Are you:

Pro production?

Pro Musician?

Is it US & THEM?

ALL VOTE!

It's anonymous!

What about those of us who are simply trying to do the best job we can while satisfying the guy who writes the check? Is it that we're not for anybody or that we're for everybody?

I think you need a 'None Of The Above' category...

OK! It's there!

Agree with Dave...I find the us vs them mentality odd.

Usually I'm in the CR because the artist or producer wants me there. Often, they want input or production advice. We're all trying to do our best.

I see producers/clients making more semi-tough decisions from time/money constraints than artistic ones.

Middle Ground. Team Work.

Although I don't necessarily like the term "middle ground" because it seems to imply a lack of conviction (although I know that's not what was implied!!!), I definitely believe in team work.

I wish I could always rely and trust the musicians production ideas but I've heard the "My guitars are too quiet" "You can't hear my voice" and "Can't we make the drums a bit louder?" one too many times to trust the musicians input implicitely.

But then again, they are also allowed to have a creative vision regarding their art and I believe it's part of our job to help them realise this.

Unfortunately, in my experience, I've found trying to satisfy the ones that write the cheques to be a very slippery slope. I know this because I have also often been the one signing the cheque and us "cheque signers" are rarely happy!

And in regards to "who cares as long as I get paid": While economically speaking I know that this not possible for many of the owner/producers on this forum I would prefer to make a recording that BOTH the artist and I appreciate regardless if I get paid or not. I hate record companies (although I am one) and I wish that we (producers and artists) didn't have to make a living at what were doing so we could just make records that the artists (both producers and musicians) love without commercial pressures.

Maybe in an ideal world...

(Excuse the ramble, I've been drinking again...)

R.

Well, I took the middle ground as well. I've always given my job description as "collaborator" (which means I'll be one of the 1st ones taken out and shot whenever THEY take over). I have yet to meet a really good musician who didn't crave a little creative input and direction. Although I sometimes butt heads over arrangements or mix decisions, it always seems to work out. (Doing 2 versions and then coming back in a couple of days and re-evaluating usually yields a clear winner).
Since one of my other hats is that of musician (made my living that way for a number of years) I can honsetly say that I CRAVE a creative collaborator. I consider the stuff I come up with all by myself to be musical masturbation (to rip off a line from "Fame")

Scott

I greatly prefer the concept of "production team" to "production dictatorship"... but the fact of the matter is that at some point, someone within the team has to make the "final decision"... however, I usually prefer the concept of trying everyone's ideas... and having the "producer" make the final decision.

YMMV.

I favored the middleground one because I've done them all out of need. Some artists know where they are going, some need to be led on the right path and kept out of their own way but I prefer when it's a full on team effort and the sum is greater than the parts. Being a part of the production on any level also keeps me awake.

Jules good topic.

The comments reinforce the point that in order to be a successful engineer your people skills have to be even better than your engineering talent.

You can have all the technical knowledge in the world but if you can't translate that into the real world its not worth any thing.

It is not always possible but this is why I try to pick projects that I want to work on. I find a lot of people in a lot of businesses don't understand what business they are REALLY in.

IMHO we are not in the recording business, we are in the "Dream Business". People come to us to help bring their dreams a little closer. Young musicians/artist are passionate people and work for peanuts in the worst possible conditions in order to make these dreams come true.

I try my very best to keep this in mind when working with musicians. It is easy for me to get caught up in the latest gizmos but it always comes back to tapping into my clients vision and doing the best I can to translate that into little platters of plastic.

Lee

"IMHO we are not in the recording business, we are in the "Dream Business"

I agree

Good point...

It's nice when some of our clients' dreams occasonally become true, too.

Dream business is good!!

Trying your best, to work together, to make the vision or dream become a reality!

It helps everyone involved

Darren

Teamwork = success.

Winning is everything, the only thing. There is no "i" in "team."

A few nights ago, I gave an 18-year old singer/model/actress, who just started working with us, a basic lesson on the workings of DAWs in general, and Pro Tools more specifically. She loved it, and how the shared knowledge gives her ownership in the process.

I want everyone who is a player in Team Curve to have as much a grasp of the processes as they need or want to know.

We are all in this together.

Edited to work around some funky emoticon wierdness.