Meeting with Steve Remote

[Javi]

Hello everybody, my name is Javier and though I've been around this forum for a few years I never found the reason to start a thread, or post a reply in a thread before someone with more knowledge does it.

Pardon my english, I'm not a native speaker...sometimes I even have problems with the spanish I've been using the last 30 years

A couple of weeks ago I travelled to New York, and for that I asked Steve Remote if we could meet. I enjoy meeting with colleagues all around the globe, and find it very interesting to share impressions and points of view. And more in this case, since I admire Steve, his career and his experience. I still believe that one can learn from anyone, even when you meet with a colleague who lives thousands of miles away, works in a completely different market, and has been doing this for more time than I've lived.

So, the reason for this post is to share a bit what a great feeling is to meet great colleagues and great people. I must tell you, I had a wonderful time at Steve's, he was kind enough to give this south american remote recorder the studio tour, and it was impressive. Every little detail is completely thought. If someone tells you "experience doesn't matter that much", well...I could believe that if someone had polished every aspect of the remote recording as well as Steve has without spending decades on the road.

He showed me around, he explained to me technical details I hadn't even noticed, and we talked a lot about musical impressions. I repeat: it is a very, very nice feeling when you meet a top pro so open to share. I don't find that very often, at least not in Argentina. Sometimes the greatest engineers think that the reason of their success is having a vault full of professional secrets, not to be shared with anyone. This is NOT the case. And for that, my admiration and publicly thanks to Steve. In this business I met a lot of nice people, but nobody this willing to talk in the same level. I mean, I have been doing this for only 9 years, and this guy who has done an impressive (in quality and quantity) collection of recordings, sits next to me and explains, listens, asks for my humble opinion...it was a great afternoon. I enjoyed and learned a lot. I hope it was to Steve at least the tenth time rewarding as it was to me.

My final thought of this post would be to tell you guys to appreciate the knowlodge in this forum. Many great guys like Steve dedicate a lot of time without asking nothing in return. And some of them, like Steve, are also a great person.

[Remoteness]

Hello Javier,

Hey, thanks for chiming in.
I truly appreciate the kind words and sentiment.

Your English is fine in person and in this post, but I have no clue how you're doing with your Spanish since I don't understand most of it;-)

Man, has it been a couple of weeks already?
Wow, time does fly; it seems like only a week ago.

IMHO, it doesn't matter what level of experience you have, there's always room to learn something new.

It was great to meet and spend some time together.
I enjoyed showing you around the field shop.
Believe it or not, it was just as rewarding listening to your "humble" opinions as it was for you.

Everything is relative...

You and I many be at different levels in our careers, but that did not stop us from connecting on an equal plane.

The planning stage:
It's all in the details and how you prep for your recording/broadcast dates.
For me, the planning stage is the most important part of a production venture.

Figuring out and anticipating what to expect and (in so many cases) what not to expect is mission critical, especially when you're out on the road with only the equipment and resources you planned for...

I never seem to run out of times when promises were broken.
That being said, it's still our job to be on point and deliver exactly what your client (or artist) expected from you.
Working out a plan A, B, C and sometimes (dare I say) an exit strategy is so important I cannot stress it enough.

Case in point, we walked away from a tremendous live broadcast with excellent results, but that clearly was not the case walking into that production venture. I'm serious - we didn't have a show, but it didn't stop us from making it happen!

So many issues had to be addressed that it took away from the load in, setup, sound check and rehearsal.
I mean, "total fax" never happened, but the show was a success beyond what you would have expected knowing how the day went down...

I stood my ground on each and every issue and made it clear that if we went down that (those) road(s), we had no show!

...and, in the end, we won, the band won, the client was happy and we walked away living large knowing that the artists had smiles on their faces when they heard my playback.

Enjoy your day - make it an excellent one!

[RobAnderson]

I'll second that emotion: when it comes to sharing his vast, hard-won knowledge, Steve has to be one of the most generous guys I know.

Yet at the same time, he manages to stay open-minded to the thoughts and ideas of everyone he encounters.

Always learning, always thinking, never stops trying to improve, never stops caring, and always fighting to do whatever it takes to get the job done right.

S**t can hit the fan on some gigs - it was not funny;

but because of meticulous planning and preparation, the ability to adapt and change on the fly and under pressure, and being willing to stop at nothing to make it happen, the day was a remarkable success.

Kudos to you Mr. Remote...

[johnnybigdog]

Hi Javier,

I've known Steve Remote for about 35 years. He's always been that type of person. Very detailed and very giving when it comes to his talents.
His legacy will not only be marked by the quality of work he's achieved in sound capturing, but also in the numerous systems advancements and education he's passed along for all to utilize to further the craft of sound recording.
He's an approachable living legend who's confidence allows him to enjoy his work as well as share his love for the art he's helped develop to the level it is at today.
The future can only sound better with Steve Remote in the room.

All the best to you on your sound journey,
Johnny

[Remoteness]

Hey, thanks so much fellas...

How did I miss this thread;-)

Javier, how is Buenos Aires treating you?
Are you working on the things we talked about?

Enjoy the rest of the week - make it an excellent one!

[ArcCirDude]

Steve is where he is because of his, 1: Talent, 1a: Professionalism, 1b: Talent, 1c: Good naturedness, 1d: Talent, 1e: Openheartedness to all involved in the industry, novice and professional alike, and 1f: Falafels....

Oh, and 1g: Equipment to back up all of the above.

Been a while Mr. Steve.

P.S. (Pay close attention to the ranking system presented above.)

[bove]

Steve Remote is awesome!

[Remoteness]

Javi,

So, how's everything coming along for you.
Have you accomplished any of the things we talked about?
I'd love to hear about your progress.

In any event, may 2012 bring all that you wished for.

Originally Posted by Javi

Hello everybody, my name is Javier and though I've been around this forum for a few years I never found the reason to start a thread, or post a reply in a thread before someone with more knowledge does it.

Pardon my english, I'm not a native speaker...sometimes I even have problems with the spanish I've been using the last 30 years

A couple of weeks ago I travelled to New York, and for that I asked Steve Remote if we could meet. I enjoy meeting with colleagues all around the globe, and find it very interesting to share impressions and points of view. And more in this case, since I admire Steve, his career and his experience. I still believe that one can learn from anyone, even when you meet with a colleague who lives thousands of miles away, works in a completely different market, and has been doing this for more time than I've lived.

So, the reason for this post is to share a bit what a great feeling is to meet great colleagues and great people. I must tell you, I had a wonderful time at Steve's, he was kind enough to give this south american remote recorder the studio tour, and it was impressive. Every little detail is completely thought. If someone tells you "experience doesn't matter that much", well...I could believe that if someone had polished every aspect of the remote recording as well as Steve has without spending decades on the road.

He showed me around, he explained to me technical details I hadn't even noticed, and we talked a lot about musical impressions. I repeat: it is a very, very nice feeling when you meet a top pro so open to share. I don't find that very often, at least not in Argentina. Sometimes the greatest engineers think that the reason of their success is having a vault full of professional secrets, not to be shared with anyone. This is NOT the case. And for that, my admiration and publicly thanks to Steve. In this business I met a lot of nice people, but nobody this willing to talk in the same level. I mean, I have been doing this for only 9 years, and this guy who has done an impressive (in quality and quantity) collection of recordings, sits next to me and explains, listens, asks for my humble opinion...it was a great afternoon. I enjoyed and learned a lot. I hope it was to Steve at least the tenth time rewarding as it was to me.

My final thought of this post would be to tell you guys to appreciate the knowlodge in this forum. Many great guys like Steve dedicate a lot of time without asking nothing in return. And some of them, like Steve, are also a great person.