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Riv · 5th July 2009

Maybe it's just the mood I'm in today, but no, I don't think that they should be helped along at all.

In all honesty, I think that forums like Futureproducers, or even this very forum, are contributing to the death of the art.

I keep hearing about how great the democratization of recording is, but I've never witnessed it firsthand.

My first gig was in a small demo studio in '86. I had come up on 4 track cassette recorders and radio shack microphones. I remember buying my first SM58. In '86 I started working in this small studio with a Tascam 16 track and matching console, sufficient outboard, and an Atari ST for sequencing.

At the time, that was a SUBSTANTIAL outlay of cash. No one, not even the owner, referred to it as anything more than a DEMO studio. We didn't have any pretenses that we were able to compete with the big guys.

Flash ahead 20+ years and I've got a home setup that's as well equipped as most of the pro studios in the area with just about every classic piece of equipment that I've ever wanted.

I would NEVER call it a "professional" studio. Why?

-It's not a professional quality room design
-I don't spend every day running sessions the way that a true pro room does
-I don't pay taxes, maintain the room, and cover all typical business expenses

And many other reasons.

I think telling someone to do a web search to learn engineering is like telling them to use WebMD to learn to do surgery. It's a joke.

We need to return to the old school method of learning - you come up through a real studio, you learn your craft, and until then you have NO RIGHT calling yourself an engineer, a producer, or anything else.

We in this forum, while making some contributions, are equally responsible for killing the art of recording music by encouraging and supporting less qualified and serious individuals.

5th July 2009	#34
Riv Gear maniac Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 191	Maybe it's just the mood I'm in today, but no, I don't think that they should be helped along at all. In all honesty, I think that forums like Futureproducers, or even this very forum, are contributing to the death of the art. I keep hearing about how great the democratization of recording is, but I've never witnessed it firsthand. My first gig was in a small demo studio in '86. I had come up on 4 track cassette recorders and radio shack microphones. I remember buying my first SM58. In '86 I started working in this small studio with a Tascam 16 track and matching console, sufficient outboard, and an Atari ST for sequencing. At the time, that was a SUBSTANTIAL outlay of cash. No one, not even the owner, referred to it as anything more than a DEMO studio. We didn't have any pretenses that we were able to compete with the big guys. Flash ahead 20+ years and I've got a home setup that's as well equipped as most of the pro studios in the area with just about every classic piece of equipment that I've ever wanted. I would NEVER call it a "professional" studio. Why? -It's not a professional quality room design -I don't spend every day running sessions the way that a true pro room does -I don't pay taxes, maintain the room, and cover all typical business expenses And many other reasons. I think telling someone to do a web search to learn engineering is like telling them to use WebMD to learn to do surgery. It's a joke. We need to return to the old school method of learning - you come up through a real studio, you learn your craft, and until then you have NO RIGHT calling yourself an engineer, a producer, or anything else. We in this forum, while making some contributions, are equally responsible for killing the art of recording music by encouraging and supporting less qualified and serious individuals.