Are your clients in touch with you much prior to recording?

[Jules]

Like to get your opinion on best mic to use on a vocalist?

Or your suggestions where to track drums and what engineer to use?

How you would like some things recorded?

Or about anything else?

Do you get updated on how recordings are going? - or do you only hear from clients at the time its all ready to mix?

Do clients miss deadline targets to be ready for your mix?

Are you ever left twiddling your thumbs for a few days because they are late? If so, can you juggle projects and slot something else in?

I suppose I am wondering how the pre mix communication goes and how the timing all works..

Rock on! And many thanks for fitting this Q & A into your busy schedule!

[Tony Maserati]

Originally Posted by Jules

Like to get your opinion on best mic to use on a vocalist?

Or your suggestions where to track drums and what engineer to use?

How you would like some things recorded?

Or about anything else?

Do you get updated on how recordings are going? - or do you only hear from clients at the time its all ready to mix?

Do clients miss deadline targets to be ready for your mix?

Are you ever left twiddling your thumbs for a few days because they are late? If so, can you juggle projects and slot something else in?

I suppose I am wondering how the pre mix communication goes and how the timing all works..

Rock on! And many thanks for fitting this Q & A into your busy schedule!

Hey Julian,
Yikes! that's a bunch of questions in a single note...

I'll start with the basic premise of whether or not I"m involved in the recording and how communication begins with clients;

It really depends on the artist and producer. In the case of Jason Mraz and in particular Martin Terefe. He reached out to me while he was recording just to talk about the record and how great he thought it was going. He let me know, based on the direction they were going with the recording, he was feeling I would be perfect for the job of mixing the record.

From there, he ran the idea by the artist and label before sending me a few things to listen to. After I had a chance to listen we talked a bit about direction and general references. So by the time we moved forward to the mixing, I was well studied up on the options for my direction in the mix.

That my friends is a rarity! Usually, the best of circumstances would be, getting a phone call from the label; checking my schedule and letting me know some basics creative direction and who's producing. I've been lucky enough to work with some of the top producers in the game, so hopefully, I will have worked with or at least met the producer somewhere on another project.

Most times, My manager Duffy gets a phone call from the producers coordinator and the process gets scheduled in with only a quick discussion about time frame and budgets. I'm also lucky because, whether a new client or old, they have an idea of what I can bring to their record. That helps tremendously... It allows me to work with artist from around the world and gain access to some of the best talent out there.

Does that answer any part of that question?? Humm... perhaps I'll come back to this one...
thanks,
t

[Tony Maserati]

Originally Posted by Jules

Like to get your opinion on best mic to use on a vocalist?

Or your suggestions where to track drums and what engineer to use?

How you would like some things recorded?

Or about anything else?

Do you get updated on how recordings are going? - or do you only hear from clients at the time its all ready to mix?

Do clients miss deadline targets to be ready for your mix?

Are you ever left twiddling your thumbs for a few days because they are late? If so, can you juggle projects and slot something else in?

I suppose I am wondering how the pre mix communication goes and how the timing all works..

Rock on! And many thanks for fitting this Q & A into your busy schedule!

Back again Jules,
Clients always miss deadlines, but then, it's hard to get the truth about what the deadline is from the label. So often they'll tell us a date, knowing we're gonna be late. ... that sort of thing, so I'm always shooting at a moving target... makes it fun i guess.

t

[Tony Maserati]

Originally Posted by Jules

Like to get your opinion on best mic to use on a vocalist?

Or your suggestions where to track drums and what engineer to use?

How you would like some things recorded?

Or about anything else?

Do you get updated on how recordings are going? - or do you only hear from clients at the time its all ready to mix?

Do clients miss deadline targets to be ready for your mix?

Are you ever left twiddling your thumbs for a few days because they are late? If so, can you juggle projects and slot something else in?

I suppose I am wondering how the pre mix communication goes and how the timing all works..

Rock on! And many thanks for fitting this Q & A into your busy schedule!

Jules,
My set up allows me to bounce between projects pretty easily, so no, I'm not left twittling me thumbs. In fact, if I'm mixing a whole record, I'll jus work through a bunch of songs and let people hear in progress mixes as I'm going. They comment on em, and I save the notes to go back and tweak when I'm 'in the mood' for that song again. I find it to be a more creative way of working. It also allows me to listen to the material progressively, while I'm living life too. I'll take a CD for the car or listen in my home stereo and get my friends to give me feedback on my overall direction. Can be very helpful.

t

[Jules]

Great info! Thanks!