More square pegs in round holes

[DSOP]

In the last few years, there’s been an interesting shift in the music industry – not just among consumers, but also among artists. Albums are being made at an almost alarming rate and the equipment needed has become very affordable – it’s all become very democratized. Albums are being released as MP3‘s online, and thus reaching a lot more people than ever before. One would think that for us recording engineers this was a good thing. And in some cases it is, but not always. As a matter of fact, a similar thing has happened (albeit much faster) in the music industry as has happened in the food industry. The norm has become fast food.. made without nutrients, without soul and without heart. The idea that making an album should be an investment (time and money) is a thing of the past. Since it’s possible to make an album inexpensively, then.. shouldn’t I do it .. by myself? Well, no. Not entirely. In the past (and thankfully still today, to some degree) albums were made by a team of people. Not necessarily a large team, but a team nonetheless. And parts of this team were somewhat invisible to the artist. This included studio managers, runners, assistants, engineers – and producers. So, when the artist makes the new record, by himself this time (why not? he downloaded all the necessary software, so piece of cake, right?) he’s taking on the role of several people – usually without knowing it. In some cases this is fine. He can most certainly help himself to the fridge or make a run to the corner for beers. But when it comes to the craft of making an album, there are some roles the artist is not so good at filling. Producer / engineer immediately comes to mind – and I won’t even get into things like file management, labeling, backups, and the organizational skills 99% of artists lack (of course… otherwise they’d be shitty artists). Most artists will produce at least one of their albums by themselves, and nowadays a lot of them will even record most or all of them too. I can think of two artists that self-produced successfully: Prince and Stevie Wonder. And even they had spectacular failures mixed in with their landmark albums. Point being, there is something to be said for experience, and that certain skill-set. In my case, surely something must have rubbed off, during the making of those 100 or so albums I’ve been a part of.

One thing that almost always comes up, when i talk to artists about making records, is their perceived ‘lack of quality’ of MP3’s as a format for (their) music. Meanwhile, 2 days later they are telling me they won’t be needing my services for mixing, because they found a guy that will mix the record for free: “Can’t beat that, can you?” they ask. Well, um, if you mean ‘price-wise’ then NO.. but if you mean ‘quality-wise’ i’ll bet you my car the answer is YES I can beat that. No contest. But musicians today (a lot of them) don’t have the same respect as they used to. They don’t have the same respect for the music. They don’t have the same respect for themselves, and not for the craft… my craft. I don’t want to sound arrogant here (ok, maybe i do) but it’s not about the downloaded software or the vintage gear, as much as it is about the guy turning the knobs where the difference lies. So, when the artist is says: “And of course i’ll do vinyl, because having ‘only’ MP3 downloads doesn’t do the album justice” I can’t help but grin. This is the same album you just announced 10 mins ago you were going to have Bellbottom-Marvin in Echo Park mix on his laptop for free! I’m sorry, but i’m afraid the vinyl release isn’t going to help you, my friend. It’s still going to sound like crap.

MP3’s are a delivery format, no different than an 8track, cassette or vinyl, and they all have their place. For me, when i jog, i don’t care much for carrying a cd player with me. When i’m on a plane, not so interested in bringing 25 records with me, and a record player. So i use MP3’s. The fit nicely on my laptop, on my iPod and in an email, to my clients. But when i want to listen to an album, i’ll pull the cd out from the shelf, put it on my stereo and listen, as i read the liner notes. Different intention, than listening to music while jogging. Not interchangeable and one is not better than the other. Hot dogs and filet mignon, that’s all. I don’t think I’d want a hot dog on Thanksgiving of Christmas, and I’m sure I don’t want a steak in my hot dog bun at the ballpark.

A friend / colleague of mine just finished producing an album by a fairly well known french artist, and the artist gave an interview online about the album and the process of making it. And, in his defense, I’m sure his intension was to give praise.. but I got an entirely different slant from the article. He was talking about the small budget he had to make the record and how he was discussing this with the producer. “I understand it’s small, but not only do I want to make a very special album, without compromise, but i also want it to be a double album” (I’m paraphrasing here). And then he went on to say how “everyone did it for next to nothing” and the string players “did it for free, and didn’t even get credit on the album, because of the union” etc etc. (I know this union rule, and it’s BS.. but that’s another story). So, for me, instead of reading praise, I read “I have this sense of entitlement, this need to make an artistic statement, and this producer is a good producer because he knows a lot of people that will work for free”. Strange development indeed. Of course I am reading heavily into what’s being said here, but it’s my interpretation nonetheless, and there is some truth to it, I’m sure. So, guess who is going to be calling this producer and the string players and the rest of the musicians that played on the album for his next record? The guy with the big budget or the small budget? Exactly.

And this is the dilemma. There’s always a guy with a laptop that will do it for free. Always a band that will give the album away for free – thanks for setting the tone on that one, Radiohead (fuckers). And this devalues what we do for a living. And since the general public is quite happy with fast food, with music without heart or soul, Laptop Guy stays busy and the rest of us have to pedal twice as fast to cover the same ground.

Problem is, when we should be moving faster (mixing, for example) the material handed over is getting worse. More square pegs in round holes, because Laptop Guy has never made a real record, with real musicians playing songs with real arrangements. So, where in the past i’d mix records in two days, now i’m struggling to mix a song a day – since most of what i do is apply bandaids. I mixed Solomon Burke’s album in two days, and won a Grammy for it. Two hrs per mix. Because I recorded it myself, so there were no square pegs. Now, when artists come to me and say: “Just do kind of a quick mix on this album” they’ve just showed me their cards. Volunteered that they have no idea what they’re talking about. Red flag! I can’t mix a song any faster, just because I am getting paid less for it. That would mean I was adding to the fast food problem. I built my own studio for this very reason. I had to stop mixing in commercial studios, because they needed their daily fee, and if I was to get the gig, it meant 30 mins per mix for me (“one day of studio time is all we can afford”). Guess how much time the record company allocated for mixing of the next record I did for them after that Solomon Burke record? Yep, two days again. Even after I busted my balls mixing it, and won them a Grammy. Oh, and by the way, get this: on that second record (Bettye Lavette), they couldn’t even get it together enough to send in the paperwork in time for a Grammy nomination (even if it was considered a shoe-in), they were so busy being great at saving money… Christ!!!

So what’s the bottom line here? The solution? Well, for me, it’s about finding ways to stay creative. To find the positive about the internet / MP3 revolution. Finding ways to be a part of making the records, from the beginning (here). A lot of people can and will hear the music we do work on, so keep doin’ it. It’s up to us as engineers / mixers to keep the bar high. Knowing that a well recorded and well mixed record will transcend any format. So for all you guys worrying about vinyl vs MP3 for your album .. it’s only a small piece of the puzzle. And trust me.. much smaller than a good producer or engineer.

So cough it up and show some respect. You are not entitled. Talented (in most cases), but not entitled.

http://tinyurl.com/6nbpyvb

[Josiah]

[circh bustom]

DSOP, that is actually the best argument I've heard yet to keep the music business above water. I do have one issue though. I'm reminded of a thread a few months ago about a letter written by John McLaughlin. In that thread Janek Gwizdala a very well respected, well received artist said, I believe almost word for word, that these days artists use their records only as a way to get people to their shows. Even using it as a business card. How can I be expected to take a record seriously, and pay a large amount of coin for something that the very artists themselves apparently don't take seriously? I would bet a week's pay that he is not the only artist with this mind set.

[DSOP]

How can I be expected to take a record seriously, and pay a large amount of coin for something that the very artists themselves apparently don't take seriously? I would bet a week's pay that he is not the only artist with this mind set.

I'm sure he's not the only "artist" with that mindset. But, as talented as Janek is, I have yet to purchase any of his music. If more people gave their music (especially their recorded music) the respect it deserved, there would probably be less average music and more great music.

The people who like things trending the way they're trending are people who couldn't get arrested in the old system. I'm not saying the old way is better. I'm just saying that we ought to understand what is happening.

When did you last hear something as well crafted as Sgt.Pepper? Or Captain Fantastic? Or Quadrophenia? Or Gaucho? Or Belo Horizonte? Or As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls? Or Dark Side Of The Moon?

If you have, it was surely created by a team of professionals, or an incredibly talented individual.

And why is $9.00 a large amount of coin for a record, when people gladly pay over $5.00 for a cup of coffee?

[Josiah]

And why is $9.00 a large amount of coin for a record, when people gladly pay over $5.00 for a cup of coffee?

$9 bucks isn't much for a full length album. And I don't know anyone who pays more then $5 for a cup of coffee.... however most people going to shows are spending over $5 for a beer.

But take a trip back to grade school and run some simple math. You aren't paying high end anybody and selling your album for $9. Unless your goal is to loose money.


The cost of reproduction alone is between $1-3 PER cd. At $9, and say $2 to make it, you just knocked out more then 20% alone in duplication costs.
If it costs you $5,000 to record the cd, and you're only getting $7 in profit from the actual sale. Now you have to sell over 700 albums, just to pay for the cost of making it.

That's just a bankrupt business model and it's no wonder why bands are more and more doing it themselves. Between modern (and fairly cheap) technology PLUS being able to own, spend unlimited time, etc on your projects....


The days of high paid engineers and studios are quickly drawing to a close.


DSOP - While you mention great albums, it's pretty impossible to quantify how much of a role a given support person had. However we can probably safely say, any great musician is just that regardless of who engineers the recording and that's the important part.


But the guy who wrote that article is a douche baggy -

"You are not entitled. Talented (in most cases), but not entitled." - And neither are you Mr. Engineer. No more so then anyone else, in fact less so, without the musicians, you would have nothing. So maybe you should cough it up and lower your rates to be competitive in the market. Instead of believing you are entitled to a arbitrary pay rate decided by the market of yesterday.

[circh bustom]

Touche on the coffee. Although around here, the best Coffee is from Wawa at $1.65 for a 24oz. Haha. With the exception of Wal-Mart possibly, most CD's are 13, 14 even 16.99$. As the engineer said, MP3's are only one piece of the puzzle, and while Ive bought a few downloads, I prefer a physical CD or record whenever possible.
I agree that no one has heard something as good as the records you mentioned recorded quickly, but I don't think having a thousand fold more musicians recording and doing things for free will stop the cream from rising. It might make it slightly more difficult, but just because Van Halen is recording their new album the old fashioned way, doesn't stop them from "leaking" tunes thru the internet. Nor will it stop them from going at least gold if not platinum. U2 will still make the sonic art that they make over an 8 month period of time.
I can't help but think of Dave Matthews "Everyday" record. From first song written, to final mixdown in 9 days. I'm not saying that that is a Sgt Pepper, but as a DMB fan, it's a damn fine record. Some of the greatest jazz records were done in two or three days at Rudy Van Gelder's studio. Led Zeppelin's first record was done quick also, as was their second record. While some would argue about the first record being a masterpiece, I dont think people can dispute the second falling into that category though.
Russ Miller and a few others praise the fact that they can record a professional track in their underwear at home and save the artist hundreds if not thousands in travel expenses, hotel and travel, cartage, etc. Russ is somewhat of a middle/heavyweight on the recording scene and he did what he needed to do. It was a bit more expensive than the said downloading of software, at the time he said quality pre-amps were about $20,000 a channel. But, seeing the evolution of the business, for better or worse, he adapted.

[Josiah]

You can't have your CD in a major store without it being on a major label.

In which case the discussion becomes moot. Major label record deals are self financed and the musicians, at best, only get pennies on the dollar. The team recording the albums is union and (for the most part) overpaid.

The article in question only pertains to independent artists.

Whoever that engineer who wrote the article is, lets put his view point in a "drum" perspective.


Imagine John Good going up to X drummer at a show and chastising him for not spending $5,000 on a DW kit! He could sound so much better on that expensive DW kit! Why would you use a cheaper kit?!

[DSOP]

I agree that no one has heard something as good as the records you mentioned recorded quickly, but I don't think having a thousand fold more musicians recording and doing things for free will stop the cream from rising. It might make it slightly more difficult, but just because Van Halen is recording their new album the old fashioned way, doesn't stop them from "leaking" tunes thru the internet. Nor will it stop them from going at least gold if not platinum. U2 will still make the sonic art that they make over an 8 month period of time.
I can't help but think of Dave Matthews "Everyday" record. From first song written, to final mixdown in 9 days. I'm not saying that that is a Sgt Pepper, but as a DMB fan, it's a damn fine record. Some of the greatest jazz records were done in two or three days at Rudy Van Gelder's studio. Led Zeppelin's first record was done quick also, as was their second record. While some would argue about the first record being a masterpiece, I dont think people can dispute the second falling into that category though.

All that music you're referring to was made by musicians who had played together for years, at hundreds if not thousands of gigs. That doesn't happen anymore. Today, musicians haven't even PLAYED THEIR INSTRUMENT for five years, let alone played with the same band for that long. Also, Van Halen and U2 came into prominence a long time ago, before the current state of affairs. The Dave Matthews Band defies all logic and common sense; They have just struck a nerve with people and can do no wrong.

My main reason for posting that blog entry was the point that giving services away lowers the bar for everyone.

[circh bustom]

Yes, but to be fair, the same can be said about the albums/artists you mentioned.

I have to agree with the very last part of Josiah's post, which I believe was an edit. The engineers do exist only because of the musicians that may or may not need them. If the rates weren't so high, I'm sure alot more people would use them. I was in a band that recorded a song with Dave Ivory. he is a multi-Grammy winning producer. He has certificates for the first 3 Roots records as well as Erykah Badu's first record. It was around 2500$ for one song. The process was a hell of a lot of fun, as was he. The band, after my departure, recorded the rest of their record at a different studio. The difference in the final products after mastering was marginal. Noticeable to me because I was in the center of it, but most wouldn't hear the difference. In all fairness, part of the cost to Ivory was for him, and his producing of the song. The song was almost completely deconstructed and rebuilt to be virtually unrecognizable. But most bands these days at that level aren't looking for that.

Also, bands that havn't reached the level of DMB, U2, VH and the like, might benefit from doing it all on their own in the beginning to get a greater appreciation for what goes on at the Record Plant or Capitol Studios or Bearsville if they ever have the priviledge or the need/opportunity to record at that level. Instead of just giving their product to someone and saying "make it sound more blue" or something arbitrary like that, they might pick up something that will make it easier to convey what they are looking for in a final recording. We might also be assuming that the musicians that this engineer was talking about are on a national or even regional level. They may not be. None of the artists that have been mentioned by name started at the top of there game. Early recordings of some of these bands are a bit unlistenable.

[Yussuf]

The Melvins are one of my favourite bands(Dale Crover rules on the drums!) and Buzz Osbournes views on the future of music business make sense to me. 1:40-4:10 touches on topics here(maybe not directly on the mixing issue) and other music business -related topics on this board.

Check it out if interested: