So what does this mean for the manufacturers?

[JohnDoh]

So everybody seems to be in agreement that the big studios are either struggling or going under for lots of reasons. This is obviously REALLY bad but the problem doesn't end there.

What does this mean to the big (and little names) who supply the equipment for the big (closed) studios?

Does this mean that the room designers/ desk manufacturers/ monitor manufacturers/ audio distributors will ALL start to suffer eventually?

[Dave Martin]

I'd suggest that there are only a few products which have little place in a home studio - a 9000J is probably one of them, a 64 channel MADI patchbay, and some others will probably come to mind. For those 'boutique' manufacturers who don't build consoles or tape machines, and even for speaker manufacturers who build produts smaller than twin 18" 'bigs', this isn't really an issue. I've talked to a number of these manufacturers, and as a rule, their biggest market demographic is home studios. Perhaps Brad Lunde, Evanna, Dan, or one of the other people who actually KNOW could chime in here.

But my ffeeling is that those guys aren't gonna have a big problem - as long as there are dentists who want to make records...

[Brad Lunde]

The manuf business is dividing, moving up (to high end) and down (low end) at the same time. People seem to either want the great stuff or the cheap stuff, not a lot in between. Our business is the best its ever been, as is some of our dealers business. Pros to pros, like the old days. Our job is ever more to care for the FT engineers who just want a straight answer.

This isn't a whole lot different than the studio business: it either better be an awesome mix room, or a monster tracking room, but not both. Bands don't come in a block out an OK room for 2 months anymore because it was a good deal: they book a great room for tracking for 1 or 2 weeks; then they leave, go mix at home or someplace cheap with PT for a month or two, come back to a great mix room for a week or two. Just like manuf, pick who you want to be, cause you can't be two things at once anymore.

That's what I am seeing.

Brad

[thethrillfactor]

Originally posted by Brad Lunde
Just like manuf, pick who you want to be, cause you can't be two things at once anymore.

That's what I am seeing.

Brad

What do you consider to be a great mixroom?

A room with basically (2) of every imaginable piece of outboard out there, with incredible monitoring and sonics?

This kinda setup will drive a lot of guys under.

Also the only way a room like this would succeed is to have a great inhouse mix engineer and this seems to be the weak point for a lot of people.

Most guys that i know who mix have their own spots(i know i do).

Also most of the rock records(and most records in general) are mixed by the same few.

These guys aren't going to switch midstream, especially since every one is talking about not suppporting large format consoles which is the prefered medium of choice.

[Brad Lunde]

Originally posted by thethrillfactor
What do you consider to be a great mixroom?

A room with basically (2) of every imaginable piece of outboard out there, with incredible monitoring and sonics?

No, not 2 of everything, just incredible sonics, perhaps great large format monitors or mid fields, a large format console, some with proper video/film playback.....such as Signet (movies), Village (records) and quite a few more.

Most of the the guys I know bring their gear along, just need a great place to work for a week or two (movies, records, etc). [mark needham, alan parsons, george massenburg for music, steve kempster, alan meyerson for movies]. If you look at Village, that's about all they are doing now except the rare client who books out long term (Flyte Tyme).


[quote] Most guys that i know who mix have their own spots(i know i do).

Also most of the rock records(and most records in general) are mixed by the same few.

These guys aren't going to switch midstream, especially since every one is talking about not suppporting large format consoles which is the prefered medium of choice. [quote]

Most of the guys I know in LA do not, but I know many do [Eric Valentine for example fits your description, as does Chuck Ainlay in Nashville, the Mc Bride camp too]. And yes, the records are mixed by a few....

[EveAnna Manley]

Originally posted by Dave Martin
But my ffeeling is that those guys aren't gonna have a big problem - as long as there are dentists who want to make records...

This is more true every day... sure we sell gear to big studios. And then they have it. And techs to maintain it. Very few of those left, right? Top of the pyramid.

"Famous" engineers and mixing dudes. Yeah they buy gear too. Sure. There are some of those. God bless 'em. We love 'em.

But the ever-expanding base of the pyramid is the home studio guy, Dr. Dentist. Score a computer, PT, and a mic. Now yer recording. But it sounds like crap. No, it's not the song, or the acoustics, or the knowledge, or the talent, or the on-and-on... no, it's that ONE MAGIC BOX that will make them (uhm, I mean their wife) a superstar. So these guys make their way to the boutique audio box makers. We're not necessarily trying to sell that, but that's what they are buying. What do we do? Tell them they are not allowed to buy a Mastering Version Variable Mu unless they own an accredited Mastering Facility? Is it illegal for the grocery store to sell Cheetos to overweight people? No, it's only illegal for McDonald's to sell hot coffee... I can't help it if people aren't educated. We do everything we can to inform, particpate and educate. Beyond, that, we'll build boxes folks want to buy. The more the merrier. And it's swell if they really do make their rekkerds sound better. That's the point.

It's the DIY revolution: I go to Home Depot, buy some Romex and an outlet, and now I am an electrician. Great until yer house burns down. Ask my grandfather. God rest his soul....

Instead how about I go to Home Depot and buy a Dremel drill and some JB Weld. Now I iz a dentist!

[seriousfun]

I can confirm that sales of our high-end audio products, like the Martech MSS-10, are up over the last few years - mostly to producers and artists who have money, some to home-recordists who could have bought a nice bike or HD-TV, and very few to commercial studios.

Sales of Flying Faders systems (to automate existing or new large-format consoles) are up, too. Again, these are to artists who don't depend on the ROI from this purchase, not to commercial studios (unless you count, as Brad mentioned, McBride...).

If I knew what this will mean to the near-term future of large-format consoles, I would be writing this from my island in the Pacific. I can't help but think that the art of performing a mix on a large console won't go away, but will work in tandem with the precision that slice 'n' dice on a DAW gives.

I think that manufacturers serving the middle class studios will have the toughest time over the next 7-10 years, before this boat cycles around again.

[paul mckenna]

Very well put, I carry less boxes with me now than i did 5 years ago, but the ones i carry are worth the effort, not just window dressing, I think the box makers that make something worth buying will thrive, the others will be out of business. Is that really such a bad thing? I loved my SSL, sat in front of it for 15 years, it was very good to me. Its not a payment that fits into a 2005 business plan. you move on. so it goes

[C.Lambrechts]

Originally posted by EveAnna Manley
Instead how about I go to Home Depot and buy a Dremel drill and some JB Weld. Now I iz a dentist!

note to myself : avoid dentist with 'Dr. Manley' on wall.