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anonymous 14 April 2004

Just was curious if there was any place that I could find out what kind of approaches engineers took to get the killer sound out of my favorite artists.

cheers

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Thomas W. Bethel Thu, 04/15/2004 - 04:35

Mix, EQ and Recording Magazines run articles on just such subjects on a regular basis. Maybe see if they have archives available on the web or go to your local library and see if they have back copies. There is also a lot of info on the web if you did a seach for a particular artist and engineer combo maybe you would see some info. Just some suggestions.

FWIW

Sebatron Thu, 04/15/2004 - 08:58

ethanjohnswannabe wrote: Just was curious if there was any place that I could find out what kind of approaches engineers took to get the killer sound out of my favorite artists.

cheers

Well who are the artists..?

Are the engineers producers and musicians as well?

Are they involved in the arrangements...?

... or do they just engineer?

Do they set the BPM of the Drum Machine/Click Track?

... or do they just set up the mics and record?

They 're all involved on different levels.
Some get more credit than others. :roll:

anonymous Mon, 04/19/2004 - 22:48

TROLLS

Well I just read some of your posts and thanks to those who gave me some good sources to research, as for those of you who think I'm a troll...

I had never heard of that term, I guess because I choose to spend more time staring at a moniter while I'm recording and not on the internet, anyway I was insulted and you can just piss right off you knobhead. I'm a fucking intern at a rather decent studio and am loving but just trying figure out how to get some cool sounds on tape that I've heard Radiohead, Wilco, and even The Smiths produce. That's all. I thought it was a pretty simple question.

RecorderMan Tue, 04/20/2004 - 00:04

Re: TROLLS

ethanjohnswannabe wrote: Well I just read some of your posts and thanks to those who gave me some good sources to research, as for those of you who think I'm a troll...

I had never heard of that term, I guess because I choose to spend more time staring at a moniter while I'm recording and not on the internet, anyway I was insulted and you can just piss right off you knobhead. I'm a fucking intern at a rather decent studio and am loving but just trying figure out how to get some cool sounds on tape that I've heard Radiohead, Wilco, and even The Smiths produce. That's all. I thought it was a pretty simple question.

well you can cry like a baby, but you asked a very broad and generic question. You're insult in kind holds little weight here because as you say you're an intern. Many people who hang here have been through that. Back in my day they were called runners and even they got paid...
Also, the temper you show will get you secretly booted one day from the buisness..so beware of that..."they" won't be so kind as to point it out...

As far as you're question. Be specific and you may find someone here who can help you.

P.S. cheer... but mellow out

Davedog Tue, 04/20/2004 - 08:36

Ya better get some tougher skin if you're gonna be in this business.

Your question ,though simple(as you put it) was too indirect for any of those who might actually know how to help you,get a clue as to what you were asking.If their reaction to this kind of inane and pointless query upsets you then take a moment to look deep into yourself grasshopper. A client (in the future) may not be so kind and may not have the skills or the inclination to point out any such shortcomings on your part and may simply fire you and the studio on the spot.This may seem harsh but it is a reality in this business and if your going to get all defensive about any sort of repromand then you are in for a short-lived career.

These are not meant to be angry indictments of your reactions just a little nudge to get you to understand what you've got to look forward to if you continue down the angry indignation road.

And for the most part, Recorderman and some of the others here, do not spend a lot of time looking at a computer screen on the net, but more time mixing and producing hit records to a level that you can only dream to aspire to.

anonymous Fri, 04/30/2004 - 03:37

don't travel to this forum too often, but having a bit a look i couldn't help but resond to this topic even if it is a bit in the can...
first, the advice offered here so far is perfect for the question, which is very vague in a wide open field.
but given the fact that you were offended by a very respectul person on this forum who has helped many people with true unselfishness, i will offer this... get the book "mixing with your mind" by micheal stavrou. read it. then read it again. then practice over and over again. sooner or later you will begin to hear what makes the sounds magic.
which brings me to the other point. you said you spend more time staring at the monitor in your studio than the internet. advice: quit staring and start listening. music happens with your ears, not your eyes.
good luck and i hope you find the magic sounds you aspire to.
ciao
marco

Thomas W. Bethel Fri, 04/30/2004 - 04:42

ethanjohnswannabe wrote: Just was curious if there was any place that I could find out what kind of approaches engineers took to get the killer sound out of my favorite artists.

cheers

In the FWIW department

I have been present at lots of sessions both recording and mixdown.

Most of the time the sessions are routine and everyone does the job in a professional way - sometimes people come up with inspired
ideas and they get included in the final project. Sometimes someone makes a mistake and the mistake sounds different enough or interesting and is incorporated into the final project. Sometimes people have too much time on their hands and are "messing" around with the tools they have and come up with some new or interesting effect which is incorporated into the final project. Sometimes people hear someone else do something and they try and emulate what the other person was doing but their "take" is different and it sounds good so it is incorporated into the final project.

Most of the time good records come from three areas. Good writing of both the music and the lyrics, good playing by the musicians and good recording and mixdown by the engineers (and most important good MASTERING ). There should be a good collaboration going on between all the parties and the producer, the artist and the engineer should all get to add in their collective skills in a synergenistic approach. The most famous example is probably the Beatles where the group and their producer were all playing off each other and coming up with things that no one had ever thought of doing before and the engineering staff at the record label was able to take their requests and make them happen.

As to "tricks" of the trade. There are too many to even catalog and everyday someone somewhere invents a new one. More good music is made with simple sweat and talent than with "tricks".

My advice to you is to absorb everything you can while being an intern. Ask questions when possible. Never be dismissive of anything you see or hear and file it all away in your brain. At the same time when someone seems to be doing something that you don't understand the reason for ask a question but don't challenge them as this is a sure way to stop the learning process. Read as much as you can about different artists, their producers and their engineers and absorb it all into your brain. Get to know the equipment (if you want the ZEN approach be one with your equipment) the more you know the more you will understand and the more you question the more information you will acquire. When you have taken in this vast body of information you can start to listen to the music in a more informed manner and you can start to understand why people do certain things certain ways. You will also, hopefully, see ways things could have been done differently (not necessarily better just differently) and you will be well on your way to becoming a professional.

Hope this helps....

MTCW

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