World Class Mentality

[Lord Fear]

Many studios seem to be calling themselves "World Class," when I would say that few that claim that title actually are. What do you all slutz think makes a world class professional studio? I don't think its the gear, blasphemy you all say, I think its about the attitude of the personal. I recently worked in a "World Class " Studio with some great gear, Neve Console, API, Telefunken, Neumann, UA, and the assistant at this "world class" place not only was unbelieveably unhelpful, but he had the gaul to ask my artist for her phone number for a "artist developement" thing that the studio offered, and than he attempted to call her and ask her out on dates on three seperate occasions after she had already said no. I don't want to fling names around and I don't want to badmouth this studio, so I guess this is a place for us slutz to bemoan this assumed "world class" title, and talk about what really makes a place World Class.

Sorry for the Rant...

[JonCraig]

did you bitch to the studio owner about the assistant?

--jon

[djui5]

I've seen this post somewhere before....


World Class is about service, not equipment. If your servicing the top shelf of the industry, you have great gear...that goes hand in hand, but it starts with service

[Gregg Sartiano]

What's that Spinal Tap manager's line -- "For every one thing that goes wrong, a hundred things go right!" He still got the boot...

Well, if you're world class, it doesn't mean that f&up's don't happen, but all your ducks better be in a row, dammit! And if something DOES go wrong, there had better be a solution rather quickly!

Personnel...gear...reliability...parking...rooms...CPU and hardware maintenance

[Rodney Gene]

World Class? It is such an abused and diluted phrase that it means nothing.

But if it did indeed have to stand for a level of 'quality, size and function'...Skywalker Ranch...

[Telecastr]

I know a guy here in town who has an MCI 400, Berhinger ADA8000, MOTU 2408, and some other crappy gear. He claims he's got a world class studio. He even had the gaul to tell me that his mastering job would be better than a well known ME, all while using his MCI console EQ, a Berhinger Composer, and his Digital Performer EQ plugin. There's nothing world class about his gear or his services.

[Bishbashbosh]

"World Class"..... such a crappy meaningless term really.....
Like "Professional"....
I just bought a "Professional" toothbrush...... does this mean that all other toothbrushes I have owned to this point have been amateurs..... Do they do jobs other than clean teeth.....

For me a "World Class" studio (hate that term) is one where NOTHING is a problem.... If there is an issue, it get sorted out instantly and courteously....

Surely there can be only a few "World Class" studios in the world.... places where people will travel across the world to use their services....
Air Lyndhurst
Abbey Rd
Olympic
Metropolis

all places that have earned their place at the very top (in London)....
They don't need to call themselves World Class..... they just ARE!

And I'm sure there's not a great deal of Behringer stuff in use in any of them!!!!

[u b k]

another thing... everything is 'gourmet' these days. ground tree bark is gourmet coffee, chicken salads and bagels at a gourmet deli, frozen dinners with gourmet entrees.

and i haven't heard a good-sounding phone in twenty years. the engineers at bell labs used to test extensively to see which handsets felt comfortable against the ear for long periods, which frequency curve sounded the most natural while having the most articulation, and just how much of the voice mic to feedback into the ear so that people kept their voices at normal conversational level.

best thing i've done in a long time was hit ebay and pick up a phone from the 60's. it's round, vaguely psychedelic yellow, has a rotary dial, rings with a bell, and sounds like god. it even sounds good when the caller is on a motorola over the verizon network .

reckon i got a world class phone.

as for the assistant, asking your client out once is fine. 3 times calling at home and we'd be having a chat about boundaries.


gregoire
del ubik

[Angelo M]

Originally Posted by Lord Fear

... the assistant at this "world class" place not only was unbelieveably unhelpful, but he had the gaul to ask my artist for her phone number for a "artist developement" thing that the studio offered, and than he attempted to call her and ask her out on dates on three seperate occasions after she had already said no. I don't want to fling names around and I don't want to badmouth this studio, so I guess this is a place for us slutz to bemoan this assumed "world class" title, and talk about what really makes a place World Class.

Sorry for the Rant...

the nerve of that assistant.

Everybody knows hitting on the singer is the Producer's responsibility!

[Lord Fear]

thats what I said, and as for did I bitch to the studio manager, I just since haven't taken any young cute girl's there, only smelly metal bands...a fate worse than death....

[Jack the Bear]

Interesting isn't it that "world class" and "professional" aren't terms used by those who actually are......

Cheers,

[Sqye]

In a service oriented business, great customer service defines "world class". That's ALL about making the client comfortable, happy and serving their needs in the best fashion possible. If you were peeved, annoyed, pissed off - then THAT obviously didn't happen at this facility. I would definitely speak to the manager about this - this is just NOT cool.

However, in this very artistic, crazy industry, some people take opportunites to capitalize on the"vibe" of the moment, and get a little out of control. If the singer can take care of herself that's fine, if the staff member's job was done well, that's also fine.

However, if this same staff member is making you and your singer uncomfortable, the chances are, you and your singer are not the only ones. So reporting it to the facilty can become a useful responsibility, like calling the cops when you get mugged, or witness a crime.

Too many a**holes wandering the streets without ever being reported for their crimes (or harrassment, as the case may be).

JMHO - you can protect against events like this RECURRING - believe it, or not

[drundall]

Originally Posted by Lord Fear

I recently worked in a "World Class " Studio with some great gear, Neve Console, API, Telefunken, Neumann, UA, and the assistant at this "world class" place not only was unbelieveably unhelpful, but he had the gaul to ask my artist for her phone number for a "artist developement" thing that the studio offered, and than he attempted to call her and ask her out on dates on three seperate occasions after she had already said no.

Sorry for the Rant...

Wow. That's what I call "World No-Class".

[warhead]

World class is an earned reputation amongst many, not a self appointed title by a few.

War

[Jay Kahrs]

Originally Posted by Jack the Bear

Interesting isn't it that "world class" and "professional" aren't terms used by those who actually are......

I always get scared when someone says "It's OK, I'm a professional" because the situation usually turns into a disaster.

The world-class people and studios are up to the task of anything...including the rough clients. The difference is that anyone who's up to par calls that type of client demanding. The places that aren't up to par call that same client difficult.

Big difference, and it's all mental outlook.

What's that Spinal Tap manager's line -- "For every one thing that goes wrong, a hundred things go right!" He still got the boot...

He actually quit! Said something about not wanting co-manage the band with a women IIRC...

[juicemaster1500]

the term 'world class' is stupid because it doesn't mean anything. What class? - world?

pathetic.

all it basically says if you use it is that you don't live on mars.

it's a term with no logic.

[wwittman]

I don't think "over used" is synonymous with "meaningless"

I know what a world-class studio is.
And I know when someone claiming to have one, just doesn't, as well.


It may START with an attitude, but it still requires physical attributes beyond personnel.

I'll grant you it's not the most DESCRIPTIVE term, especially as it IS so abused.

[The Alamo]

Hmm...another one that comes to mind when checking out studio websites: 'STATE OF THE ART" facility. Grudge. If only...

[The MPCist]

Originally Posted by Lord Fear

..... the assistant at this "world class" place not only was unbelieveably unhelpful, but he had the gaul to ask my artist for her phone number for a "artist developement" thing that the studio offered, and than he attempted to call her and ask her out on dates on three seperate occasions after she had already said no.
Sorry for the Rant...

Sounds like an assistant at a studio I used to work at! Guy never was around set up gear ahead of time, always on the phone, always 'impressing' the clients about 'who' he knew, etc.... Every female in the facility was being constantly hit on...

Well, I finally had enough. Told the owner of the facility, he got fired, and they got a new assistant who was fast, knew the studio inside and out, and spent his time making sure you had everything running well and the best coffee....

[7 Hz]

Hitting on a client is one of ther least professional things that anyone in any profession can do IMHO.

Certainy, a bit of sexual chemistry going on is cool, as long as everyone is having fun. But repeated advances is borderline stalking, and very creepy and difficult if you are the client. Sackable offence if ever there was one.

OTOH, if the CLIENT hits on YOU, well, it's all in a days work, eh? *

*(as long as you are compatable / willing / single that is!)

[Sqye]

Originally Posted by The MPCist

Sounds like an assistant at a studio I used to work at! Guy never was around set up gear ahead of time, always on the phone, always 'impressing' the clients about 'who' he knew, etc.... Every female in the facility was being constantly hit on...

Well, I finally had enough. Told the owner of the facility, he got fired, and they got a new assistant who was fast, knew the studio inside and out, and spent his time making sure you had everything running well and the best coffee....

Way to go - usually when those things go down, all of the sudden TONS more stories surface that many of the folks don't even KNOW about. Problem solved for you and your clients - unfortunately, now he's probably doing the same thing somwhere else : ( Let's find out where these guys live, and .... ship 'e m off to an island where they can all do the same thing to one another.

[Plush]

"World Class" is just PR speak.

"World Class" does not mean anything.

[jayfrigo]

Originally Posted by Plush

"World Class" is just PR speak.

"World Class" does not mean anything.

True enough, but if you call yourself by that name, it's now on you to live up to certain standards. If somebody is dumb enough to use that term for a mediocre studio, it certainly calls into question whether they have a clue, whether they are trying to pull the wool over your eyes, and whether they are the kind of people you want to have dealings with.

If I had to put criteria to world class, the level of service and experience of the staff is vital, the top gear is assumed, and the physical facility itself has to be of a certain quality. The rooms have to be well designed and well built, and the the client services areas and environment need to be comfortable and creatively stimulating. A pile of expensive gear in a crappy room with no client services certainly does not qualify. Neither does a fabulous engineer, even with lots of credits, in his bedroom pro tools studio. Sure, that guy may be making great records there, but if he calls his spare room a world class studio, he has at least one screw loose.

The term has indeed become mostly meaningless market-speak, but there are implications that you had better be able to deliver upon if you start throwing the term around.

[7 Hz]

This thread is world class, pure f***ing world class, I tell ya!

[paterno]

Originally Posted by Lord Fear

Many studios seem to be calling themselves "World Class," when I would say that few that claim that title actually are. What do you all slutz think makes a world class professional studio? I don't think its the gear, blasphemy you all say, I think its about the attitude of the personal.

It's a combination of things, but I think the personnel is the most important. Followed by maintenance and gear. There can be two studios designed by the same person, with similar gear, and you'll always go back to the one with the best staff. It's also the place where you'll get the most work done. That's why of all the studios I've worked in here in LA, I have it narrowed down to three that I work to steer clients toward.

And if a studio is calling itself 'world class', it almost 100% sure that it isn't. Those are the ones to avoid...

John

[Yoni]

It's a marketing buzz word aimed at the people who don't know any better. Sounds more impressive than "Come record at my not half bad studio!" If you can't judge for yourself whether something is "world class" then you're the one they want to impress.

[Jay Kahrs]

Originally Posted by Yoni

It's a marketing buzz word aimed at the people who don't know any better. Sounds more impressive than "Come record at my not half bad studio!" If you can't judge for yourself whether something is "world class" then you're the one they want to impress.

Right on.

The shops that actually are world-class would never call themselves that unless other people have been doing it for a decade or better. And even then I don't think they'd call themselves world class.

Ok, I'm off to make a world-class cup of tea!