Here's The TROUBLE with the Recording Industry!

[88fingerz]

WANTED!! Home Studio Help WANTED!!

This pretty much sums it up, says it ALL!



Here's the actual ad (I copied it here incase the author deletes it from CL):

WANTED!! Home Studio Help WANTED!!

Reply to: NOT-COOL-TO-PUT-SOMEONES-EMAIL-UP-ON-A-PUBLIC-FORUM (GS ADMIN)
Date: 2007-09-03, 3:09PM EDT


Hello,
I have a metal band and wanted to record some of our songs.Instead of going to a professional studio I invested in a home studio.
Now I need somebody qualified to teach me to operate it.
I need to be taught how to to hook up the various studio components, mic vocals,mic the instruments,mix & master the final product.
I am using Cubase 4 with MAC.
this is in Suffolk Long Island
thank you

[RadioBox]

Please explain how someone purchasing the equipment to record demos for his band is the "trouble with the recording industry".

Before DAW's I remember every band having crappy homemade demos. Now they have LOUD crappy homemade demos.

Instead of berating hobbyists and DIY'ers as the downfall of the recording industry, why not respond to the ad, give some lessons, and make some money? Then down the line when they're ready to record a studio album they'll remember you and your vast knowledge, and you get some more money. Or they cut a few demos, argue over beer and girlfriends, get jobs, and sell the DAW to the next garage band.

Lately, I've been doing more setups and lessons than demo recording. It seems like more kids want to learn pro tools than play the piano, so offer a service that fills the need. Just don't do it here. This is my corner.

[slaves666]

I hardly see it as "what is wrong with the recording industry". Just because someone thinks they can drop 1-2k in some gear and get a decent demo, is mistaken.....and they will find out by the time they start to mix. This has as much impact as the 4 track, the only difference is the demos will sound a little better and have more tracks and less hiss.

[heyman]

kinda half agree here...

Hey at least he is looking to have some one teach him...

[88fingerz]

I guess I was taken by the fact he mulled over going to a professional studio for his band's recordings and chose to buy the home gear instead.

I would never be in favor of someone not trying to do it all, and well for that matter. Too bad he couldn't do both!

It's a microcosm of the reason a nice place (I've heard & read) like Sony would have to shut it's doors. Do you think?

[YZ!]

Originally Posted by 88fingerz

I guess I was taken by the fact he mulled over going to a professional studio for his band's recordings and chose to buy the home gear instead.

I would never be in favor of someone not trying to do it all, and well for that matter. Too bad he couldn't do both!

It's a microcosm of the reason a nice place (I've heard & read) like Sony would have to shut it's doors. Do you think?

Well, he either did not realize that hiring a professional that can actually teach him how to do it all would cost him quite a bit, or did not think that such a professional would ask for much... IOW, he does not value the experience of a professional and that is one of the many things that are wrong in the MI today.

Depending on how much he actually wants to know and learn, it seems a better idea to hire a pro to do the recording and mixing at his studio and learn a bit from watching the pro, then take the mixes to a mastering house.

The thing is, he needs a pro engineer who is also a good teacher, and this is not too common.

Or cheap.

[ipagel]

this is not the problem.
in the uk the problem is one becomes big and then every record label and radio station start signing and playing that style of music non stop.



dfegadUK mainstream music

[slaves666]

I have bands contact me on occasion to help them with their home productions....I offer to mix the project for them, but rarely get a call back....I would guess it is because they are so unhappy with the project, they'd rather not sink any more $$ into it.

[bluestarbass]

I think its funny that when people ask about going to a recording school everyone suggests that they just buy their own rig and learn on it. Thats what this guy is doing and everyone is making fun of him.

I agree on some level, people who think they can just buy a studio and it will be the same as produced music, they are wrong. This guy isnt trying to take on others projects, just learn to use his own rig to mix his own band.

[Methlab]

15 years ago a new band with no ears would not make a home studio. They would just go to some other guy's crappy low budget studio and make a crap demo there. What's the difference?

[lowfreq33]

Isn't this how most engeineers get their start these days? I know that when I started out way back in the late 1990's it was almost the same scenario. Didn't want to spend $90/hr to record at a real studio, screw it, I'll just buy some gear and record it myself. It took me a while to really "get it", but here I am, a professional audio engineer! (cue trumpet fanfare). I think this kid has the hardest part licked, he's already figured out that there are other people out there who have been doing this for a while and that he could probably learn a lot from them. At least he didn't buy a copy of Fruity Loops and start calling himself an engineer.

I think THOSE guys are the problem.

[warhead]

I had a guy call up a week or so ago, and he could hardly even describe what he wanted. Finally it turned out he was looking at an Alesis HD24 recorder. He then announced that he only had ONE question:

"What do it do???"

War

[Cornchuck]

The problem with the "Recording Industry" started long before home recording studio's. Someone once advised : "Being thrown into a pool of sharks is the worst time to learn how to swim." Anyone who's in a band needs to know the Whole Buisness. From beginning to end. Most home studio owners will give up once they realize there is far more to it than they care to commit. At least with this experience they now can appreciate the professional engineer and the recording industry. Take what Phil Spector once said: Musicians are nothing with out him (producer)." With that attitude no wonder musicians are becoming producers. The recording industry got what they deserved....foundation collasped. My hope is that out of this revolution of home studio users theire will arise a new breed of producers. Those who are in it for the love of music not just greed.

[LK7]

Originally Posted by Cornchuck

Take what Phil Spector once said: Musicians are nothing with out him (producer)." With that attitude no wonder musicians are becoming producers. The recording industry got what they deserved....foundation collasped. My hope is that out of this revolution of home studio users theire will arise a new breed of producers. Those who are in it for the love of music not just greed.

Ditto

[nukmusic]

Originally Posted by Cornchuck

The problem with the "Recording Industry" started long before home recording studio's. Someone once advised : "Being thrown into a pool of sharks is the worst time to learn how to swim." Anyone who's in a band needs to know the Whole Buisness. From beginning to end. Most home studio owners will give up once they realize there is far more to it than they care to commit. At least with this experience they now can appreciate the professional engineer and the recording industry. Take what Phil Spector once said: Musicians are nothing with out him (producer)." With that attitude no wonder musicians are becoming producers. The recording industry got what they deserved....foundation collasped. My hope is that out of this revolution of home studio users theire will arise a new breed of producers. Those who are in it for the love of music not just greed.

dam skippy

[justyntime]

Some people just want to record the jam sessions they have with their band. Not everyone is looking to spend $240 recording $1500 to have it mixed and another $1500 to have just 1 song mastered.

Some people just need someone to help hook everything up, show them how to arm a track, adjust the levels and maybe throw a few plugs in the mix and render to mp3.

The biggest problem with the recording industry... is the recording industry.

[AlexLakis]

Originally Posted by Joe Porto

There's nothing wrong with the home studio. It's actually a productive aspect of the growth of music culture, although not necessarily the industry.

The thing is, back in the day, you bought a 4 track and a couple mics and went from their. You learned as you went and slowly added and replaced your equipment. It was a long, gradual learning curve. It fostered innovation and creativity.

These days, it's about buying a computer and interface and having a model of everything under the sun. Everything is easy as a point and a click. Even a full backup band and orchestra is a few clicks away.

Limitation fosters innovation. In todays home studio environment, there is no limitation.

I think the guy should have posted an ad BEFORE he purchased the home studio, instead of walking into Music Mart and bending over to allow the salesman to stick him with the products that carried the biggest spiffs.

True, although limitations don't have anything to do with good songwriting.

I'd much rather have a singer/songwriter bring in demos for me on Pro Tools that aren't clipping all over the place that we may actually even think about using for something than some cassette tape with hiss and "button noises" all over the place.

Blaming increased quality in consumer-grade products and increased ease of use for trouble in the recording industry is a cop-out. The models haven't changed to fit the demands, and the consumer's mentality needs a bit of adjusting, and these things are slowly happening. I'm interested to see what the future holds...

Oh, and the ad made me giggle. I wish I had that kinda balls when I was first starting out!

[MrHope]

Originally Posted by RadioBox

Please explain how someone purchasing the equipment to record demos for his band is the "trouble with the recording industry".

Before DAW's I remember every band having crappy homemade demos. Now they have LOUD crappy homemade demos.

Instead of berating hobbyists and DIY'ers as the downfall of the recording industry, why not respond to the ad, give some lessons, and make some money? Then down the line when they're ready to record a studio album they'll remember you and your vast knowledge, and you get some more money. Or they cut a few demos, argue over beer and girlfriends, get jobs, and sell the DAW to the next garage band.

Lately, I've been doing more setups and lessons than demo recording. It seems like more kids want to learn pro tools than play the piano, so offer a service that fills the need. Just don't do it here. This is my corner.

WISE WORDS thumbsup

[Push845]

To me, The problem is beat detector, auto tune, etc.. why not let your robot record for you?
I've learned to play nine instruments on my own. Most on the radio don't know what a fader is or what a guitar tuner looks like.

[GravityRobert]

Originally Posted by slaves666

I hardly see it as "what is wrong with the recording industry". Just because someone thinks they can drop 1-2k in some gear and get a decent demo, is mistaken.....and they will find out by the time they start to mix.

Wrong assumption, I know a guy who did his own full length on 2 firepods, bunch of mics and a shitload of talent. He made the fattest metal mix I've heard in the last 5 years. The truly talented, devoted people will always come out on top or go under in glory. This kid pwned a lot of you guys who have 50 k in gear and still cant make one good record

[structuredloud]

Originally Posted by GravityRobert

Wrong assumption, I know a guy . . .

Dude, people are trying to make conclusions based on an average or a trend. Conclusions about technology and how it affects society as a whole or at least within a reasonably large group of people (musicians who desire good recordings of their band at a low price). Your comments about xyz wunderkind might be valid in a journal of unrelated anecdotes about home recording success but are completely outside the scope of this thread.

[Vandergraf]

Originally Posted by Methlab

15 years ago a new band with no ears would not make a home studio. They would just go to some other guy's crappy low budget studio and make a crap demo there. What's the difference?

uh . . . what?. . .sorry, your avatar caught my . . . eye.