agree is "pro".

I say we all keep learning. Maybe some erudite recording wizards and gurus will stoop to our "sucky level" :o and offer some knowledge goodies from time to time. God forbid anybody quits--there are a ton of talented people here. I just got a lyric to a song from dafduc today that absolutely destroyed me. I could list a ton of names, but we all know who can do what.

I think I'm like most of the folks that hang here. Music is my passion and recording is equally my passion. I'll probably breathe my last breath in my home studio....I just hope I can learn to turn out the quality I seek before that happens!:D
 
Lt. Bob--Fucking great post! The best part, besides saying my blues record is one of your favorites:D, was what you said at the end. The world would be a poorer place without some of this music thats getting created. 20 years ago, it was the pro studio or nothing and a lot of great songs probably never even got recorded. We should never lose sight of the fact that its music FIRST and recordings second, or so I believe.

I don't know if I ever told you this story, but Don Was (one of the brightest people I've ever met) used to be my neighbor when I lived in Birmingham, MI. We lived on the same street and used to talk from time to time. Even back then, he gobbled up every kind of style and assimilated it. He had a recording studio down by Tiger Stadium for a while, and I did a few sessions for him. Anyway, when the studio was history, he brought his Tascam 8 track to his house and was doing these punk demos where he would create an 8 bar drum loop, transfer it to the 8 track, and then track over that. The first thing he ever played me was a punk version of "Strangers In The Night". I thought to myself--this guy has no fucking chance! It was not so hot--but funny!

Point is, he kept growing and learning. Was Not Was came out. He began producing. The Bonnie Raitt thing happened and he just took off. Ever hear any of his productions? They are simply amazing works. So, if he could start so modestly and achieve such stellar heights, maybe some of us can too.

All it really takes is the passion and the will to try. Despite my rash of negative songs (CanopuS), I am optimistic. Some people from this board will be the next great producers or artists. Everybody starts somewhere.
 
In the old days we could sit in the sun and see harmony amongst all that would race and play in the wind of the day from sun to moon. Then white eyes came with what they call fences....
 
Thanks a lot for that encouragement Crawdad. You truly got the ball rolling for me (with a few others) by sticking with me back on the first version of "Dry." Do you happen to remember that? It included very useful EQ help for one thing (apart from just having such a nice guy care about getting the best out of someone)....

(And Sam: "yo SluiCe, great tune BUT the mix sounds bad to me." hahah! :D That's why I feel like my other half is missing when he's not around. Wonderfully honest...not "brutal," just honest.)

(blurry fade out...)

7-3-02 (less than a year ago)

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56453&highlight=dry

(blurry fade in...)

Look at all that support! It's a terrific example of what this board can do for people who want to learn. And I try to give it back wherever I can.

The thing is, I don't even think about whether it sounds pro or not. It's whether the music is coming through like I hear it in my head. Pro Schmo....make your damn music and share it with everyone you can.

And no, Jeff, this is not a silly thread. I think it ultimately will serve to alleviate some nervousness in new people who might otherwise be afraid to post fresh music for us to listen to.

WATYF...loved that Simpsons sound clip! :D

Al- thanks again for that life changing help. No exaggeration...go back and read what you did for me.

Yours in Music,

St Louis...
St. Loose...err..

Tom
 
crawdad said:

The kind of person you speak of is the guy who walks into your studio and says "you'll never be able to get a good recording in THIS room. That mixer is semi-pro and it sounds like it. You really need some better mics--those Chinese mics are all junk. With what you've got here, pro results are a pipedream, so dream on." That kind of shit makes me ANGRY!

Preach it, brother! While I appreciate the variety of ways in which music can be "pro" (many less "perfect" sounding than others) I also say: let's strive for greatness. The biggest high in the world for me is when, occasionally, I make a breakthrough in my ability to capture on digital what I hear in my head. I love Beck's early records, I love Daniel Johnston, I love punk, lo-fi indie rock, early acoustic blues, Harry Smith's folk anthology, Beefheart... and often I record in direct imitation of some of those production styles. But I don't want to be *limited* to that. When I come up with a tune that is best suited to a Paul Simon-style treatment, I want to be able to pull it off.

What I'm saying is (maybe?) what I think Al's saying: we can appreciate our limitations while still striving to exceed them.

We can have it both ways.

And if you're gonna tell me I can't do it, fuck you. You may be right, but you don't win until I'm dead. If, like sonusman, you're gonna barge in and remind me I'm *not* doing it, fine by me - just give me some pointers while you're at it (in fairness to ed, he usually does).

Chris
 
SluiCe--Boy, I sounded like I knew what I was doing back then! You are a quick study!

I noticed a reference to sonusman's mixing thread. Theres one that ought to be a sticky, if its not already. That is a fucking great article. Where IS that bad puppy anyway?

Also, I think that idea of you, me and Lt. Bob around a campfire, strumming guitars, sounds great!

I appreciate the thanks, but this is clearly a case whre the student has eclipsed the teacher. Thats cool, though because it wakes me up and gives me something new to strive for. Onward, brother!

Groucho--Thank YOU! Bless you! You distilled all my wandering points into one coherent post. I am on your plane of consciousness. Speaking of sonusman, I gotta dig up his mixing thread. Basically, everything you need in the way of pointers is in there. Its a very well written and communicated series of articles on how to mix.
 
crawdad said:
I noticed a reference to sonusman's mixing thread. Theres one that ought to be a sticky, if its not already. That is a fucking great article. Where IS that bad puppy anyway? ...........

Speaking of sonusman, I gotta dig up his mixing thread. Basically, everything you need in the way of pointers is in there. Its a very well written and communicated series of articles on how to mix.

The Famed Sonusman Mixing Thread
 
Kramer--Thanks for doing the legwork on that! I think its a great thread.

In a nutshell: YOU DA MAN!
 
Hehe I wasn't mocking you crawdad :) As I think I explained before, I'm just the same, I find it impossible to write a good sounding HAPPY song, but I'm a damn happy person in life and I have beliefs that some of you will go far (me too please! :))
 
crawdad said:
Also, I think that idea of you, me and Lt. Bob around a campfire, strumming guitars, sounds great!


yessssss...my plan is coming together. Soon they will be mine...ALL MINE....Muahaha

haha

MUHAHAHAHA!!!




"Tom, go to work and stop harrassing the neighbors..."
 
crawdad said:
Also, I think that idea of you, me and Lt. Bob around a campfire, strumming guitars, sounds great!

Kum ba ya, my Lord, Kum ba ya...
 
I can see us on the porch of the nursing home.............
sitting in our rockers...............
singing.......,"and she's buy-uy-ing a stair-air way......to heaven."
 
.......snatchs guitar out of Bob's hands and smashs it into pieces and hands the neck back to him.............."sorry".
 
"Those who say it can't be done should get out of the way of the person doing it."

I believe that quote is from Ghandi. But who cares, it's a good one. Maybe we can't produce a pro sound (assuming we can agree on a definition of that), but homerecers are never going to stop trying.

You know, my canned drums suck. But then I hook up with F_cksia who can provide real drums. That's the way this stuff works. There's always a better way. Our passion is in finding it. If we never succeed, we'll have a blast trying.

A great song is a great song. I defy anyone to NOT turn the volume up when the Beatles "I Saw Her Standing There" comes on in the car. I can't resist. I'm a lyrics guy. Does that song have great lyrics? No they suck. Is it a sonic masterpiece? Maybe for the time, but not by modern standards. But I love that recording. You can produce great music, that's not great sonically.
 
I've got a somewhat related question:

When musicians & 'normal' people hear my cd they say: "A bit tiresome to listen to, however....very nice music". When 'tech' people hear my cd they often say: "You stupid fuck! You overcompressed and maximized it! Why the hell did you do that?"

They're both right. Because I overcompressed/maximized it, it's tiresome to listen to...I get that. Like I said, they're right...and I've learned from it.

But can someone explain why tech people always seem to forget to say something nice and positive (doesn't have to be nice and positive, anything at all is OK too) about the music? Do they have different ears? Adjusted to sound only?

:D

(btw, I'm mostly referring to nonboard tech people)

I'm curious...do tech people get tears in their eyes when they hear a good production? Like us, musicians, when we hear a beautiful melody? Can sound have the same impact on your body as music?
 
Pedullist said:
But can someone explain why tech people always seem to forget to say something nice and positive (doesn't have to be nice and positive, anything at all is OK too) about the music? Do they have different ears? Adjusted to sound only?
Because they are jealous of your talent, and your chest hair.

Geeks want girls too, lol.
 
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