The Life of a Freelance Engineer

starkey · 29th January 2005, 06:36 PM

Hey Richard, Thanks so much for your input this month. You've really put down some incredibly helpful and informative insights into recording and making records. My question is about the other side of being a freelance engineer/producer. How do you maintain sanity in "life" outside the studio. As a freelancer myself I enjoy my work, but I don't enjoy the inconsistency and sporadic schedule. Waiting for jobs, checks, trying to make plans and not worry about getting a gig those days. And the stretches of time off, when there is simply no work. These all add to stresses of life, figuring what you can afford, when you don't know when you'll be working. I'm sure as you become more established you are able to maintain a more consistent schedule. But how do you deal with it in the early years. I don't mean to get personal, or throw a wet blanket on the fun we're having here, but these are the things I wonder about (along with the acoustic guitar sound on Tom Petty records) when it comes to our job. Thanks.

juniorhifikit · 31st January 2005, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Richard

2b). Because you can, get a phone number that you can keep regardless of where you may move.

Voip phone services work great for this. Try Lingo (which I use), Vonage, or Broadvoice. You get a DSL modem that gives you your phhone number wherever you go. You can add numbers for different places you work often - they all ring on your phone/modem.

picksail · 31st January 2005, 09:06 AM

We use Vonage.

Shan · 31st January 2005, 12:34 PM

Great advice as usual Richard. I guess Im one of those ones who have put my work first and kinda payin' for it big time at the moment. Right now I live in my studio (thats right) I sleep on a futon right in the studio and somehow fall asleep looking through the glass into the control room. The social life is non-existant. (Hey baby, come to my place and I'll make you dinner and we'll watch a DVD in the studio. NOT) Even my cat is grumpy at me cause he is being looked after by a friend 1 hour away.

Reading your reply to this post just made me ask myself "what the hell am I doing?" I'm starting to go bonkers.

Oh well, It's 3am and I just finished working on some tracks. Time for bed (in the studio) night, night.

Shane

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29th January 2005, 06:36 PM	#1
starkey Gear interested Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 9	The Life of a Freelance Engineer Hey Richard, Thanks so much for your input this month. You've really put down some incredibly helpful and informative insights into recording and making records. My question is about the other side of being a freelance engineer/producer. How do you maintain sanity in "life" outside the studio. As a freelancer myself I enjoy my work, but I don't enjoy the inconsistency and sporadic schedule. Waiting for jobs, checks, trying to make plans and not worry about getting a gig those days. And the stretches of time off, when there is simply no work. These all add to stresses of life, figuring what you can afford, when you don't know when you'll be working. I'm sure as you become more established you are able to maintain a more consistent schedule. But how do you deal with it in the early years. I don't mean to get personal, or throw a wet blanket on the fun we're having here, but these are the things I wonder about (along with the acoustic guitar sound on Tom Petty records) when it comes to our job. Thanks.

31st January 2005, 09:06 AM	#3
picksail Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Hollywood Posts: 3,326	We use Vonage. __________________ Stewart Cararas Seventh Level Productions Myspace Profile Discogs _________________________________ The new is necessarily abstract - Rudolf Borchadt

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31st January 2005, 12:34 PM	#4
Shan Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver Posts: 634	Great advice as usual Richard. I guess Im one of those ones who have put my work first and kinda payin' for it big time at the moment. Right now I live in my studio (thats right) I sleep on a futon right in the studio and somehow fall asleep looking through the glass into the control room. The social life is non-existant. (Hey baby, come to my place and I'll make you dinner and we'll watch a DVD in the studio. NOT) Even my cat is grumpy at me cause he is being looked after by a friend 1 hour away. Reading your reply to this post just made me ask myself "what the hell am I doing?" I'm starting to go bonkers. Oh well, It's 3am and I just finished working on some tracks. Time for bed (in the studio) night, night. Shane