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Author Topic: Questioning yourself?  (Read 3565 times)

Ged Leitch

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Questioning yourself?
« on: March 13, 2006, 09:53:16 PM »

Hi guys, been a while since I posted anything.
  Just would like some  "Pro" opinions from you fine folks.
Recently just got over "Major" technical DAW problems in the bloomin middle of starting a new "important" project for a customer.
  It's kinda an "audition" of my work, and if impressed it should be a great contact.
  Problem is i'm now finding that i'm doubting myself so much when even attempting the mixes!
  I used to be able to recieve a customers CD in the post fire it up in the DAW, work for an hour or two and the rest was edits and stuff, and all would be fine, happy customer, money in the bank.
   The mixes sound great, but, there a few songs with kick drums that have too much thud and attack to them, they wont translate on most sytems well, so, i sort it out with multiband - i know, crossovers, boo hoo, changing the mix etc but there is no possibilty of a remix.
   So far i've got "OK" results on those songs, it's a case of the customer wanting that "Fat" sound yawn!!! (how many times?)
So i just know when they hear it they'll be like " Wheres the fatness man???"
    I'm going multiband for kick and de-essing, then wideband for levelling out then L2 for "loudness" (moderate use though, no more than -2db gain reduction) all this is post EQ.
   I guess it's pointless posting this without any audio to listen too but it's more of a question of confidence and the like, which i'm lacking at the moment.
  I feel in a similar situation to Brad in the snippet on his site about Ardent, it's like , I've SO got to get this right first time or it's a bye bye.
  Anyway, thats enough for now i think, oh and a big "HEY" to Dave Collins, i know  we crossed swords ages ago but recently have to take my hat off to you man, heard some cd's recently that oozed sound appeal! Queens of the stone age, Fu Manchu etc, im not a fan of those bands i particular but have to hand it to ya, "deez guy knows heez stuff..."
   And strangley, you happen to be the spitting image of a buddy of mine, kinda spooky.

enough warmth...
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Pingu

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Re: Questioning yourself?
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2006, 10:05:11 PM »

The best i can offer man is to just keep dong what you instinctively do.

Do it as well as you can and often as you can.

Try not to experiment on the music you are working on unless you have to.

Your confidence will come back soon enough.

Dont be too hard on your self.



























That being said im often in the same boat.
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If I defend myself I am attacked. But in defenselessness I will be strong, and I will learn what my defenses hide.

Viitalahde

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Re: Questioning yourself?
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2006, 02:08:06 AM »

I'm with Pingu, follow your instincs. They way I work, I usually just go for it, tweak for a while without thinking too much and then back up mentally & listen. Usually it's almost there and needs only minor tweaks.

One good advice that's always in my head is that if you make something that gives you instant "wooow!!!", you should be suspicious about it.

I think it was Ammitsboel who said it here..?  Twisted Evil
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Jaakko Viitalähde
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Thomas W. Bethel

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Re: Questioning yourself?
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2006, 09:13:01 AM »

We all do it. If we didn't that is when I would be affraid. It is normal in any kind of artistic endveour to question what you are doing. There was a very good NPR program on Bill Evans and even some one as good as he was questioned on a daily basis if what he was doing was really what the fans wanted.
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Pingu

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Re: Questioning yourself?
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2006, 09:54:11 AM »

Doubt and questioning everything is the key to life.


Its the necessary chaotic flux.
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Jerry Tubb

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Re: Questioning yourself?
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2006, 12:03:42 PM »

Change is Constant... at least to a cashier.
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Ronny

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Re: Questioning yourself?
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2006, 06:42:27 PM »

Jerry Tubb wrote on Tue, 14 March 2006 12:03

Change is Constant... at least to a cashier.




I wouldn't bank on it.  Very Happy
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dcollins

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Re: Questioning yourself?
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2006, 07:39:36 PM »

Ged Leitch wrote on Mon, 13 March 2006 18:53


  Anyway, thats enough for now i think, oh and a big "HEY" to Dave Collins, i know  we crossed swords ages ago but recently have to take my hat off to you man, heard some cd's recently that oozed sound appeal! Queens of the stone age, Fu Manchu etc, im not a fan of those bands i particular but have to hand it to ya, "deez guy knows heez stuff..."



Thank's for the kind words, Ged.
Quote:


And strangley, you happen to be the spitting image of a buddy of mine, kinda spooky.



Woof, poor guy!

DC

Dynamic Destroyer

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Re: Questioning yourself?
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2006, 12:23:03 AM »

Hi Ged,

I'm no 'pro' pro in fact I'm not even an ME I'm and producer and mix engineer but I really empathise with you on this as I go through the same thing all the time.
What I do is be really hard on myself.

The fact is this guy is coming to check out your work and it's make or break time!!
You have two options,
a) tell him you can't do it and he's wasting his time
or
b) get the job done

No one on this forum pro, amateur or anything in between can really help you (but you already know that!)
I presume this isn't the first time you've had this feeling?  What happened the last?
Did you get through it? I thought so.

The bottom line is, if you really want something you can get it.
You've already said you can do the job, so there's no real lack of self confidence.  Is it actually more fear of rejection.  Are you afraid to put in 100% in case this guy doesn't like it?  At least then you'll have an excuse, 'well it wasn't my best'.

You'll do the job.  He'll probably really like the work and you'll be kicking yourself as you listen back with him because those few hours you spent on the net looking for sympathy could have fixed those flaws that are embarrassingly leaping from the mix ten times more apparent now that he is there.
If you know there are problems, fix them now because if you don't the next ME that the guy goes to see will have.

What's the point telling us that there's a problem with the kick drum, you know it sounds wrong and you know what it should sound like so get it there. If it means putting it through every bit of gear you have in every combination till you find the solution then do it.

I've been there so many times, kicking myself because I know i could have done a better job and trust me, it hurts a lot more then the pain of doing the work.

In fact it's only in the last six months that I've beaten myself into putting in 100% all the time (well most of the time Smile )  I tell myself to get over it and I pick the toughest part of the job, the bit I've been dreading the most (probably the kick drum in your case?) and wildly attack it with the attitude that 'this fckin kick drum is not going to beat me' I reference a sound that I want (usually in a mixing situation btw) and I'll stay at until I better that sound.

It all basically boils down to the difference between a pro and a semi pro.  The semi pro will settle for second best.  The pro will strive for perfection.  He may never reach it but you can be sure he'll get some good results along the way.



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Ged Leitch

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Re: Questioning yourself?
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2006, 08:36:38 AM »

 Shocked

Wow, cheers guys for the advice, greatly appreciated.

Viitalahde - thanks man, good, simple advice.

Pingu - love the name! and cheers again.

T.Bethel - thanks again, good to hear even some pro's go through this!

D.C - Good to hear from ya.

Dynamic destroyer - Cheers for an excellent post mate, you made it so clear as to what i've been doing wrong, and your so right in so much that it really is about working at it again and again with a percieved goal in mind.

great forum guys,

(please dont throw up!) Laughing
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