Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[bblackwood]

I've recently been involved ongoing discussions with a few friends regarding that changes that have occurred in the industry over the last 30 or so years as I believe that by examining the past and comparing it to the present, we can see where we have progressed and where we have regressed. Not 'how do we change the industry' type discussions, as those are pure guessing games, but rather 'what made the great guys great and the mediocre guys mediocre'...

It's been interesting to say the least.

One of the common themes to these discussions seems to come back to why and how we do what we do. IOW, as the earth cooled and Doug Sax started The Mastering Lab, the general rule of thumb was 'we have the best of everything'. No corners were cut for any reason in equipping the studio(s) nor in the manner the studio(s) were run, and the output reflected that. As I look around, I see studios everywhere that seem to cut corners - going for the easiest or cheapest method that they can get by with. While most of us finance the equipment directly from our studio income and therefore do not have unlimited budgets, I understand taking steps, progressing in upgrades as available.

Times have changed - you can build a nice studio now for a fraction of what it cost 30 years ago, yet people still seem to look for the easiest way to get by. For example, in the recording world, I've heard very few people who use digital because they think it sounds better - it's virtually always because of convenience - easier editing, easier vocal tuning, etc. But how does it sound?

I don't really have a point to make, but rather hope to spark the discussion - are you pushing the envelope, trying to be the best you can be in every way or is 'good enough' good enough?

[turtletone]

Hmmm, I think I fall into a bit of both. I kind of set my goals to hit a certain price point of where I wanted to be and still be able to earn a living. this price point allows me to work how I like most of the time, but also limits me in other ways. I pick and choose what's important to the clients I want to work with and what's good enough for other things. Now if I went all out in everything, I would no longer be working for myself or my choosen clients. I would be striving to just keep up with the bills. As price becomes more and more of a concern in all things, one has to decide what the important things are and the what's good enough are. In a perfect world, I would like to have my cake and eat it too.

[Jerry Tubb]

bblackwood wrote on Fri, 10 November 2006 09:31

are you pushing the envelope, trying to be the best you can be in every way or is 'good enough' good enough?

Good point Brad.

On one of the sessions I did this week, I wasn't quite happy with the sound, even with running it through all the groovy gear, adjusting, tweaking, printing and reprinting. It just didn't feel right. Something was still bothering me. I could have easily just let it slide through, and rationalized that the mixes were mediocre, and there's only so much an ME can do.

While EQing the very last song, when I'm getting ready to finish up and eat dinner, the attending client is pacing, talking on his cell phone, making a dinner date. I literally made myself stop.

I explained to the client that I needed a short ear break, and I was gonna eat my "lunch" before we do the final checking, assembly, pq editing, and burning. So I nuked the chipotle burrito from the fridge, took it to my office and closed the door and ate in relative silence, left my client to talk on his cell phone.

I have this theory that Mexican food is good for the ears, dissolves any stress from an attended session, and stimulates brain activity. The hotter the sauce, the more it opens the Eustachian tubes, equalizing the pressure in the middle ear, stimulates the endorphins,& helps make mastering a breeze! If I have a trade "secret", that's it... Mexican food!

While eating, I realize that something screechy in the upper mids on most of the songs has been bothering me. So after the break, washing my hands to remove any chipotle residue, back to the studio, and start checking the last song. A little sweeping with a notch filter on a tight Q reveals that there is indeed a problem resonance with the electric guitar on most of the songs at 2.6kHz.

So I go back through, find the offending freq on about 2/3 of the tunes, notch to taste (1-2dB), then and only after satisfaction, proceed to sequence, gap, fade, and burn. Two happy campers as a result, the ME, and more importantly, the artist.

So it's that extra measure of effort, right at the critical moment that can make the difference in a Mediocre vs Good mastering job.

For Good vs Great mastering jobs, I'm working on a theory that involves Habanero peppers & Jarritos Mexican soda pop.

Have a Spicy weekend!

JT

[Thomas W. Bethel]

I spent a lot of money getting my studio built. Then more money getting the acoustics just right and finally on the equipment that I wanted to have. It was all worth it and everything sounded and worked GREAT!

When I started into mastering 11 years ago most of what I was getting was from established commerical studios and it sounded good coming in the door. Our rates were based on my ears, my experience and the quality of the studio gear and our monitoring setup.

A couple of years later the established studios were going broke and the new kids (no joke) on the block were the "personal studios" The stuff started sounding less and less good and people were always looking for a "deal" They were also more combative and less interested in doing it well but instead wanted to do it cheaply and quickly.

Now there are so many studios around here that offer "mastering" that it is no longer commerically viable to have a mastering only studio in this area. Everyone today seems to want to do everything themselves (DIY gone berserk) and they are much more interested in doing things quickly and cheaply and getting their project out into the hands of their adoring fans. Some groups go from song writing to recording to mixdowns to replicaton in less than a month and in some cases less than two weeks.

I am sure that there is still a need for quality mastering and people such as Bob Katz, Brad Blackwood, Glenn Meadows and others on this board still get in good quality material and their clients are willing to pay for good quality mastering but I think this is now the minority and the majority of people either do it themselves or have the guys who are doing the recording do it for them.

As to the quality of equipment today

I think today you can get a lot of "bang for your buck" and people are doing some very good work with plugins and maybe a couple of pieces of outboard gear and don't feel the need to have the investment in high end gear. They are probably making a good income off their less than perfect setups but they also are serving a public that is less and less quality oriented (how can anyone listen to MP3s all day and think they are listening to real music?) and more and more quantity oriented. It seems like now we are shooting for the lowest common denominator not the best.

Good topic....

Thanks for posting it!

[jtr]

Good question- I'm trying for the best possible given my budget. I've had to make some difficult decisions, but when I look at my chain I feel I've got a good base that can always be built upon.

Where I really struggle with the "good enough" mentality (in myself) is when I'm working a project and the client is a self published artist whose financial resources are stretched. To avoid these situations I do everything possible to work efficiently, so that I'm not rushing through critical parts of the process.
I try to give a reasonably accurate estimate up front regarding costs, to avoid getting backed into a corner.  In all cases, I elect to do what I think is  right for the project.

Whenever I do any sort of work for an advertising or video group, it's a completely different story. All they care about is costs, and "good enough" is the motto. The ad plays on tv for a week and it's done.

[Masterer]

Jerry Tubb wrote on Fri, 10 November 2006 11:58

I have this theory that Mexican food is good for the ears, dissolves any stress from an attended session, and stimulates brain activity......

I feel the same way about porn.






....did I say that out loud?

[mikepecchio]

Something that sets an engineer apart is the ability to design something that works, that is not overbuilt.  The solution to a problem should be spot on, with a very delibrate, usually pretty small, margin of saftey. (I'm talking about degreed engineers: electrical, mechanical, nuclear, industrial, etc).   I think a similar principal applies to studio building and gear choices.  Any idiot can spend $2 million outfitting a studio, but what do you REALLY need to get the job done?  what job are you trying to do? for what market/client?  is it realistic?   Ive seen quite a lot of studio related excess working as a tech.  people mess up that last question, or never ask it, pretty often.

but sure, it goes both ways. I watched countless studios ditch their studer 24 track for PT w/888s.  IMO digital is different now, then it was certainly settling for less quality.

mike

[compasspnt]

To quote Bob,

"Perfect Is Good Enough."

[Gold]

mikepecchio wrote on Fri, 10 November 2006 13:31

Something that sets an engineer apart is the ability to design something that works, that is not overbuilt.

I was going to make this point until I saw it here. At some point you have to say 'good enough'.

Now that any old meter on the computer will give you resolution to 1/100dB does everything need to be calibrated to 1/100dB? I think not.

Will the sound be ruined if you don't use the 47uf teflon coupling cap? No

Most live in blissful ignorance of many things. There is a certain personality type that demands "perfection" over everything they know about. They are so wrapped up in their fastidiousness that major things go unexamined. I find this amusing.

Being an eternal student and redefining 'good enough' is the only way to live.

[compasspnt]

The trick is, as always, to know the difference.

[Greg Youngman]

Today, I'm settling for what is needed.  I moved from LA to this area 16 years ago.  I've been working with the sudio in the home for 16 years.  The only negative is needing more space.  I've been looking for a building to move the studio to.  Yesterday, I thought I had found it.  It's a neat older brick building next to a friend's tire shop.  I contacted the property owner and I was told that he's selling the real estate for a commercial/residential development and the building I'm interested in will be demolished.  That's the problem in California.  Leases/rents are through the roof.  That high, monthly overhead can threaten any business ... especially one as specialized as our's.  One or two bad months can eat up a previous profit in no time.  Long time property owners are selling to devolopers who build according to the new "County General Plan".  These new ordinances allow building structures that are zoned residential/commercial.  Your business can be downstairs and you can live upstairs.  The cities like this arrangement because this fulfills their "quota" for "new housing" commitments.  Something like that.  So, settling is okay for me today.  

[Gold]

compasspnt wrote on Fri, 10 November 2006 16:55

The trick is, as always, to know the difference.

You can't know everything. You can only try. And you don't know what you don't know, so to speak.  I think it's equally important for critical thinking to discard the overbuilt as well as upgrade the underbuilt.

[masterhse]

Masterer wrote on Fri, 10 November 2006 12:58

Jerry Tubb wrote on Fri, 10 November 2006 11:58 I have this theory that Mexican food is good for the ears, dissolves any stress from an attended session, and stimulates brain activity...... I feel the same way about porn. ....did I say that out loud?

OMG I'm freakin' rolling ...

Remind me to wear a raincoat if I'm ever at one of your sessions.

BTW wasabi works well too.

As far as B's question, I'm always trying my best with the resources I have available. That's the difference between your vocation being your passion versus your job.

[Gold]

masterhse wrote on Fri, 10 November 2006 20:28

Remind me to wear a raincoat if I'm ever at one of your sessions.

What exactly would you be expecting at this session?

[turtletone]

Gold wrote on Fri, 10 November 2006 21:01

masterhse wrote on Fri, 10 November 2006 20:28 Remind me to wear a raincoat if I'm ever at one of your sessions. What exactly would you be expecting at this session?

Sushi and Sticky chairs.