A list of things I used to believe but now...

[James Lugo]

1. When I was a kid I thought Les Pauls sucked.
2. Always hated ribbon mics on guitar cabs but now I'm in love with Beyerdynamic M160s and M500s on guitars.
3. I use to think u67s were not so hot but the 67 I have now I use on almost every vocals session.
4. I use to hate Bogner cabs but recently got turned on to the new Uber front loaded straights and they rock! Got 2.
5. I use to think API pres were so great for guitars but lately it's all neve on guitars, I like the fatter, slower, darker smoothness.
6. I use to think Telecasters were thin and useless, now I have 2 and use them everyday.
7. I use to think outside kick mics were stupid, now I use a D6 on every session.
8. I use to think 421s were great on heavy guitars, now if I never hear one again that'll be just fine with me. D D D Done...
9. I also use to think The Rolling Stones sucked but now I get it.

So I have been opening my mind up lately and getting into new sounds and new gear, I just wanted to let you guys into where I'm at. I still hate NS10s and SM7s........lol Maybe another lifetime! For me gearslutz has been about learning and sharing what I know or think I know and sometimes that changes.

How bout you guys? Any changes?

[bigfurry]

Cool post! Got me thinking...
1. I used to put chorus on everything. What was I thinking?
2. I used to not put delays on guitar. I'll never gig without one, nice and rolled off on the highs.
3. I thought the Beastie Boys were a fad, discovered Radiohead ten years late, and while appreciating DSOTM, only bought my first copy recently. MORON...
4. I seem to remember putting gates all over the snare.... Oh dear... That's for Phil only
5. I used to own and wear spandex. Sometime au naturel, which I repressed as a memory until recently...
6. I used to not care about the lyrics or the voice of the singer if the guitar solo ruled. Flip flop
7. I used to not track through eq or compress to tape. While occasionally burning myself along the way, my tracks mix easier now
8. I used to buy what I couldn't afford. Now I force myself to save first- sounds easy, but not for some (gulp)
Again, cool thread- looking forward to seeing what's changes for others

[James Lugo]

Originally Posted by bigfurry

5. I used to own and wear spandex. Sometime au naturel, which I repressed as a memory until recently...

Oh my God, that's horrible!

[tincan]

1. I used to talk out my ass and knew nothing. Now I'm humble and learn something new every session.
2. I also used to slag on ribbons, oh royer and coles...how you do what you do I'll never know.
3. I used to put reverb on everything..why....whywhywhy?
4. I used to think tape was an inconvience...now...I don't want to live without it (beyond the sonic differences, just the whole process is amazingly creative).

[bigfurry]

Originally Posted by James 'LA' Lugo

Oh my God, that's horrible!

Dude, if I may call you dude- your picture sums it up beautifully. Allow for inferior hair, and guilty as charged.

I blame MTV. And myself...

[John Eppstein]

Ah but I was so much older then
I'm younger than that now........

(you know who)

[BOWIE]

Some of these things were a long time ago but;
1) I used to think you could "fix it in the mix".
2) Used to boost the highs on everything.
3) Thought the 414 was too "thin" sounding.
4) I used to buy into the hype of digital "clarity"
5) Thought that production was about having great ears, but after observing a lot of successful (and unsuccessful) producers, I've realized that it's more about taste and decision making.
6) Used to think that new gear would fix the problem.
7) Thought that gear magazines were giving objective reviews and that the gear people promoted was the stuff they actually used.

[Tranny-Cap-Tube]

1. I used to think Rock mattered. Clearly, nobody is buying it these days!

[James Lugo]

Originally Posted by Tranny-Cap-Tube

1. I used to think Rock mattered. Clearly, nobody is buying it these days!

It matters to me.

[old ghost]

I don't think I've ever been so sad to see the posts stop. What a cool thread.

I'm pretty new into the game generally speaking, but:

1. I used to think that I could never make solid recordings with what I had on hand.
2. I thought a 57 couldn't possibly sound good on a vocal. Ever.
3. I thought everyone who posted knew what they were talking about.
4. I mixed everything too dark, cause to my ears it sounded "warmer."
5. I only liked a handful of Radiohead songs.
6. I thought Tele's were a Strat's ugly, useless cousin.
7. I thought that experimenting creatively and doing unorthodox things with mic placement, mic choice and the signal chain was out of the question.

....to name a few.

[Unclenny]

1. I used to think.......about everything. Now I pretty much trust my instincts.
2. Rock definitely matters.

[Red 7]

I used to think I know. Now I know that I don't know.

[Flying_Dutchman]

1. i thought that 4x12 cabinets are best to record rock/metal
2. i thought that greenies are just good speakers for blues rock
3. i thought that the recto is a great head
4. i thought that drummers know how to tune drums
5. i thought that it´s possible to give the sound a structure in mixing
6. i thought there must be a way to get it done itb, but some things can´t get be done (or i can´t), like real eqs or tape for example
7. i thought that SM57 sucks on guitar amps
8. i thought that i need high end gear to get great results
9. i thought expensive gear has a real value in electronics and design
10. i thought that vsti´s are good enough
...
peace

[edwonbass]

Originally Posted by Tranny-Cap-Tube

1. I used to think Rock mattered. Clearly, nobody is buying it these days!

No but they are stealing quite a bit of it.

[AnthonyRochester]

I used to think you could record any rubbish sound and then tailor it to perfection using EQ

[bakerman]

Great thread James.

1. I used to think my mixes were crap until a client chose mine over a heavyweight mixer's
2. I used to be ignorant of certain microphones but have learned it can make the biggest difference
3. I used to develop talent - now I'm more cautious

[Slikjmuzik]

Originally Posted by Tranny-Cap-Tube

1. I used to think Rock mattered. Clearly, nobody is buying it these days!

I buy a new album every paycheck.

Back on topic with the thread, I always knew to get it right before you track. See, I started recording after hanging out with some real snobs @ UM. These guys were rick white boys and knew every catch phrase....

sh** in, sh** out, etc...

So I always knew what to watch out for, but what sounded right back coming through the monitors, I either didn't feel I could do better at the time or everything I did just sounded different, not clearly better.

I could go on in regards to mixing. Most of us started putting reverbs on inserts instead of sends. I knew not what the heck I was doing in regards to order of plug-ins on the mix-buss. I knew not what good compression sounded like and I was boosting too much on EQ's instead of cutting.

Sorry I didn't provide this in 'used to be like this, but now this', but hey, wanted to be a part of the thread...

[Sigma]

i used to worry how mixes sounded..now my concern is only how they feel

[smutbasket]

I used to think I was a frustrated rock star until my own little brother, through a casual remark, made me realize that was never what I wanted - I just wanted to write and record, alone. I didn't want to live on the road, give up my own self, have to deal with smarmy bidness people every day (not to mention >gag< OTHER MUSICIANS!!) - O the responsibilities in the name of art, wherein the art suffers and may sometimes drown.

Once I got it, everything has been ...swell. Any star who lives long enough has to die twice anyway. I've tasted enough of the limelight to know that I would never want to feel the kind of thirst one must endure when, after a long period of adulation where in their eyes you can do no wrong, those same clear and wet eyes, the eyes of the adoring masses, wander to other, newer and even more spiffy attractions.

Sorry, I don't have one about gear.

Wait, yes I do...

I thought plugs sounded great until I started bringing some really good rack gear in here.

Nice thread

[big country]

james do you really hate sm7s ? I am sure they dont hate you , I think its wrong to have hate for an inatamate object . some hate objects mabey to creat diffrences a fowl tool to create individuality , unless a sm7 was hucked at you, still dont hate, hate the hucker .

and may you go in peace in surch of your individuality with out hate .

I hated 414s because my recording teacher liked them


rember
a true slut likes all mics even if they dont spin ...

[loopy]

I used to think the year the music died was the late 70's.
Then came the 80's.
Then came the 90's.
Then came the 2000's.....

[darkinners]

1. I used to think a bad sound can magically sound good after production
2. I used to think musical theory is lame
3. I used to think room acoustic is overrated
4. I used to think gears are overrated.

[jchadstopherhuez]

Originally Posted by Sigma

i used to worry how mixes sounded..now my concern is only how they feel

awesome !!

same here. for sure.

best,

jchristopherhughes

[Rotaholic]

I use to think I could boost frequencys that werent there
I use to think I needed 8-10 doubled guitars playing the same rift
I use to think I could cut and paste whole songs from a few takes
I use to think it was all about filling up every gap, now its more about what can I leave out

[guitarmax_99]

Originally Posted by Rotaholic

I use to think it was all about filling up every gap, now its more about what can I leave out

I'll second that!


I used to think that the more complicated music was the better it was.

[kats]

Originally Posted by Sigma

i used to worry how mixes sounded..now my concern is only how they feel

That's all I really wanted to say. But kind of on the same theme:

I used to think a good song sells itself, but now I believe only a great performance can sell a good song (and sometimes even an average song).

[xj32]

1. I used to worry about what gear other studios had and I didn't
2. I used to choose gear based on opinions on the internet...now I try everything before I buy it and keep what works for me regardless of its gearslutz rating
3. I used to think I needed a ton of gear stacked up to have a great studio, now I want as few pieces as possible that I use on every session and get the results I need fast
4. I used to also be underwhelmed by ribbons and am now convinced my 121 is the greatest mic since sliced bread and wish I had two
5. I used to think I could make crappy bands sound good, now I just realize that I can get good recordings of still crappy bands
6. I used to think virtuosity mattered, then I switched and thought "vibe" and "style" trumped ability, now I realize its a healthy combination of the two or then again it could be neither
7. This is a big one, I used to think it was better to have incredible gear in a crappy room, but now give me a great tuned room over gear any day
8. I used to hate 80's music, now I realize they did all that without autotune and grid mapping

XJ

[JMulhollan]

Originally Posted by Flying_Dutchman

4. i thought that drummers know how to tune drums

As a drummer I used to think that as well, now I always keep a tuning key in my pocket for every session...

One guy complained he couldn't tune his snare when the whole time he had it halfway off and the snare wire was mostly hanging

[slaphappy]

I used to think recording at home was a good idea.

[_Ludovico]

I used to think