Traits of a great studio client?

[rockum]

What are the traits of a great client?
What make them enjoyable to work with?
What makes you want them to come back again?
Memorable stories of humble, interesting, talented, fun, polite, ideal clients?

(I guess paying the bill is obvious what else?)

[tunesmith]

I think clients who take the time to learn and understnad the process are the best. Clients who complain about it not sounding "right" as soon as it's tracked are, IMHO, not thinking clearly.

When looking at a construction site, not being an architect or welder or such, I have the presence of mind ot say, "Hey, there aren't any walls here! I wonder when they go up?"

For some reason, everyone who doesn't work in music thinks that Rome WAS built in a day. They, for some reason, refuse to acknowledge that music is an art and requires, you know... WORK!!!

I actually think this speaks to a larger problem with non-musical people, that they can't imagine music as anyting other than an overglorified hobby.

I always get excited when clients ask questions. Good questions. Questions about the process and expectations and such. That speaks of a keen mind, and keen minds are apt to learn.

The clients who think it's magic are the ones who freak me out, because if it turns out different then they expect, they blame you for putting the frog eyes in the stew instead of the essence of goat blood.

Tunes.

[Grasshopper]

I think clients that think the process is "magic" also alow you to do what you know is best on your rig. It cuts both ways.

Some traits of clients I enjoy working with are:

Knows his/her own music!

Knows what they want it to sound like.

Brings in the best equipment for the project.

Knows his/her own limits.

Knows how to play to the click!!!!

This is IMVHO

Pays in full before leaving
Tips the junior staff
Tells friends
Comes back

[David R.]

Pays in full. Doesn't have to be at the session, but a reasonable amout of tome.

Lets me do my job, so I can let them do theirs.

Knows when to quit, or can accept it when I say the "curve" is going down.

Can play their instrument!

Referes others to me.

[concentric]

1. Likes to pay 120% of book rate
2. Has a clear vision for where they want to take the music (recording-wise and market-wise)
3. Can actually play
4. Listens to reason
5. Likes to have fun
6. Tells their friends

I'd take 3 out of 6.

JCM

[rockum]

Good stuff

BTW, Sonikwire is beautiful, concentric.

[concentric]

Originally posted by rockum
Good stuff

BTW, Sonikwire is beautiful, concentric.

Thanks man, we appreciate the compliment.

Jason and the SW Krew

[Shaman]

Beautiful studio - nice earth colours - love the flying carpets.
But man - where are your monitor speakers ?

[Jay Kahrs]

In addition to all of the above;

1. They buy me lunch and/or dinner
2. They won't nickle & dime time

"Well, we took about 40 minutes for lunch and then there was that 10 minutes you spent on the phone..."

"Ok, tell ya what? Lemme bill you for the hour of setup time I did previous to when you got here and the hour it's gonna take me to clean up. And oh yeah, what should we do about all those ciggerate breaks you took and the bottles of water you drank???"

[rockum]

After building that beautiful place, who's got money left for monitors? They use the Mac's built in speaker.


kiddin of course...

[David R.]

Originally posted by Jay Kahrs
In addition to all of the above;

1. They buy me lunch and/or dinner
2. They won't nickle & dime time

"Well, we took about 40 minutes for lunch and then there was that 10 minutes you spent on the phone..."

"Ok, tell ya what? Lemme bill you for the hour of setup time I did previous to when you got here and the hour it's gonna take me to clean up. And oh yeah, what should we do about all those ciggerate breaks you took and the bottles of water you drank???"

Nail on the head. I am with those 150%.

[joeq]

lots of good ones here
let me add:
someone who is not spending his own money

[concentric]

Originally posted by Shaman
Beautiful studio - nice earth colours - love the flying carpets.
But man - where are your monitor speakers ?

Those pictures were taken before we had the monitors up... I should get the new ones ready soon, but I've been busy.

We have:

Dynaudio C4 mains system
Genelec 1030s and 1031s w/sub
NS-10s w/sub

I'd like to pick up a couple different flavors, too....

JCM

[ElectriK Noize]

Just to add my own $.02.

I think it's important for the artist/client to be able to explain their vision for the song. I think it would help if the artist knew how the recording process takes place. As someone pointed out Rome was not built in a day. The client needs to understand and have the right mindset/expectations of what is going to be delivered throughout the entire process. From writing the songs to Mastering.

When the artist knows all the variables I think it makes it easier to explain what they think needs to happen at the right time. Plus they have in their vocabulary the right terminology to explain to the producer/engineer what they feel is lacking or what they are totally diggin on.

None of that "Gee it's sounds great but could you make my guitar sound a little more uhmm Blue..." LOL

Instead you get "Yeah thats it, but I think a little less high end is what I have in mind when I hear this in my head. What do you think?"

It's all about clients that can communicate effectively. Couple that with the right expectations of themselves and everyone else involved and you're off to a good start.

-John

[concentric]

Originally posted by rockum
After building that beautiful place, who's got money left for monitors? They use the Mac's built in speaker.


kiddin of course...

I do like checking mixes through the mono speaker on our Studer A80 1/2 and 1/4" machines, does that count?

Jason

[alphajerk]

money

[Curve Dominant]

After surfing the Sonikwire website, I'm almost too humbled to post anything from now on.

OK, for a teensie little production studio that (mostly) records outside artists on spec, I value people who:

1) have a talent for having talent
2) will push me, without being too pushy
3) have a lot of positive energy
4) are team players when it comes to stretching the bounds of our available resources
5) are totally committed to following up on what we've achieved once the product is finished

[Drumsound]

The best clients are the ones who write good songs and know how to play them. Prompt payment is also of critical importance.

A good hang and realistic desires are also great. Oh and people who will shut up when needed so I can work.

[imacgreg]

I like clients that make me wish I was a better engineer. Gives something to work for. And those that pay...

Ian

[tunesmith]

Originally posted by rockum
Good stuff

BTW, Sonikwire is beautiful, concentric.

Ditto on that.

Concentric, I noticed that Eli Thompson was one of your engineers. Is that the same Eli Thomson who plays monster bass for Crystal Lewis and the like?

It's a small world. My wife was good friends with that whole Harvest crowd and my sister in law is still really connected with the music there.

Just curious. How's life in the OC?

Tunes

[concentric]

Originally posted by tunesmith
Ditto on that.

Concentric, I noticed that Eli Thompson was one of your engineers. Is that the same Eli Thomson who plays monster bass for Crystal Lewis and the like?

It's a small world. My wife was good friends with that whole Harvest crowd and my sister in law is still really connected with the music there.

Just curious. How's life in the OC?

Tunes

Life in my OC is pretty damn rockin'... The rest of the county I can't speak for...

Eli is one and the same. My mentor in engineering when I started at Sonikwire as an intern and a really good friend of mine. He's been doing some amazing work lately.

If you're ever down in the area, look me up and I'll show you around the place.

Best,

Jason

[concentric]

Originally posted by Curve Dominant
After surfing the Sonikwire website, I'm almost too humbled to post anything from now on.

Oh, whatever...
You've got some cool stuff happening on your page, man.

Jason

[RichT]

Money, etc, etc, what everyone else said above and also:

Trust.

This works both ways and it has to be earned of course.

If done right can lead to a long term relationship between the client and the studio.

Cheers,
Rich

I have one more thing to add to my list.

An ideal client of my studio The Library, is one that scores a record deal off the recordings done here.

That is what we are primarily ALL about here. And more of it just adds to the studios reputation.

Our studio is a serious - 'good sh!t started to happen to us after we recorded there' place.

Thats why most people come here. And thats how we get reccomendations.

[RichT]

Originally posted by Jules
I have one more thing to add to my list.

An ideal client of my studio The Library, is one that scores a record deal off the recordings done here.

That is what we are primarily ALL about here. And more of it just adds to the studios reputation.

Our studio is a serious - 'good sh!t started to happen to us after we recorded there' place.

Thats why most people come here. And thats how we get reccomendations.

Obviously anyway of promoting your studio to encourage new clients is a good thing.

Being a jaded musician that the industry spat out I'm down on whole go to a studio because someone got a 'record deal' thing. I want them there because they heard our stuff and liked what we do. Obviously there is an inherent 'quality' if stuff you're recording is getting bands signed.

But is it any wonder the industry is so ****ed if it's filled with musicians with no other aim other than to get a record deal, become famous and eventually rich.

We complain about the mooks but for the most part performers are exactly the same. I want a hit say the record company, I want a hit say the A'N'R, we want a hit say the band.

I don't have a choice in the matter, I record everyone that books in but I love it when musicians come in and they're not doing it to score a record deal.

It certainly allows you to be more creative and isn't that what our role is all about.

Music is an art or at least it used to be.

[David R.]

I think it's important for the artist/client to be able to explain their vision for the song. I think it would help if the artist knew how the recording process takes place.

Sorry ElectriK Noize, but I have to disagree with you. It is important for me to understand the vision. When I have on my producer hat and a client tells me he wants more blue in the guitar and wants the drums to be more like waving hands in the air, the client is telling me what he wants. I just have to interpret it.

It goes bad when they have just a bit of knowledge and they think they understand everything.

[PlugHead]

Originally posted by RichT
Money, etc, etc, what everyone else said above and also:

Trust.

This works both ways and it has to be earned of course.

If done right can lead to a long term relationship between the client and the studio.

Cheers,
Rich

Ya beat me to it: that's the one trait that has to be present in a project from start to finish - tho opinions may vary, and emotions can get the best of any of us, trust is the one thing the client has to have with the producer/engineer. Absolutely essential to maintaining a healthy relationship with the material, and with each other...

Past that, a relaxed energy, and non clock-watching personality: there's almost nothing worse than a nervous bloke pacing around wondering when you're going to finish tweaking the mix...

I also agree with you Rich: one of the most gratifying moments of working this (mostly) thankless job is to actually record and witness the musicians groove and play at the top of their form. That is rewarding far more than money: too bad the vast majority of bands/musicians have extremely poor musical skills, and this creates "commodity" acts with little substance, except for the (creative) assembly and packaging (production) of material in the most presentable (marketable) manner. Our industry is in decline, and so are the short-sighted goals of artists, and "art" in general...

[Curve Dominant]

When I have on my producer hat and a client tells me he wants more blue in the guitar and wants the drums to be more like waving hands in the air, the client is telling me what he wants. I just have to interpret it.

I wish more engineers would think like that.

[ElectriK Noize]

Originally posted by David R.
Sorry ElectriK Noize, but I have to disagree with you. It is important for me to understand the vision. When I have on my producer hat and a client tells me he wants more blue in the guitar and wants the drums to be more like waving hands in the air, the client is telling me what he wants. I just have to interpret it.

It goes bad when they have just a bit of knowledge and they think they understand everything.

Yeah I definitely see your point. And it is very much a part of the producers/engineers job to interpret what the artist wants. Plus some clients can be a bit dangerous with just a tiny bit of info of how the process works. They might think that they know more than they really do or even worse, think they know more than the person producing/engineering.

But if we're talking about an "ideal client" I think one that has the right expectations and can explain themselves in less cryptic terminology rather than "blue guitar", well thats appealing to me at least

-John