Top 3 things you DON'T love about being an audio engineer
- Thread starter Jarkko Mattheiszen
- Start date
Black neon bob
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- Jun 2, 2005
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Jevil
Pro Evolution Fucker
Wow, I'm happy fot not being AE, but just a semipro musician and hobbyist myself producer...
I've got friends that decided to make AE a living and now they suffer all those things you say. Sometimes I go to my friends studio to see some recording sessions and my conclusion is that people, in general, are stupid.
I've got friends that decided to make AE a living and now they suffer all those things you say. Sometimes I go to my friends studio to see some recording sessions and my conclusion is that people, in general, are stupid.
The Unavoidable
jättebög
1. The "Just one more piece of gear/software" syndrome. I got caught in this all the time, where I put up projects/sessions becuse I just need to upgrade my DAW, get more room treatment, bla bla bla. It's always something, and I KNOW that just diving into it would be better in the end. I don't work with outside musicians that often though so it mostly just effects me and my bands but it's damn frustrating.
2. Perfectionists who can't play. I get this sometimes, 98% of the time it's a guitarist.. They play like shit becuse they never practice/are oblivious to how shitty it sounds, and then they make me sit through ten thousand retakes of the same kindergarden-level riff becuse they want it to be PERFECT.
I just want to ask them why, if they are so damn worried about getting the take perfect, why didn't you practice your fucking riffs until you could play them? Also, most of the time their version of "perfect" ends up as a alright take. After a million takes, the best one of the bunch is one that is just okay. FML
3. 20/20 hindsight. Getting home to mix something I tracked in another studio, and realizing I missed something incredibly stupid (Mics pointing somewhere they shouldn't be, phase issues, motherfucking CABLE GLITCHES) that would have taken 30 seconds to fix then, but now I gotta spend hours trying to salvage it.
2. Perfectionists who can't play. I get this sometimes, 98% of the time it's a guitarist.. They play like shit becuse they never practice/are oblivious to how shitty it sounds, and then they make me sit through ten thousand retakes of the same kindergarden-level riff becuse they want it to be PERFECT.
I just want to ask them why, if they are so damn worried about getting the take perfect, why didn't you practice your fucking riffs until you could play them? Also, most of the time their version of "perfect" ends up as a alright take. After a million takes, the best one of the bunch is one that is just okay. FML
3. 20/20 hindsight. Getting home to mix something I tracked in another studio, and realizing I missed something incredibly stupid (Mics pointing somewhere they shouldn't be, phase issues, motherfucking CABLE GLITCHES) that would have taken 30 seconds to fix then, but now I gotta spend hours trying to salvage it.
greyskull
Member
- Mar 22, 2006
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Drummers who think they're really awesome and played brootal blastz beetz but actually suck and i end up spending hours fixing.
Bands who underestimate how much time it takes to do stuff, and I inevitably end up busting my balls to try and get everything done on time/budget; and then expecting me to work late (for free) and or/ do a billion recalls. Fuckers
Bands cheaping out in general... just makes your life so much harder
Bands who underestimate how much time it takes to do stuff, and I inevitably end up busting my balls to try and get everything done on time/budget; and then expecting me to work late (for free) and or/ do a billion recalls. Fuckers
Bands cheaping out in general... just makes your life so much harder
Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
HATE:
1. Communication in general:
Musicians are just not good at communication. It doesn't matter if it's getting back to you, telling you about payment problems, telling you about song problems, telling you they were unhappy with something... and if they do it's always at a point where your pulling your hair out because if they just spoke up earlier it would have been EASY to fix.
2. Perfectionists:
Because there is NO SUCH THING. I'll go ahead and quote Joe B here and say "learn to love it man." "Perfectionism" gets in the way and tends to suck all the awesome out of a track. Let the track do it's thing, quit fucking killing it.
3. Late recalls and late re takes:
I've gotten to the point where I won't do either for free anymore and can't believe I ever did. I had a guitarist want to re track an entire song 3 times. I said no after the second (the first really was a turd). Recalls make me rage when it's 3 weeks after we were done for a "tom that is slightly to loud at 2:32." Again, let me quote Joe B here and say LEARN TO LOVE IT. Seriously I think Mixerman is right, the ease of the modern DAW to recall songs makes for a never ending nightmare of never feeling like your done.
LOVE:
1. Tracking:
Seriously, it doesn't even matter if the player isn't that good. Seeing and forming the song on the fly is fun as shit and I could do that all day! This surprisingly is the most relaxed part of the recording process for me.
2. Being allowed to produce:
I actually wouldn't mind just being producer. I wish hiring a producer was more popular, because I LOVE helping people understand why things should or should not go into an arrangement and finding sounds that work throwing out ideas (even if they don't always accept the ideas)... Actually I have to say this is number one for me, I love this more than tracking.
3. Drum tracking:
But only when there is money to do it right. When the kit sounds good and has all new heads on it, there is nothing more fun than the puzzle of how to capture best. I like recording this instrument more than any other even though I'm a guitar player. There is just something interesting about trying to figure out how to get 10 mics to play nice together. I've always been into that kind of problem solving though. Sadly, most drum sets are so shit (because either they are shit or the band was to cheap to take my requirement seriously and get new heads) that this is a rarity for me because if the drumset is obviously not up to par for recording I just half haphazardly throw up the mics with intentions to sample replace the whole thing later.
1. Communication in general:
Musicians are just not good at communication. It doesn't matter if it's getting back to you, telling you about payment problems, telling you about song problems, telling you they were unhappy with something... and if they do it's always at a point where your pulling your hair out because if they just spoke up earlier it would have been EASY to fix.
2. Perfectionists:
Because there is NO SUCH THING. I'll go ahead and quote Joe B here and say "learn to love it man." "Perfectionism" gets in the way and tends to suck all the awesome out of a track. Let the track do it's thing, quit fucking killing it.
3. Late recalls and late re takes:
I've gotten to the point where I won't do either for free anymore and can't believe I ever did. I had a guitarist want to re track an entire song 3 times. I said no after the second (the first really was a turd). Recalls make me rage when it's 3 weeks after we were done for a "tom that is slightly to loud at 2:32." Again, let me quote Joe B here and say LEARN TO LOVE IT. Seriously I think Mixerman is right, the ease of the modern DAW to recall songs makes for a never ending nightmare of never feeling like your done.
LOVE:
1. Tracking:
Seriously, it doesn't even matter if the player isn't that good. Seeing and forming the song on the fly is fun as shit and I could do that all day! This surprisingly is the most relaxed part of the recording process for me.
2. Being allowed to produce:
I actually wouldn't mind just being producer. I wish hiring a producer was more popular, because I LOVE helping people understand why things should or should not go into an arrangement and finding sounds that work throwing out ideas (even if they don't always accept the ideas)... Actually I have to say this is number one for me, I love this more than tracking.
3. Drum tracking:
But only when there is money to do it right. When the kit sounds good and has all new heads on it, there is nothing more fun than the puzzle of how to capture best. I like recording this instrument more than any other even though I'm a guitar player. There is just something interesting about trying to figure out how to get 10 mics to play nice together. I've always been into that kind of problem solving though. Sadly, most drum sets are so shit (because either they are shit or the band was to cheap to take my requirement seriously and get new heads) that this is a rarity for me because if the drumset is obviously not up to par for recording I just half haphazardly throw up the mics with intentions to sample replace the whole thing later.
timislegend
Member
- Jun 8, 2010
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in no particular order.
working late - i love spending time with my gf... and i love to travel. this has been scarce the past few months.
hovering artists - i know this seems nitpicky but when the talent is compelled to hover over me during tracking... ugh! (i'll never get used to it).
old school vs. new school - i work with a lot of old-timers that are used to "their way" !!! ...i am all about coexisting, if it serves the goal of the music, do it!
working late - i love spending time with my gf... and i love to travel. this has been scarce the past few months.
hovering artists - i know this seems nitpicky but when the talent is compelled to hover over me during tracking... ugh! (i'll never get used to it).
old school vs. new school - i work with a lot of old-timers that are used to "their way" !!! ...i am all about coexisting, if it serves the goal of the music, do it!
Soundlurker
Member
- Nov 19, 2005
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Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
Machinated
Member
1. bad musicians (in my case this is more common that I'd like it to be). annoying technique wise when music is written above their ability, also spending 50+ takes on a single section. if they arent going to get it in 5 or even 10 takes, its going to be pretty slim odds they are going to get it at all to a decent standard.
2. constantly tuning (guitars), and then having to go over technique with guitarists to get them to play intune.
3. spending too long on projects (be it by my own doings or the bands), and then juggling between bands. having around 15-20+ all asking how their mix is coming along is annoying as fuck.
2. constantly tuning (guitars), and then having to go over technique with guitarists to get them to play intune.
3. spending too long on projects (be it by my own doings or the bands), and then juggling between bands. having around 15-20+ all asking how their mix is coming along is annoying as fuck.
Machinated
Member
it also sucks how under appreciated this work generally is by bands. we put in hours of work outside set times (for their benefit) that the bands generally never appreciate
JeffTD
Senhor Testiculo
+FUCKING 1. When people are behind you and put an arm on your chair or something... like jesus christ, if you really think you can follow what I'm doing fast enough to make sense of what's going on on the screen, then more power to you... but come on, I have a 27" monitor. Sit the fuck back.
Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
Yeah man, tapping on it, leaning on it, sitting in it ajusting the hight....
Effffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!
Effffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!
JeffTD
Senhor Testiculo
Just remembered my least favorite...
Being thrown in the middle of band drama. I hate it when guys talk trash about their band members to me or make snide comments, and trying to track vocals while the vocalist and drummer/bassist are sitting in on the session saying things like "think you should do that line over again man" and the vocalist responding with "fuck you guys I didn't make comments while you were recording so you have to shut up while i am" is just SUPER awkward. At that point you have to be an asshole and tell them all to stop bickering so you can do your job, and then it's just uncomfortable for everyone.
I have my own stupid band drama to deal with - I'm not in yours for a reason!
Being thrown in the middle of band drama. I hate it when guys talk trash about their band members to me or make snide comments, and trying to track vocals while the vocalist and drummer/bassist are sitting in on the session saying things like "think you should do that line over again man" and the vocalist responding with "fuck you guys I didn't make comments while you were recording so you have to shut up while i am" is just SUPER awkward. At that point you have to be an asshole and tell them all to stop bickering so you can do your job, and then it's just uncomfortable for everyone.
I have my own stupid band drama to deal with - I'm not in yours for a reason!
+100000
I recorded a band with two brothers, one 22 and the other 17. They would get in fist fights while the 17 year old was tracking guitar because the 22 year old said he was sloppy. Super awkward.
Kazrog
Kazrog, Inc.
Great thread, nothing to add, amazing how universal these issues are. Seems like 99% of all pain-points are humans. The solution therefore is to record electronica by yourself, then you never have to deal with other humans or sloppy takes, just program everything. 
jangoux
Member
- May 9, 2006
- 1,808
- 0
- 36
1- Working at night - I just can't work at night. My attention, creativity, focus, everything just go aways at night. I need to have my mind completely blank at night, do whatever that won't make my brain work. I've tried doing this (working) many times, but i just don't work right at night.
2- clients that...
2.1- ...are always late. Self-explanatory. The ones that piss me off the most are those that come late and say 'hey man, sorry, i arrived home drunk at 6am and just couldn't make it at 8am, I had to sleep some more'.
2.2- ... have crappy instruments and insist on using 'em. Self-explanatory.
2.3- ... can't just finish their parts. There's always something else. 'Hey man, what if...'
2.4- ...ask for stupid things like 'Can you put some FX?'. Some FX? WTF! I have a bazillion of fx to scroll and it is NEVER the right one.
2.5- ...always give stupid excuses for not paying on the right date. 'Hey dood, mah dawg just died and I had to pay for the funeral services'
2.6- ...just because they have some pirated daw that they download one week ago, they try to teach me how to work.
3- mastering. Can't do it, hate it, wish I had someone to do it for me.
I know, only three, but I have one more:
4- It killed my guitar playing days. I just can't listen to music (that i dislike, most of the time) for 8 hours daily, come home and have any energy to play guitar. I am playing more guitar these days because the studio I work on is jobless atm, but I know that when I come back to work i will feel like burning my guitars :s
There's actually a lot of stuff I dislike (i bet you guys two have too), but I love working with music, and honestly, I can't do a lot else.
2- clients that...
2.1- ...are always late. Self-explanatory. The ones that piss me off the most are those that come late and say 'hey man, sorry, i arrived home drunk at 6am and just couldn't make it at 8am, I had to sleep some more'.
2.2- ... have crappy instruments and insist on using 'em. Self-explanatory.
2.3- ... can't just finish their parts. There's always something else. 'Hey man, what if...'
2.4- ...ask for stupid things like 'Can you put some FX?'. Some FX? WTF! I have a bazillion of fx to scroll and it is NEVER the right one.
2.5- ...always give stupid excuses for not paying on the right date. 'Hey dood, mah dawg just died and I had to pay for the funeral services'
2.6- ...just because they have some pirated daw that they download one week ago, they try to teach me how to work.
3- mastering. Can't do it, hate it, wish I had someone to do it for me.
I know, only three, but I have one more:
4- It killed my guitar playing days. I just can't listen to music (that i dislike, most of the time) for 8 hours daily, come home and have any energy to play guitar. I am playing more guitar these days because the studio I work on is jobless atm, but I know that when I come back to work i will feel like burning my guitars :s
There's actually a lot of stuff I dislike (i bet you guys two have too), but I love working with music, and honestly, I can't do a lot else.
Glenn Fricker
Very Metal &Very Bad News
1) Artists who aren't prepared. (I think it's been covered, but it's still my #1 gripe.) If you don't know the material, don't try to record it.
2) Bad vocalists. Nothing worse than a great song ruined by a guy who can't sing. Autotune can't fix everything. Take some singing lessons before you record, for crying out loud! People take guitar lessons, why the aversion to vocal lessons?
3) Artists who read "a little bit about recording." There's nothing more dangerous than small amounts of knowledge. Not enough to help, but plenty to do damage with.
Look, there's a reason why it takes years to master the art of recording. It's because it's difficult. I know that you read somewhere that magazine 'A" said to execute plan 'Z' But this isn't that situation & it won't work here. ....and it'll take me all fucking day to explain why, when we could be making music.
Here's a novel idea: You play the music & I'll do my job.
2) Bad vocalists. Nothing worse than a great song ruined by a guy who can't sing. Autotune can't fix everything. Take some singing lessons before you record, for crying out loud! People take guitar lessons, why the aversion to vocal lessons?
3) Artists who read "a little bit about recording." There's nothing more dangerous than small amounts of knowledge. Not enough to help, but plenty to do damage with.
Look, there's a reason why it takes years to master the art of recording. It's because it's difficult. I know that you read somewhere that magazine 'A" said to execute plan 'Z' But this isn't that situation & it won't work here. ....and it'll take me all fucking day to explain why, when we could be making music.
Here's a novel idea: You play the music & I'll do my job.
C_F_H_13
Protools Guru
Yeah its fucking brutal. Or when they start arguing about NON RECORDING related stuff and then say "Well what do you think?". I don't give a fuck if your guitar player didn't pay you for the new guitar strings you bought. No matter how many times you tell me the story or "what really happened", I'm still going to say the same thing. I don't give a shit and it's not my fucking problem. Figure it out and lets move on.
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