Attention! Experience needed! Any/all input is welcome!

[Akira K]

Hi folks! Looong time lurker here..popping my cherry so to speak..

First of all, I really really LOVE this place and the smilies! And all you people for generously sharing your hard earned knowledge, encourangement, and your opinions. I hope that I will someday make some newbie feel as safe, gifted, potential and willing to learn as you peeps have made me feel. Seriously.

I have experience on FOH sound, and after some sessions with my own band I went to audio engineering school for three years. After my graduation I really started to study this place. I have read almost every article from the mind-boggling Guest Moderator Archive, and all new threads that I´ve found interesting. And I must say that by reading this forum I learned and understood more things than I did in three years at the school. What a waste of time... but it did help me to get in touch with the business and working, and I made some important contacts too!

Had to have that off my chest! I hope that some of you have had the strenght to read this far...

One point of this topic was to ask some BIG questions, and this might be the best place to express them.

1. When/how did you notice that audio had become your "bitch"? I mean the point in your career, when you realised that you actually can DO things instead of TRYING.

2. What made you feel that way? Feedback from your clients? ... I am very humble and self-critical. So any flattering opinion from a client or a co-worker is taken more or less with a grain of salt.

3. Is there a point, when you sort of "know it all", or know enough?

4. Why does it hurt when I pee?

Thank yous in advance!

-Mikko

[Akira K]

Gotta define the subject a bit...

The thread is about how/when did you FEEL that you had become "ready" as an engineer, or mixing- or mastering engineer. This might seem a little personal issue but I really haven't found a thread handling this subject. As an engineer I feel I am getting very close to the point where I can do things instead of only trying to do them.. Even if a session would include techniques, that I hadn't tried in practise yet. Common sense, trusting my ears and planning things carefully in advance has made this possible for me.

Don't get me wrong here. My english isn't too good, so some of you might misunderstand what I'm saying. I still feel that I am in the beginning of the journey, and that I have just learned how to really LEARN things. How confusing is that thanks anyway... at least for reading

-Mikko

[entropy]

In terms of readiness, for me it was when I could stop worrying about how to do the "operational" things (dealing with sync, computers, automation etc etc) and actually listen objectively, to be able to remove myself from the studio enviroment and hear it as if in my car/home/club etc. I certainly haven't reached a point where I can completely relax because I don't believe there one, sonically you should always be pushing to improve, but in terms of technical issues, I think I've reached the point where it isn't something I worry about.

I don't remember there being a lightbulb moment when I thought "shit I CAN do this", if anything it's been a slow transition and gradually having a growing belief that I could work my way out of any situation.

[alphajerk]

Originally posted by Akira K

1. When/how did you notice that audio had become your "bitch"? I mean the point in your career, when you realised that you actually can DO things instead of TRYING.

2. What made you feel that way? Feedback from your clients? ... I am very humble and self-critical. So any flattering opinion from a client or a co-worker is taken more or less with a grain of salt.

3. Is there a point, when you sort of "know it all", or know enough?

4. Why does it hurt when I pee?

1. became my bitch... hmmm, audio has always been my bitch. weird thing i noticed so far, maybe there is an evolution thing about it. at first, i didnt know shit... never let it bother me and listening back i was surprised how much ignorance is bliss. the more i learned, the harder i had to work.... as if all these "rules" or whatever you pick up along the way only serve to hinder you rather than help you. in the long run, the rules help.... good to know what they are so you know how to break them.

first of all, signal flow has never been an issue for me... i used to build radios as a kid along with tons of other shit [my father was a electrical engineer so i always had someone to ask questions] so connecting pieces of gear or tracking down a problem has never been a problem for me in sessions.

then it also paid off well playing in bands growing up and learning as many instruments as i could. started off on piano at 6 and went from there. learned how to read music, et al... so i could relate with musicians on a personal level and understand their viewpoints in the studio. also being a musician being recorded also helped understanding their headspace when they are in the fishtank.

running a session now is all about comfort levels for me. understanding the gear you are running makes things go very smoothly but dont underestimate gear you dont know and running it on ignorance, because many times it can lead to very beautiful things.

im not quite sure about doing vs trying. doing seems contrived while trying seems accidental. both are capable of amazing results as long as you keep your head about you.

2. i dont know what made me feel that way... evolution of my life? my background in multitudes of artforms and inflecting them upon audio? caring about my end result as a perfectionist while not caring about how i get there? knowing the time when to let go?

i guess i know because in most sessions, i end up being on the same mind iwth my clients, many times already doing something they are getting ready to suggest before they open their mouth. maybe its ESP, i have no idea... but i have had clients by midway through the session just sitting on the back couch while im tapped into their brain working on a mix.

3. some people accuse me of being a "know it all" but frankly im part sponge and part dreamer. i try to absorb any and every bit of information about subjects im interested in. sometimes in a relentless manner. by either reading, doing, making... whatever. will i ever know enough? if i ever do, i will quit doing it because it will bore me at that point. back to point 1, i have always felt comfortable running sessions. i have always been solo on projects and prefer it that way, one on one with the bands. dont really like working with a producer as an engineer or an engineer as a producer. it takes someone VERY inline with my own thoughts to do it with someone else. guess i digressed on that one.

as for the dreamer part, i couldnt think of a better word for describing it. i have always felt as if i know everything i need to know at the time i need to know it. nobody who has ever worked with me as accused me of being slow to get something. i dont know why this happens or where it comes from. a religious person might think it was some higher connection thing but not being overly religious, i cant use that. although maybe within that statement i need to include the part about if i dont know something, i ask questions or back to the first part and i go look for the information and learn about it and then put it into practice.

that said, i dont believe i know it all. i dont believe anything really. i just do what i do the best i can and thats all i can do at any given time. to all these questions, for me they all trace back to my lifetime leading up until now. there have been many struggles and victories on the road to wherever im going [probably to hell, but thats tomorrow and not right now]

4. go see a doctor.

hope this helps any.

[BJohnston]

I don't know if you ever feel like the studio is "your bitch". I think there comes confidence after doing and trying something soooo many times that you get the desired outcome.
Depending on what level your working on, I wouldn't place too much confidence in positive or negative feedback of your clients. Unless your working with Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, or someone whom you really really respect. For the most part in lower to mid level recording studios people are gonna be stoked just to hear what comes out of the speakers. Your job is to take it to another to another level. I'd also say that learning how to run a session is just as important as engineering, and/or producing. If your someone who people like being around they'll comeback. I know this from experience. If people are able to put that kind of confidence in you then you owe to them to always challenge yourself to be better.
Unless your the reincarnation of Tom Dowd you'll never know everything. I learn something new everyday. Especially living in the technology rich world of the music industry. I started out 15 years ago knowing nothing and I still know nothing. I know a lot more than I did when I was starting out, but the more you get involved with music you have no choice, but to humbled. Keep reading and learning.

BJohnston

[alphajerk]

Originally posted by BJohnston
I don't know if you ever feel like the studio is "your bitch". I think there comes confidence after doing and trying something soooo many times that you get the desired outcome.

wouldnt that be the definition of being your bitch? i think it means you controlling it instead of it controlling you. of course there is always the chaos factor involved, but then you must just sacrifice an intern to the gods of the studio to get the session back on track.

[Akira K]

Thank you guys for your answers. It seems that I'm on the right tracks here (or out of my mind). I have so far produced an album, made several ep's and a bunch of demos at the studios in my current location. But I am eager to move to a bigger city to hunt for job because most of the local bands simply cannot afford a session. I guess the main problem here is that I should be ready to work in facilities that aren't familiar to me. And of course do good job. And getting a good mentor is pretty hard, because I come up with only few names (from Finland), that I would like to learn from.

entropy:

Setting up gear is no problemo. Dealing in a strange environment might be one.. and keeping those first few clients feeling secure... I hope I'm on my way to the right direction.

alpha:

Thank you for your input. It was also nice to read some details on how you have started out.

i think it means you controlling it instead of it controlling you. of course there is always the chaos factor involved, but then you must just sacrifice an intern to the gods of the studio to get the session back on track.

This is excactly what I ment. Gotta avoid interning though.

BJohnston:

Your job is to take it to another to another level. I'd also say that learning how to run a session is just as important as engineering, and/or producing. If your someone who people like being around they'll comeback. I know this from experience. If people are able to put that kind of confidence in you then you owe to them to always challenge yourself to be better.
Unless your the reincarnation of Tom Dowd you'll never know everything. I learn something new everyday. Especially living in the technology rich world of the music industry. I started out 15 years ago knowing nothing and I still know nothing. I know a lot more than I did when I was starting out, but the more you get involved with music you have no choice, but to humbled. Keep reading and learning.

Makes sense. Thanks! And I've seen people getting excited just for hearing afterwards what they had played. I'm taking my job very seriously and I am definitely going to work hard to achieve my goals. And I'll keep reading and learning for the rest of my life. I've accepted that.

-Mikko

[Jules]

I would offer to work for free (or very little) for the few producers in your country that you respect.

It's cool as an engineer when you reach the confidence level that you know that you can work in any (world class) studio if you are asked to....

Good luck in your journey...