Recording Tip #5

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 Recording Studio Tip #5 From Sessionsatstudiom.com

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My Time at AES San Francisco

A few observations from the 133rd AES Convention in San Francisco California.

• The rough economy has definitely taken a toll on the show. Compared to the very first AES convention I went to, this one is a shadow of what it once was. I am blaming the economy, but the internet also has a lot to do with it. Let me explain what I mean. 

• The economy is very tight for audio equipment manufacturers, so the expense of making an exhibit happen stretches the other advertising budgets.
• The internet is available to all people. So if you are interested in finding out about the latest and greatest audio equipment all you have to do is search the web for it.  
• Having a good web presence allows the audio equipment manufacturers to maybe forgo the convention and just give information about their products on the web. 
• Also, many of the audio equipment manufacturers did not have to set up individual booths because the retailers were displaying much of the gear that they sell.

• Another part of the convention is not about new equipment. It is about learning the craft of audio. There are classes for every level of audio enthusiast, from the student to the advanced user. There are student competitions and mentoring. There are master seminars with some of the industry greats giving insights and stories about their careers. This is the part of the show that I enjoy more than the gear. Most of the time I don't learn much except for a tidbit or two to try out, but sometimes the classes mean being validated that what you're doing is right, and that's helpful, too.  

• The third part of the show, and maybe one of the most important parts for me, is the networking. You get to meet others from all over the world and people in all different fields of audio. From the actual designers, to sales people, to computer gurus, to tracking engineers, to mastering engineers, and everyone in between.  

So, for me, I truly enjoyed the experience of AES. Even with the gear offerings being small compared to past years.  The show stood out to me as a good example of audio people getting together and showing greatness.

I will leave this post with the quote that stood out to me. Related by Ed Cherney, a grammy award winning audio engineer, as told to him by his mentor Bruce Swedien: "No one leaves the studio dancing to the gear".  I like the intention of this.  While we all agree it takes a certain amount of gear to make a good recording, the song is king.

Audio Recording Gear

Sometimes I think we audio engineers get stuck in the rut of "gearlust". If I just had "widget 47" then I could make the record sound like so and so. I fall into this trap on occasion, and when I have "gearlust" it usually only leads to a smaller pocket book.  While I agree recording takes a certain amount of gear, and really good gear makes the job easier, there are many engineers working in lack luster gear situations churning out wonderful results.

You may ask yourself why I bring this up. Well I have been thinking about the large amounts of money I have spent on recording equipment over the last 22 years. Some bought and sold because of a specific need at the time, or just purchased due to pure lust. Most of the gear I have purchased over the years has been bought and sold, turned over for new gear etc.. Very little has stayed because of the highs and lows of economy, "gearlust" for something else, or a piece of gear ended up being a bad overall purchase. I spent the early years of my career with this "gearlust".

Now I realize that more so than the gear it is the song, the musician, and the creativity that truly matters. I have spent many hours on recording message boards only to see the same things being said constantly, which is "what gear should I buy?" Now, like I said, a certain amount of gear is important. But just because you have a few bucks does not mean you need to run out and spend it on the latest widget. With those bucks many other things can be done rather than buying the latest greatest thing on the market. You could:

• Advertise
• Save the money for a rainy day
• Take a break to refresh
• Make your significant other happy by upgrading your living quarters
• Invest the money in a 401k or something for retirement.
• And much more.

I truly have found as a recording engineer I have never had a long term client not use my studio because I did not have the "widget 47" he saw in a magazine. I have gotten clients for recording based on word of mouth, advertisements, and sheer luck. The ones who care about "widget 47" are missing the point of what making music is about. They should look for vibe, personality, and professionalism in their facility and engineer.

With my Mastering Studio my equipment has played into getting clients, but that is still only occasionally. Most of the time it is from another album I mastered, word of mouth, advertising, and also sheer luck.

So to conclude this lengthy post, I say go out and find the best songs to record and make what you have work for you.  As Bruce Swedien says "No one leaves the studio dancing to the gear".  

Weekly Recording Tips

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Recording Tip #1