Live engineers vs. Studio engineers pay

[hipass]

I can get a job for $20/hr down at In & Out Burger down @ Fisherman's Wharf.
It's so easy for a band to get a spec deal with some producer and record for free.
So Fletcher $15.00 it too much for some...

[Jim vanBergen]

Hey Hipass,
You responded to a thread from October, 2006...I'm sure even in this current recession, the rates are higher.

There are always high and low priced gigs out there.

[NorseHorse]

I get paid $7 an hour to run live sound. And I'm the best in town.

Nuff said.

EDIT: Sometimes I get paid lots more, but lower is definitely more glamorous.

[-Noodles-]

dbbubba is correct on EVERYTHING he says.

One of my good friends, and guys i work with does corporate shows for his living.

On the days off he's got he records bands.. know of Robert Plant? Yep.

I, myself, am a live engineer and crew by trade - but I do studio work for free, or at less price because I work with people I want to. Most of my stuff is owned and paid for by me, so it works out nicely.

Studio work is there - but quality isn't. So that's why I prefer to choose who I work with, it makes the job more fun and I keep my mixing and studio work up to scratch.

Live work is easy money, hard work. Corporate can be even worse, since you're having to ensure that EVERYTHING is right - feedback isn't allowed, and the mics have to work first time - everytime.

I've only done a few corporate shows,.. but they're harder than almost any session I've done, and any live gig [including where FOH went down mid song].

[Don S]

Originally Posted by -Noodles-

I, myself, am a live engineer and crew by trade - but I do studio work for free, or at less price because I work with people I want to..

Not to be a jerk and state the obvious. But don't you think people that have the cash and know good quality should pay for it? In the bigger picture, I observe it's getting harder to get anyone to pay anything for audio, let alone for quality audio. Again, not to sound like a schmuck, but do you think this helps the industry?

[memphisindie]

Originally Posted by Don S

Not to be a jerk and state the obvious. But don't you think people that have the cash and know good quality should pay for it? In the bigger picture, I observe it's getting harder to get anyone to pay anything for audio, let alone for quality audio. Again, not to sound like a schmuck, but do you think this helps the industry?

ZING!

[NorseHorse]

Noodles can take care of himself just fine, and doesn't need a "career coach" to lecture him about how he spends his time.

Recording audio is a leisure for some people, in much the same way that working on cars is rewarding for a lot of people. Heck, or cooking. We don't give those people a hard time about whether working on their friends' cars or cooking their families dinner hurts the "industry".

Just because something CAN be done professionally for $$, doesn't mean it has to. Nothing uncommon about that.

I take photos all the time for all sorts of people I know. I could do it professionally, but I don't want to. I like doing it for free.

[memphisindie]

Originally Posted by NorseHorse

Noodles can take care of himself just fine, and doesn't need a "career coach" to lecture him about how he spends his time.

Recording audio is a leisure for some people, in much the same way that working on cars is rewarding for a lot of people. Heck, or cooking. We don't give those people a hard time about whether working on their friends' cars or cooking their families dinner hurts the "industry".

That's because we engineers always have a broken car in need of a shadetree mechanic.

Just because something CAN be done professionally for $$, doesn't mean it has to. Nothing uncommon about that.

Then I officially quit!

I take photos all the time for all sorts of people I know. I could do it professionally, but I don't want to. I like doing it for free.

I'm not going there, not going there, going to my quiet place, happy happy.

[Don S]

Originally Posted by NorseHorse

Just because something CAN be done professionally for $$, doesn't mean it has to. Nothing uncommon about that.

Very true, however he IS a professional and admittedly DOES it for nothing (sometimes). I just hope it remains a secret among the population or we'll all be charging less and have less clients. Why would anyone pay for something when they can get it for free? Again, How does this help our profession?
Since this thread is in the "remote" section, I don't have to remind the venerated engineers here that one of the problems in remote audio is that pro engineers are occasionally replaced with someone willing to do the recording (quality not withstanding) for free. And with the economy the way it is currently, who would blame them for going that route once.

[NorseHorse]

What, so all of the world is going to go record with Noodles now?

Getting back to the photographer analogy, why do people hire wedding photographers when I (and a gazillion other photographers) could do it for free? Just like Noodles, I can't do everyone, and I wouldn't ever do a wedding anyway. I do what I want to do. It's low-key and it's fun. And people still hire full-time photographers when they need to rely on someone. (What?!?! We can co-exist?!?!?)

I just think it's something engineers need to get over. Most of us love our jobs right? Then why are we so surprised when other people love our jobs too? And they even try and do our jobs?!?! Duh.

It's considered cool and it's creative, so it's bound to happen. And for professional engineers, sometimes it's nice to record when you aren't on the clock and are just interested in having a good time with whomever you want to.

EDIT: And we act like this phenomenon is unique to the audio industry right? We don't have it nearly as bad as poets, musicians, photographers, painters (both kinds), graphic designers, videographers, landscapers, and who knows what else...

[NorseHorse]

And holy crap...

I just realized the industry which give birth to and supports recording engineers is completely based on people trying things themselves.

Think about it.

[Remoteness]

I don't know about you folks, but money never was (and never will be) the driving force behind the work I do in this industry.

Perhaps this concept could be considered a problem by some.

[aussie_techie]

Originally Posted by Remoteness

I don't know about you folks, but money never was (and never will be) the driving force behind the work I do in this industry.

Perhaps this concept could be considered a problem by some.

im with you, but i see so many people that will go with anything as long as they get paid

[dualflip]

Originally Posted by Samc

Do you actually believe this! I had no idea that any of the companies you listed above...including record companies developes audio equipment.

Can you list even one piece of audio gear or technology that was specifically developed because of, or "in the corporate arena".


NO...It's not even close! riding the fader while the company CEO gives his speach is not the same as mixing music


But, unlike music mixers, it's the PA company that hires and pays you, the corporate clients don't give a hoot.


Music mixers do this everyday, it's called advancing the gig, even studio guys have to advance their gigs.


No Danny, the sound guy doesn't make the event happen; the event planners make it happen.

They tell you what time your truck should arrive; what entry you must use when you load your gear; where you can run your cables etc. They even tell you what color shirt you and the rest of the crew must wear on the day of the event.

No disrespect man, but you dont know to who you are talking to...