How do you make best progress in the studio?

[RainbowStorm]

Here's a fact, no matter if you're among the top 10 engineers in the world or if you are an amateur, we all have something in common: We all struggle and we all strive to make progress.

This thread will explain how most of us make the best progress. Please allocate 4 seconds to answer this poll.

[ssaudio]

Originally Posted by RainbowStorm

Here's a fact

well, that was a bad start...

[hle144]

Originally Posted by RainbowStorm

Here's a fact, no matter if you're among the top 10 engineers in the world or if you are an amateur, we all have something in common: We all struggle and we all strive to make progress.

Wrong again, no struggling here. Love what I do, get paid well for it, work with competent musicians, buy vintage gear, take my girl on nice vacations, soon will buy a nice house, build deam studio.

Makng and producing music should not be a struggle, and when its not, people reconize this, they stand in line to wait for your services, they pay you what you want,....Everybody happy.

[AlexLakis]

I didn't vote because checking multiple options isn't possible, and I would've checked everything, as I suspect 95% of people would have also done.

[swisha31]

Originally Posted by hle144

Makng and producing music should not be a struggle, and when its not, people reconize this, they stand in line to wait for your services, they pay you what you want,....Everybody happy.

yeah i agree but my struggle isnt makin the music, my struggle is gettin away from this god forsaken place state to be in a position to be recognized

[Emi]

in the poll for me the word "experimenting" was missing. I do a lot of strange things in the studio...like trying wierd stuff and see what happends...who knows maybe you can discover a mic teqnique that it doesn´t exists and helps you a lot for recording something (and actually I did with spanish guitar)

[chymer]

Originally Posted by hle144

Wrong again, no struggling here. Love what I do, get paid well for it, work with competent musicians, buy vintage gear, take my girl on nice vacations, soon will buy a nice house, build deam studio.

Makng and producing music should not be a struggle, and when its not, people reconize this, they stand in line to wait for your services, they pay you what you want,....Everybody happy.

gee dude , your life sound amazing!!!Whats a deam studio?

I disagree about making music not being a struggle, my guess is your making extremely competent music and will so do for a long time with that attitude.

Im taking the piss kinda, but in all seriousness, if you dont struggle to get better then your cruisin' man and just cause the clients are lining up dont mean your improvin'.

I would probably tick all the boxes as well.
Chymer

[elambo]

Originally Posted by hle144

Wrong again, no struggling here. Love what I do, get paid well for it, work with competent musicians, buy vintage gear, take my girl on nice vacations, soon will buy a nice house, build deam studio.

Makng and producing music should not be a struggle, and when its not, people reconize this, they stand in line to wait for your services, they pay you what you want,....Everybody happy.

However, if your company knew that you were representing them on GS in the way that you do (in your signature), you might begin to "struggle." A little modesty in the eyes of so many engineers who ARE struggling (i.e. MOST or them) might serve you better. Coincidentally, I've noticed your Neve avatar on several condescending threads and it provoked me to follow the link to your company.

[goldenlotus]

Kind of obvious but, working as much as possible seems to help me the most.

Just like practicing an instrument, you've go to plow ahead everday day to make real progress.

[RichT]

I'm not really sure what the results of this poll will prove, it sure is confuzzling.

Also, can you clarify what you mean by 'struggle'?

Are you struggling to get clients?

Struggling to achieve a certain sound?

Struggling with the interaction of the clients?

What is this progress you wish to achieve?

To further your knowledge, your business, your soul? All three?

I kinda bimble along, taking into account the wishes and expectations of my clients and just get on with it. I find sometimes you can think about somethings too much that eventually they don't make any sense at all.

[RainbowStorm]

Originally Posted by RichT

I'm not really sure what the results of this poll will prove, it sure is confuzzling.
Also, can you clarify what you mean by 'struggle'?
Are you struggling to get clients?
Struggling to achieve a certain sound?
Struggling with the interaction of the clients?
What is this progress you wish to achieve?
To further your knowledge, your business, your soul? All three?
I kinda bimble along, taking into account the wishes and expectations of my clients and just get on with it. I find sometimes you can think about somethings too much that eventually they don't make any sense at all.

It will not necessarily prove anything, but it will reflect the view people have about how to grow as an engineer most efficiently and describe people's knowledge management process.

"Struggle" in this case is not necessarily a negative term, but it's rather a term that reflects a realistic view of yourself in your current state of skill in relation to further improvements you wish to make, sort of a growth-window/door, that helps in finding the focus necessary to break new plateaus and realise you need to be active in order to make progress and grow. The difference between "master" and "struggle" is that with the insight of struggling you become aware that you need to (1) find the right door to open, (2) find the key to open it and (3) open it and step in and that this is a constant iterative process. When you "master" something you typically either stop looking for new doors to open, or you think you already have all keys you need or you think you don't have to use the keys you have.

The poll is about answering what doors you look for and I'm not only talking about the control room door!

[andychamp]

I think I did my best work whenever I worked with people/musicians who are better at what they do than I am at what I do, or at least as good.
It made me want to attain their level and keep them happy.
I really got involved in their music and moved away from any comfortable routine (although a well-filled bag of tricks is nice to have, and those cats actually enjoy being impressed from time to time).

[elambo]

Originally Posted by chymer

gee dude , your life sound amazing!!!Whats a deam studio?

I disagree about making music not being a struggle, my guess is your making extremely competent music and will so do for a long time with that attitude.

Im taking the piss kinda, but in all seriousness, if you dont struggle to get better then your cruisin' man and just cause the clients are lining up dont mean your improvin'.

I would probably tick all the boxes as well.
Chymer

I'm pretty sure he's neither the person making the music, nor the person bringing in new clients. He has volunteered that he's a house engineer for a jingle company.