Dealing with clients

[Another Guitar Dude]

Hi guys,

So, I sent two mixed songs to a client and after several changes, we agreed in the sound for the whole album based on those two tracks. Now that the album is fully mixed, and we are in the revision phase, the client says he doesn't like the guitar tone and wants something dirtier. What would you do?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[JoergieN]

It's a tough decision you have you make. You have to make your client happy but you also have to have your brand stamped on the mix. If the guitar tone is the only thing you guys are butting heads over then I would just go with what they want. But if they want to shitty up the mix then I would tell them exactly that.

 

[Slammed]

Doesn't really matter what the product is clients are all the same. You always need to weigh up what it's worth to you to keep butting heads. If you want to stand by your guns because you believe what you are offering is better then you also have to be prepared to walk away but there is no point standing up today and making a scene only to bow and accept the clients terms tomorrow. I've butted heads with a lot of clients and there is no one size fits all answer but at the end of the day it comes down to just accepting a pay cheque for something done, or walking away because you don't want your name associated with the product. But you also have to take into account that not everyone that sees the finished product is going to be as critical of it as you are so sometimes it's worth just taking the pay cheque.

 

[Another Guitar Dude]

Thanks a lot for your messages guys! Totally agree with you.

Funny thing is, they provided me the guitar tracks recorded by themselves, no DIs, so the guitar "tone" is what they provided (fizzy as hell by the way). Then we agreed in the sound for the album, but now after mixing the whole album they want me to change it, and make it dirtier, which implies quite some change. So I was thinking, shall I charge them something extra for all this extra work again?

By the way, how would you make an already crazy distorted guitar more dirtier? More distorted bass in the mix?

 

[Slammed]

As far as charging the client goes really only you can decided that. You need to take into account whether you want to do business with them again (maybe also people they know) and whether they will accept the extra fee. There are clients out there that will happily accept that you've put in the extra hours and pay either in full or in part, but there is others that wont. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't get paid extra for the work but I would suggest that it may be worth compromising and it's definitely not worth saying nothing until the bill is given to them, if you are going to charge them extra figure out a way bring it up before the bill.

 

[DIYistkrieg]

Is this your main job? In case it is I'd explain (in the more polite way possibile when dealing with assholes) they gave you bad guitar tracks and that's what you can do with them and changing that sound will be more work = more money (as soon as you'll mention money I'm sure they'll answer "well, guitar tone's not that bad after all"), otherwise in case you don't do recordings as your main (or only) job, then just tell 'em the truth "you gave me shitty guitars, I can't polish a turd, next time give DIs instead or spend more time choosing the tone." and tell 'em to GFT if they insist.
I really think the "yes sir, as you wish and comand" attitude with clients really need to be stopped. Clients aren't always right. When all will follow this statement I guess we'll have less stupid clients and more happy workers IMO!

 

[JoergieN]

At minimum they need to provide DI's. I have never heard of someone doing it like that before. Have them rerecord with a DI box and then you can begin tinkering with the tone.

 

[MartijnPaauwe]

If it is extra work you will charge them accordingely. You can (at least try) explain to them that changing the guitar sound can't be done that much unless they rerecord the entire thing. Maybe you can try some saturation plugin on the guitar buss, but it won't change the overall tone

 

[KillFrenzy]

It's hard to read clients. Sometimes when they say "dirtier" they simply mean with more in your face mids and/or low-mids. Try a saturation plugin that gives you more control over the tone like FabFilter Saturn. If making them happy doesn't take much time and effort, just let it go.
In any case explain to them that the more you mess with something's tone, more you have to change the whole mix and that takes time and costs money.