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anonymous 11 February 2001

I’ve heard the quote “writing about music is like dancing about architecture” attributed to Frank Zappa on more than one occasion. I suppose that’s true...if it is, then writing about audio can be akin to “dancing an elevator shaft”. Audio, while a necessary component of recorded music, has damn little use on it’s own [imagine a building that was just an elevator? One big shaft with a whole lot of doors 1,000 ft. into the sky...not all that useful, but interesting, sorta like a “spec” sheet], it’s the music that’s important.

So these dumb bastards gave me my own place to howl...how ‘bout that. I wouldn’t have...but hey, let’s have some fun with this shall we. OK...this is your place, y’all can make it what you will. So...what should we do here? How about anything we want.

I’ve always looked at engineering [and associated fields] as a method to support the music. I’ve heard records where the audio got in the way of the music, and I’ve heard other recordings where the audio so supported the musical statement, it’s nearly impossible to think of the musical statement with any other audio. The music, the performance, the recorded tone all melt into one presentation and that presentation is the perfect translation of the artist’s vision. When that happens, it’s a little slice of heaven. You can’t really write about that. You either do it, or you don’t...it’s kinda like a romance novel, it can get you hot, but being ‘Emanuel the Gardener’ is a hell of a lot better than reading about ‘Emanuel the Gardener’s exploits.

I suppose we can talk about some of the tools employed to achieve it...I suppose we can talk about some interesting techniques, and stupid pet tricks we’ve discovered that helped to provide it...but we really can’t talk about “it”. We can definitely call out the people that make the tools that we need to build our product.

Got a bitch/gripe/whatever? Bring it here, we’ll see if we can put them on the hot seat...together. Hi there “XXX Co.”...’Emanuel the Gardener here, and I was kinda wondering why the new _____ sucks, and when you were going to get around fixing ____ problem?’

First rule...there are no rules. When you get down to it, most of these ‘magazine sponsored forum’ thingy’s probably want to ‘coddle’ the advertisers; play nice; show respect; blah, blah, f**king blah. Nyuh-uh. This is by for and about us who make music. Period. While there are definite plans to beat the bushes and rattle up some corporate coin, there will be no corporate semen swallowed here today.

This is the fun end of the sand box...the end here throwing the sand is OK. But you damn well better be able to back it up after you throw it. No one is granted respect. Respect will either be earned or not earned...that extends to the participants, as well as to the subject matter. If you throw sand, be prepared to have it whipped back at you fast, and furiously.

I read in Sonny Barger's biography that they banned smoking in the Oakland Chapter of the HAMC's clubhouse...let me assure you, this is the smoking section. Here we can be as politically incorrect, and abjectly insensitive as anywhere you've ever been. We will stay modertately on track. We will stay to hardware and techniques, food and drink. The morality or non-morality of 'Napster' (and those similar) will get zero play here.

Sorry, I'm f**king sick of it, this is going to be a Napster free discussion zone. Let some other damn forum get into that BS...not for our club.

Feel free to get personal, but have a valid e-mail address if you do. Cyber anonymity is all well and good, and you may feel free to enjoy it, but if you call someone out, be man [or wo-main] enough to have a direct response address. They gave me editing privileges, as well as deletion privileges. I will make you look like a drooling baboon if you call someone out while doing the “cyber-anonymous”, no return address/no private contact information provided. Round these parts, you’re either a known quantity, or you’re lurking, or a contributor that’s not calling someone out. Hey, if you want to contribute, be as anonymous as you’d like, but you have to be nice if you’re going to be anonymous. You wanna get personal with someone, be ready to back it up, and identify yourself [sh*t, that almost sounds like rules...what an asshole hypocrite I’m already turning into...next thing you know I’ll wanna be Governor of Texas or some sh*t.

Rule two...oh there isn’t one; refer to rule one for details. But if there were one...it would be: “be funny”. There are way too many serious motherf**kers in this business. Let’s have some damn fun.

Irreverence is the word of the day. Oh, if you haven’t noticed, I have a potty mouth[or in this case potty typing fingers], if you’re sensitive to issues of langauge...then please, go the f**k away now before this forum bums you right the f**k out. “Parental Advisory: Explicit f**king Lyrics”.

What about blasting manufacturers? Fair game! Hang ‘um high! But we might want to praise the good ones as kind of a countermeasure...for sh*ts and giggles [I’ve always wondered the derivation of that phrase...what sick bastard came up with that...you’ve got to wonder]. We can blast each other, hell blast the “books” and the other ‘moderators’...especially me. Truth be known...I’m the least qualified son of a bitch that should ever have a “forum”. I pimp gear and record "demos". I've been around the block a couple of times, I've worked on a couple of records that have actually sold, but I'm not any genius by any stretch of the imagination. This is your forum, I'm just "HNIC", so deal with it that way.

Let’s not disappoint, OK? Let’s make this fun, educational, fun, productive, fun, and while we’re at it, give everyone a voice. Got a question?, got a beef?...ever wonder why the “XXX Co” never implemented the “YYYY feature” like they said they were going to? Hell...let’s ask ‘um? That sounds like fun to me. I’ve got a few other questions brewing around my brain that will get asked as time moves along...but first, let’s see how and where you guys take this.

Hey, thanks to everyone for inviting me to the dance...hope I’m worthy of your expectations! In the immortal words of my hero: Al Bundy “...let’s rock” .

Tags

Comments

anonymous Sun, 02/11/2001 - 09:51

Hello Fletcher and RO participants,

I'm intrigued by Fletcher's statements snipped below and would really like to see some specific examples from anyone who has 'em. Things like overproduction, bad sonics, etc. It would seem so easy to go astray in terms of realizing the artist's/producer's original vision.

As a rule are first takes generally the best, or are there really no rules ever?

Originally posted by Fletcher:

I’ve always looked at engineering [and associated fields] as a method to support the music. I’ve heard records where the audio got in the way of the music, and I’ve heard other recordings where the audio so supported the musical statement, it’s nearly impossible to think of the musical statement with any other audio. The music, the performance, the recorded tone all melt into one presentation and that presentation is the perfect translation of the artist’s vision. When that happens, it’s a little slice of heaven. You can’t really write about that.

Thanks for the forum. In it for the music.

Tom

SonOfSmawg Sun, 02/11/2001 - 17:35

Fletch, you've definately got a 'different' attitude about this thing...KEWL. However,
I've got some bad news for you...I beat you to a punch. You wrote:
Truth be known...I’m the least qualified son of a bitch that should ever have a “forum”.
Hehehe...I'm a guitar teacher who got his first DAW a year ago! At the same time, I bought my first computer! In my own defense, though, I think I've done a pretty good job
here on RO so far, and as you know, I have a lot more to do. I help when I can, and stay out of the stuff that's over my head. Chris and Ang have proven to be great friends and colleagues, and I'm proud to be associated with them. I like your 'bull in a china shop' start here, but know enough about you to be aware of your professionality. I'm looking forward to working together with you on RO. Welcome aboard, mate!
Oh, BTW, DAMN SHIT PISS MOTHERFUCKER ...
Aaaaaaahhhh, that felt good... :cool:

anonymous Mon, 02/12/2001 - 09:32

Well with Google taking over Deja and denying me access to RAP for now(I know, "get a newsreader"--with my LAN?--right!), I decided to check the wind over hear. Mmmm...stanky....

I just gotta chuckle at the idea of Fletcher as a moderator. In the spirit of non-political-correctness I make the following statements: I reserve the right to use the word "gay" just like I always did on the playground in third grade. Furthurmore, this: :eek: looks how I remember my first girlfriend.

OK, as you were.

audiokid Mon, 02/12/2001 - 10:30

Hope you all see what's happening with R.A.P. :( . I was approached a few months back by one of these open directory search engine reps. They asked me for all my email addreses and in exchange for them they would give me a high ratings advertising space on their search engine.

**** Them! :cool:

anonymous Mon, 02/12/2001 - 11:36

It sure is nice to get passed the rudiments or recording, yes I know what a pan knob does and what EQ is for.
Hey, I know I stand on the shoulders of giants when I am working in my "little" studio and I hope to pick up some useful insight into the deeper thinking of recording and sound by hanging out here.
Good luck to us all...

audiokid Mon, 02/12/2001 - 14:23

I agree Harvey, not saying it isn't at all. I read a few post on rap disin us for putting up a banner for advertising. acting like R.A.P. is pure and RO is just another Guitar site. The fact is that they sell all the email addresses to mailing circles. To me. that's going to far. When I see Google taking the drivers seat I know exactly what's happening.

That's my point.

Just trying to point out that our banner isn't so bad up there. We need some help to keep this site going. :cool:

harveygerst Mon, 02/12/2001 - 15:16

Originally posted by audiokid:
I agree Harvey, not saying it isn't at all. I read a few post on rap disin us for putting up a banner for advertising. acting like R.A.P. is pure and RO is just another Guitar site. The fact is that they sell all the email addresses to mailing circles. To me. that's going too far.You lost me. Somebody on r.a.p. (or somewhere)is selling mailing lists of r.a.p. members?

audiokid Mon, 02/12/2001 - 15:42

Harvey, the usernets do. They gather specific businesses info and then sell it.
They are all getting ready for e-commerce. Having confirmed (live ones) email addresses are the motive behind it all.

The thing that most of us are not understanding here is this century /decade it's all about the buying, gathering and selling of information.

I don't want to go into it too much because I'll start a debate over it and it will become a drag, but that's my point in that thread. If your in the >"web biz". you'd know what I'm talking about. You get constant spam from third parties offering these addresses for xx $. Drives me crazy! When I see all you guys filling their directory with good info so they can do that. hmmm and then a new company like RO comes along and someone dumps on us for a banner.

RO will never be part of this kind of back door sellout.

R.A.P is jam packed with awesome people and it would be an insult to think anything less. What the users don't know is they are being sold out the back door in one way or another.

My two cents.

anonymous Mon, 02/12/2001 - 16:19

Wow. My second visit and the those friggin' frames are gone. Nice. Seems to load a bit faster and I got in this time without waiting. So, Fletcher, what's the best tube mic for under $5 that I can use to make MP3s and post them to N.......

Never mind. Jacob Roney asked me to ask :D

The site's looking better. Now if those ***** cookies would just go away.

Tonebarge

anonymous Tue, 02/13/2001 - 03:31

Well I don't want to start a debate over this either. I just don't understand. I mean sure, if you post to Usenet through Google then they(Google) got your info--for which they probably have dastardly plans. And Usenet has always been a big playground for spambots, but that's why most folks have stupid "nospam" addresses. I'm not sure how Google will change things much. Maybe more efficiency with the info of folks who post through them....but what more? What about the millions of Usenetters that never go through Deja/Google?

Don't get me wrong, I like what ya got going on here, but I feel Usenet is cooler than the rest of the web combined. It's the one-stop of idea-exchange. I would hate to think that it will be destroyed. I'm just trying to understand what yer talking about.

Originally posted by audiokid:
Harvey, the usernets do. They gather specific businesses info and then sell it.
They are all getting ready for e-commerce. Having confirmed (live ones) email addresses are the motive behind it all.

The thing that most of us are not understanding here is this century /decade it's all about the buying, gathering and selling of information.

I don't want to go into it too much because I'll start a debate over it and it will become a drag, but that's my point in that thread. If your in the >"web biz". you'd know what I'm talking about. You get constant spam from third parties offering these addresses for xx $. Drives me crazy! When I see all you guys filling their directory with good info so they can do that. hmmm and then a new company like RO comes along and someone dumps on us for a banner.

RO will never be part of this kind of back door sellout.

R.A.P is jam packed with awesome people and it would be an insult to think anything less. What the users don't know is they are being sold out the back door in one way or another.

My two cents.

Guest Tue, 02/13/2001 - 04:12

Originally posted by Blindside Music:
Good to see you here Fletch. Does this mean you'll no longer be keeping the musicplayer.com site in check?

Well seeing as you brought it up...

The story with that one was we were in conversation about me hosting a forum there. The fuckin' money was outstanding (!!) but there were a few small glitches...so instead, I'm here full time (hey there's no money being made here...but at least I'm not doing free work for a multi-million dollar corporation).

I'll still pop in there on occasion, but the fact of the matter is that it takes time to read this stuff and respond. There are only so many hours in a day. At this point, this is a volunteer gig, so the "moderators" and the "participants" all have the same motivation for being there.

Don't get me wrong, the guys that 'moderate' the musicplayer groups are all good guys. With only a couple of exceptions, they're friends (like on a home phone number basis). They're hearts and heads are in the right place, they're knowledgable (anyone that would say George Massenburg and Ed Cherney aren't knowledgable is on drugs!!), and run *great* forums.

When EQ/musicplayer/United Media was offering me the same kinda coin that George, Ed, David, Al, Chris, Craig, etc. were getting, I was quite interested in hanging there. If I'm going to take the time, effort and energy to do this stuff for free, it ain't going to benefit a magazine conglomorate.

There's a difference between 'altruism' and being a schmuck. Golly, Microsoft didn't turn a good enough profit last quarter, maybe I should go do some volunteer work for them.

I certainly wish all those guys the best of luck, I'll still pop by from time to time and make a snide comment here or there, but this is my "home" now. I'm also going to go put my hand on a couple shoulders over there that they should drop by and make some noise over here.

As the eloquent spokesman for interpersonal harmony, Rodney King, once said: "Ow, shit, that hurts...cut it out"

Aaron-Carey Tue, 02/13/2001 - 10:13

audiokid,
I for one certainly dont have a problem with your putting banner ads up. This board has almost certainly taken a LOT of your time and resources. Anything that can help out, and keep you doing what youre doing, is welcome in my opinion!

This isnt TV, where you have to wait through 5 minutes of commercials to get to the meat. If you dont like the ad, you can just scroll down and be done with it.

It would be even cooler, even welcome in my opinion, if the advertisers always had some relevance to the topics here. So far this has been the case. Also, not to put any MORE resopnsibility on you but, if you knew for certain that each and every banner ad was for a legit organization, that would up your credibility in my eyes.

I dont mind being "sold to advertisers" if the advertisers in question are ones that truly CAN help me in my quest. More knowledge is better, if I dont like something, I wont read it, just rather not have spam city of " free XXX passwords " in my e-mail as it has no relevance to the topic at hand.

Guest Wed, 02/14/2001 - 02:22

R.A.P. is alive and well...it goes through this every year as a new flock of kids get their very own computer for X-mas.

March is just around the corner, the majority of the morons will once again migrate to the woodwork, and it'll be back to business as usual.

There's a cool "sauce thread" running at the moment...maybe we ought to do a 'favorite recipes' thread? Hey Chris, whaddaya think about an R-O cookbook?

anonymous Wed, 02/14/2001 - 10:09

Hey Fletcher! Catched up ASAP when I read you were here! Great to have you as moderator. I will post with my real name as we all know you won't have us otherwise :o).
OK, lets be bold: Fletcher, where can we hear you? Do you have any favorite recordings you've done? At least give me your last name so I can look it up (you always say: "YMMV", but it can be a smoother ride if you get to read the signs).
No bad words from me (at least I hope so).
You look young in that picture, is it recent? (not flirting :D , it's just that I was surprised as you always talk about yourself as an old guy).
Advice to all: If you don't want to be run over by an anonymous motorcycle, stop calling him "Fletch", I read somewhere that he doesn't like it.
Oh! And a beer for me.
Cheers!

anonymous Wed, 02/14/2001 - 10:50

Originally posted by ortrejos:
OK, lets be bold: Fletcher, where can we hear you? Do you have any favorite recordings you've done?B]

Check out the Royer Labs Demo CD...Fletcher's got a few tunes on there....
It's a great demo CD, with guitars, accordian, drums, etc. recorded with a Royer 121 compared to other mics...
I got it at the NAMM show, but I assume it's available from Royer...

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