Learning your stuff

[BevvyB]

When, where, for how long a period and what age do you think you really learnt the bulk of what you know today?

I mean in the bigger sense, including the studio stuff, but being worldly enough to know how to manage people, encourage others and generally take first steps into 'guruhood'?

A lot of people can have incredible chops and a lot of knowhow, but until applied in the real world can't really 'develop'.

If you think you've had a seminal moment or period, what was it exactly? And do you think you'll get another one?

Or are you of the opinion that you're always learning and expanding....

[Jules]

Sitting in the corner by the 2" operating rewind, forward, play & record for enineers & producers. This was before the days of remote controls. - I was a "Tape Op". It's a good vantage point for learning what goes on in recording sessions. i did this solidly for several years1982 - 1984 then became a junior enginer / assitant, then one of the house engineers. It was as Tape Op / Assistant where I may have learned the most. I began pre drum machine.

[Stizz]

I would agree with Jules - learning how to keep my mouth shut and ears and eyes open as an assistant was invaluable experience - being on staff, I got to work with a number of visiting engineers of various quality with different strengths and weaknesses - certainly took at least a year to get my act together. For me, this was 1991-92.

A breakthrough moment was the day I was driving home after a session and did NOT have the song running through my head! I will always remember that moment, and haven't looked back since.

"Guruhood"?

[Marshall Simmons]

this is the problem i'm having.... I know the theoretical and technical (i'm teaching classes on it) but learning how to manage personalities and to manipulate them to get what you need and what is best for them is a whole different realm of knowledge. I wish it could be taugh, but its just a whole lot of experience needed


Marshall

[e-cue]

Originally posted by BevvyB
Or are you of the opinion that you're always learning and expanding....

You can never stop learning. The bulk of what I learned came in 2 main stages for me. In about a 2 year period running and assisting(mostly assisting for a dope engineer who I credit my career to on a daily basis). I learned the tech aspects: tape cal, signal flow in and out, documentation, how to make a kick ass cup of coffee, a lot of dynamics processing techniques that didn't really make total sense till I got in the hot seat, etc. Then actually engineering freelance for about 2 years: mic positioning, client relations, mixing tricks, learning to emulate something I heard elsewhere, getting p.o.'s, learning how to get a great sound out of limited gear access, etc.

[Wiggy Neve Slut]

Ditto Jules and E-Cue

Just sitting by the desk as an assistant and watchin my favoruite engineer do shit which at the time i had noi idea what he was doing but when it came time for me to jump in the hot seat.. the light bulb went off and shit began to happen and make sense. diplomacy, customer relations and being the vibe merchant are skills that are imperitve to a good session and are the hardest thing to learn of all.



PEACE
Wiggy

[alphajerk]

my whole life, and it still continues.

[e-cue]

Originally posted by alphajerk
my whole life, and it still continues.

It struck me odd how on the ball this comment is... Like, how many times have you thought back like "This song should start with the same impact that hit me the first time I heard Redemption Song when I was 10..."

[NathanEldred]

Originally posted by alphajerk
my whole life, and it still continues.

Exactly.

[littledog]

In my case, definitely sink or swim...

glub, glub, glub....

[C.Lambrechts]

I started out when I was 18 ... percussion player in a band and one of the members was an engineer in a little community ran demo studio. Ended up hanging out there instead of going to school. I did my very first mix in that studio. One day the engineer was called away just as he was to start on a mix and told me to do it while he was gone. In fairy tales the mix would have turned out a million selling hit wonder. In real life the engineer came back in and said ... what the dfegad is that supposed to sound like. My stubborn character then told me 'oh ... you think I'm not capable of mixing a song do you .... well I'll show you' ... and here I am today I guess .... still trying ...

[juniorhifikit]

Me as well - assisting was the biggest learning experience. I wish I could do it now. I would PAY to assist any of the mixers on the top of my list. But that's just not possible. I've assisted some very good engineers, but when I got to the point where I needed to move on and assist bigger and better engineers, I was already in the hot seat, making my own way. Whenever I have the budget on a project I'm producing to hire stunt-mixers who can bring a new perspective to the music, I do. And you can bet I'm right there next to the guy taking notes!

This is a fun job.