rival studios

paladin shredder

paladin shredder

Member
Feb 8, 2008
1,234
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Ft Worth, TX
i was just wondering if anyone who gets paid to record bands has any rival studios or producers/engineers they are in competition with?

recently a band i recorded a while back went to another guy to record their cd. personally, i never really liked the band that much because they were really emo, but it kind of sucks that they didn't think i could get them a good enough sound. since i finished recording with this band, they haven't talked with me. i've sent them friendly messages but they just totally ignore me.

the guy they are recording with now records tons of emo bands so his production fits their sound better. plus this other guy has been in the recording business much longer than i have and has much more bands under his belt. plus he owns his own studio, i'm doing freelance work at another studio i don't really care for. this guys gets tons of business recording emo/pop bands, and while i would much prefer to record metal bands, id also prefer make enough money to move out of my parents house!

any suggestions of things i could do? do you guys have any thing you did that helped you get to where you are? do you have problems with other recording businesses stealing yours?
 
from your own description it sounds like that business never really was yours to start with. for that matter really the only business that's "yours" is reflected on your current booking calendar. do you really expect loyalty? sounds to me like this guy didn't steal anything at all. if you do a great job for a band and get along with them great, then you have a good chance of repeat business... but don't let it get under your skin if you don't. just move on, and do your best.
 
I feel you in some regard. Whilst most (actually I think all) bands I've worked with have been 'loyal', I do find myself struggling for a bigger piece of the market share down here.

It's very hard to get established if you can't provide your own facility and all the convenience and ease that promises. All you can do is be the very best operator you can be and hope that the bands you do work with speak highly enough of you to form a circuit and give you more work. Sometimes it's band pressure too. Bands want to work with a bigger 'name' in the scene, to gain rep by association, even if some of the people in that band may prefer your own work to that of the 'name' producer.

Just stick with it and don't let it get you down. It's only one band. There's plenty more where they came from :)
 
James Murphy said:
if you do a great job for a band and get along with them great, then you have a good chance of repeat business... but don't let it get under your skin if you don't. just move on, and do your best.
Click to expand...


+1. Great advice, as usual. You can drive yourself nuts if you beat yourself up over a band moving on to another studio.
 
I agree 100% with James. There's no reason bands shouldn't try out different places anyway, and if you do a better job or are more fun to be around or whatever, bands will come back to you anyway. Don't stress out about it. Unless someone is actually trying to convince people not to record with you, than we're all in the same business. bands and producers included and everyone's looking out for everyone else (at least ideally). :)
 
Yep. But I have stolen some myself so it's all good. Life is way to fucken short to get pissy over stuff like that.

Has anyone ever had a band go record with someone else that you really wish they had not recorded with you in the first place? I did just recently and it was quite awesome. :headbang:
 
James Murphy said:
from your own description it sounds like that business never really was yours to start with. for that matter really the only business that's "yours" is reflected on your current booking calendar. do you really expect loyalty? sounds to me like this guy didn't steal anything at all. if you do a great job for a band and get along with them great, then you have a good chance of repeat business... but don't let it get under your skin if you don't. just move on, and do your best.
Click to expand...

thanks. you're right, i can't really expect the band to record with me when they can get a more experienced engineer who records bands closer to their style. i think that we did get along well while i was recording them, i went to school with three of the guys in the band and we laughed and talked during the recording process, so i didn't treat them like crap or anything.

i think the issue probably boils down to 1) my mixing skills being inferior to the other guy and 2) the other guy actually having a semi-professional studio he owns. i think i've improved my mixing skills quite a bit since i've recorded them last (especially since finding this forum!!!:headbang:). the recording studio i use now only operates from 6pm to midnight on weekdays and all day on weekends, it's rental space in the same building as an insurance company that doesn't want noises going on during business hours. maybe i should find another studio.
 
VH100R said:
If the band thinks you are the man for the job they are going to work with you.

simples as that...
Click to expand...
yeah.... what i said. phrased simpler, but yeah... exactly what i said. but as i added, and it bears repeating, don't get possesive about clients... if they move on at some point, they move on. don't stress it. been there, done that, no fun, counterproductive.
 
Just do your job, if it is good, they come back - if they dont come back, someone else will come to get recorded by you. I mean, I have a main rival that loves to screw people, bands, loves to get advantage of the others. I do my job quietly, had all my days booked since february or so....Result ? I just got his job at a big studio here. So, just work good and it is ok.
 
I like to follow these rules

* be humble (there is always someone that is better than you)
* always be honest with your work (never take advantage of bands/musicians)
* always do your absolut best (even when bands are not that great)

in the end, if you are any good people will come to you because they heard another band that you did or you were recommend by another band, etc.
 
as a general rule of business, there are no hard feelings. so while you can let it rot at you, there is no point. it's a very darwinian world, like james said, time spent dwelling on it is time spent not getting new business. there are no friends in business really. cold fact.
 
I kinda feel what you are saying, as I feel I've been there a lot.

I've lost clients to studios because, er, they're studios and I don't have one. I record at their facility (or a booked studio) and mix at my home, so I've lost business to places that have everything there. In some cases it sucks because a.) I dig the bands, b.) I feel the sound I got was better.

I was paid by a band to do a 2 song demo in which they paid a studio guy to do as well...So, they basically paired us up to compete for their full length. This band tracked it all themselves and then gave it to us to mix and master...At least they paid us. But, IMO my mix was a lot clearer, more pro sounding and just better all around, but they went with the other studio...Maybe I charged more. Their reasoning was that the other guy was more "in tune" with what they wanted. I failed to hear it, but oh well.

That's probably been my biggest bummer. It's actually a good band with driven dudes, and I know it would have been a killer project (with good money). I still think about it and get bummed.

But, like everyone's saying, do your best, don't sweat it, and you will build your own base of clients and referrals.
 
I actually know who you are talking about... Severe case of short dick syndrome and sandy vagina. I have yet to hear a guitar sound from that guy, that I'd consider above average-demo level...
 
Nah, I'm a genuine Ossi from Thuringia... I've just been checking all kinds of studios for some possible reamping and mixing (in case I don't have time to do it on my own.. and the result shall be good lol). Heard about him and been to his website before... He's just a sad old man with absolutely no arguments on his side... I really can't stand those self-righteous "I remember cutting tape all fuckin' night" old fucks. What it's worth if your mixes still sound like ass? Way too many of those guys in the business, especially on semi-pro level.

Actually, it's really not even worth getting pissed about.
 
slashvanyoung said:
Nah, I'm a genuine Ossi from Thuringia... I've just been checking all kinds of studios for some possible reamping and mixing (in case I don't have time to do it on my own.. and the result shall be good lol). Heard about him and been to his website before... He's just a sad old man with absolutely no arguments on his side... I really can't stand those self-righteous "I remember cutting tape all fuckin' night" old fucks. What it's worth if your mixes still sound like ass? Way too many of those guys in the business, especially on semi-pro level.

Actually, it's really not even worth getting pissed about.
Click to expand...

true...last week he sent out a myspace bulletin "3rd class sponsored by daddy studio tries to add my friend on myspace"...
hahahe's like 40yrs old or something, made me giggle ;)
 
the only time i have lost a client is because the band wanted free stuff and didn't pay me for what i did do for them. so yea i know what feels like ( a kick in the gut) but you have to just move on and worry about getting better so that it wont be an issue of them trying to find something better. and it also helps to make it a working friendship with the band. so that they are comfy with you and trust no one but you.
 
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