...

Having someone refuse to pay the back end because they didn't like the end product after they were there to approve the mixes always sucks too. Thankfully that hasn't happend for a while.

Another sticky thing is when the budget for the project is pretty close to shot and there's a lot more work that needs to be done. Somehow the muso's always end up trying to blame the engineer or producer for it. Sometimes they're right, but usually not.

I've just got to cheer this up a sec.

I was thinking of putting my rates up for a job.

You cant park out side my place, you have to do it just round the corner. I happened to be walking to the studio just when the manager (financing the recordings) and singer, drove past in the manager's brand new Mercedes convertible!

errrrrrrrrr....RATES UP!

heh

Now the bad stuff,

If I do a cheapo studio deal on an act (not a spec deal, a paid job) + producer points......When & if they sign to a big label, while the band all get new back line, PT rigs, and the manager gets a new car. I get a $750 legal bill bebcause of the bulllsh!t required for the business affairs dept to 'take over my contract'.

Nice! grudge

I know exactly what gear you're referring to here! Aargh....

heh

On the other hand, I never hold masters if I have a PO from EMI, Warner, Universal, Sony or BMG. Only one label has ever stiffed us by not honoring their PO, and it wasn't part of a major label back then (Zomba Records France).

If it's not a major label, it's payment up front. Period.

doing professional work-for-money for family.

The inevitable result is a vague quote/description of the work, a very low quote, scope creep, awkwardness dealing with changes and unexpected problems.

and on and on.

not worth it. Now I know why doctors don't work on their own family.


zowd

The client who didn't show up when I booked the studio. I ended up paying the studio. I sent him a blank cassette and a bill which he never paid. Maybe he didn't like my sense of sarcasm. I sold the 2" after 2 months and if i was working at McDonalds for the same amount of hours as I spent on the phone with this (/%£%£"%& I would have at least eaten and made a couple of bucks!

How about a client demanding copies of mixes when he has an outstanding balance for the AE and the studio time? I actually had one guy threaten to sue me over it and he had copies of every invoice showing a past due balance with his signiture on them and said he was going to turn them over to his lawyer. Yeah. OK... He was like Einstein.

Not.

He was at the studio for the mixing and I had stepped out for few minutes to grab lunch on the last day. Thankfully the owner and assistant asked me if it was OK to run a copy of the mixes for my client and I kinda freaked. I mean, his bass player and I both think he had killed someone at some point so I was NOT looking forward to the next 20 minutes alone with the dude. FWIW, he also rooked one of the owners out of a subway token just as he was leaving on the first day.

In the end, I don't think the EP ever did see the light of day on that label. I could be wrong though, but I never did get a copy of it after the mastering ref. At least I got paid by the time it was all said and done.

See if you can top this one.
A hip hop "clan" is working on a number of projects simultaniously.
with "Mr. Bigs" (the only guy with a briefcase) footing the bill. various "producers" and rappers are coming in, adding and subtracting parts to their hearts desire, UNTIL......... Rapper X discovers rapper Y erased his "flow" and replaced it. Mr. Biggs is contacted and asked to provide some work rules. He suggests a "meeting" for all involved. After a two hour screaming match, with myself as moderator, numerous guns appear. My business partner, who normally has a good sense of humor about such things, grabs the 2 foot high stack of 2" reels and moves the party outside............
He then opens all the boxes and begins rolling 2" reels down the buzy street like bowling balls. Track sheets are blowing like fallen leaves in September. All of the participants chased a reel or two down and made off with the magnetic loot. The capper is,
almost everybody has come back and finished a song or two with smiles on their faces as we reminice!!

Now that's funny. Most of my experiance with hip-hop has been kind of similar which is why I don't work on the stuff if I can avoid it. Funny enough though, I might actually be working on a hip-hop thing over the summer if the funding and whatever else comes through. It's a rapper who'll be backed by mostly live instruments or loops played by live instruments.

So, did you use the same reels when people came back? I can imagine the flanges being pretty shot. ka-soooot ka-shooot
yuktyy