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[Vladislavs Korehovs]

Hi,

i have certain experiences with band mambers saying it sounds bad based on certain cryterias they cannot formulate, the big problem is what i would certanly say it is good sounding, while mix what they liked sounded not so good, so how that damn guys listen music..
sometimes i think thay are listening what everything can be clearly heard in a mix, and don;'t like then there is a compression in mix an also don't understand effects of mastering and how mix is blended together...
Sometimes i think I would be pleased to work with end consumers then with bands....

[rankus]

When I am recording a band I always ask them to bring me a mix CD of bands that they listen to.

For instance, I have the bass player contribute two songs , the guitar player two songs etc.

Then we sit down as a group and listen to the CD.  

I ask:  did you (the bass payer etc) know this is how the lead singer wants to hear your instrument?

You would be surprised (not) when  the band cannot agree on a drum sound they all like etc....

This has changed the way my recording works... I try to make a recording that incorporates what we learned at the listening session...  I try to strike and "average" between all the ideas we kicked around....

Since I have been doing this I have very happy clients.... Or at least if someone says they don't care for the sound of one instrument I can remind them that my mix reflects the consensus from our first meeting... and I can play them the mix CD and show them their drums sound like "X" on the CD.

[Vladislavs Korehovs]

rankus wrote on Tue, 03 April 2007 17:30

When I am recording a band I always ask them to bring me a mix CD of bands that they listen to.

Do you charge client for all this meatings, listenings and discussions?

[Iain Graham]

This only works if the band brings CDs that sound nothing like the music they are recording, and I mean musically.

I've had clients making a heavy rock CD bring very light, almost acoustic driven stuff as reference. It's not possible to recreate the space around the snare in that reference, for example, when the instrumentation is much thicker and there's just more of it as well.

In fact, the whole appraoch can be different for the music the band brings as reference compared to what's actually been recorded.

Bitter voice of experience talking? No! Never!  

[rankus]

Vladislavs Korehovs wrote on Wed, 04 April 2007 12:49

rankus wrote on Tue, 03 April 2007 17:30 When I am recording a band I always ask them to bring me a mix CD of bands that they listen to. Do you charge client for all this meatings, listenings and discussions?

Well I charge "by the song" or "by the album" one set price.... So yes the listening session is part of the package deal... It usually   takes  an hour....  (We only have the listening session after I get the $ for deposit)

Ian:  I don't go into the project trying to recreate the reference. I simply use it as a "touch stone"  or a common reference for discussion....  I always try to help the band develop their own personality....  But the reference CD helps open discussion and that thought process within the band...

[j.hall]

i tell bands to bring me reference material of "tones" they like.

i'll usually get a few songs with notes "dig how the drums hit in this mix", "love the guitar sound in the bridge"

stuff like that.

it gives you a quick point of reference for where the band's head is at, that's all.

i usually only play a quick chunk of a song to get the feel.  i waste little time on this, but i do actually listen.

[rankus]

Yeah, J and I are in complete agreement.

The Idea of the CD is to get the band thinking about tones.. which they rarely do IMO ... They are usually only concerned with performances and have not given too much thought to how to put it all together sonically.  

[Iain Graham]

I agree guys, and use it for the seam reason in the same way. Especially young bands who haven't been in the studio much, if at all. I also made my students do it when I was lecturing. Spent a day on it and I played some stuff that's considered classic and some stuff I like too.

It's when someone brings something completely inappropriate that it can be a problem.

In the example I gave before, I was mixing a heavy rock record. 2 heavy, thick rhythm guitars, bass and drums. Solos and vocal on top.

I was given a reference with 1 accoustic guitar, bass and drums. The vibe of the playing was very different as well.

I was then asked if I could make the same space around the snare as in the reference.

Now musically, that's not close. The snare lacks that kind of space because of the arrangement, not the mix.

That's the kind of thing I mean, and I've seen it a few times.  

[Vladislavs Korehovs]

yep i never had band bringing reference and could logically understand what they like there. most of times they cannot explain what they want, and most important why their result is bad, but i still have majority of clents happy, but they are not 100% happy usually, most worst of this what they bring oppinion about the studio to potential clients and they assume something is bad because somebody told them, they just don't understand why...
all this rumors structure forming aroud studio is not good at all. sometimes i just refuse to record groups what cannot understand what they want and what they are ready to pay.. then they go to other studio, pay 10 times more and few of them returns with understanding what my words abour recording is actually true...
if they didn't come back, then i at least dont have this stupid rhumors thing and this allows me to have more potential clients...

One guy told me why i don't have a flashing LED in sync with metronome, because e cannot play in time by listening metronome only:)