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Post by gravesnumber9 on Mar 1, 2021 13:15:57 GMT -6
Don't say "room treatment."
Let's assume that we're talking about the typical "better than novice, but it's still a home studio" type here. Someone like myself. Workable mic collection. Some room treatment. Enough tools to get the job done. Mostly recording myself but picking up more external projects and looking to increase that.
What is the one thing that is probably more important that I realize?
And the only reason I'm saying "don't say room treatment" is that I think we all already know that. That's the stock answer on every similar post to this one so let's just assume that there can always be more and better room treatment.
Thoughts?
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Post by stormymondays on Mar 1, 2021 13:37:15 GMT -6
Monitoring. However, I think that is just as understood as room treatment  |
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Post by christopher on Mar 1, 2021 13:40:10 GMT -6
a fully stocked pro studio
e: I know that’s not what you meant, it’s just I typically am on repeat for every question from my home studio friends.. “well if you want that, a pro studio does XYZ, and why it’s almost impossible to get that at home” ... even if it’s just better takes they want, usually that requires better cue mixes, a producer coaching, an engineer offering different techniques. So much a pro studio offers.
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Post by drumsound on Mar 1, 2021 13:44:27 GMT -6
EXPERIENCE
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Post by jcoutu1 on Mar 1, 2021 13:45:34 GMT -6
Don't say "room treatment." Let's assume that we're talking about the typical "better than novice, but it's still a home studio" type here. Someone like myself. Workable mic collection. Some room treatment. Enough tools to get the job done. Mostly recording myself but picking up more external projects and looking to increase that. What is the one thing that is probably more important that I realize? And the only reason I'm saying "don't say room treatment" is that I think we all already know that. That's the stock answer on every similar post to this one so let's just assume that there can always be more and better room treatment. Thoughts? I'm not a home studio, but probably the greatest asset about my studio is speed. I've always got a great kit mic'd up and ready to go. Band comes in, get some quick levels, and off the the races. I've got a bass cab ready in an iso booth. Guitar cab ready in an iso booth. Flea47 plugged in and ready for vox. Whatever the band is looking to accomplish, I'm basically ready to roll. A lot of bands don't want to screw around with setup and levels for 3 hours at the top of the day. Let's get in and get cookin. |
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Post by plinker on Mar 1, 2021 14:06:17 GMT -6
The off-axis response of different mics.
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Post by Blackdawg on Mar 1, 2021 14:21:32 GMT -6
Proper gain staging throughout the entire process.
And that there isn't a magic tool that will suddenly make you win grammies. Time, practice, and patience with the same tools will.
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Post by jeremygillespie on Mar 1, 2021 14:29:02 GMT -6
Good talent, good songs, and an appropriate producer that is able to transform shit into sherbert.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2021 14:36:42 GMT -6
Experience, workflow, instruments, monitoring, and mics. Most lollygag, are cheap and lazy, and make excuses. They are more apt to buy new things and not use them to solve their problems than hire someone who will for the same price. Well newsflash, everything matters and often the right ways to do things are the right ways because they've worked well for decades and reinventing the wheel is pointless. Yet home musicians and modern music "producers" try and fail constantly.
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Post by theshea on Mar 1, 2021 14:43:41 GMT -6
Don't say "room treatment." Let's assume that we're talking about the typical "better than novice, but it's still a home studio" type here. Someone like myself. Workable mic collection. Some room treatment. Enough tools to get the job done. Mostly recording myself but picking up more external projects and looking to increase that. What is the one thing that is probably more important that I realize? And the only reason I'm saying "don't say room treatment" is that I think we all already know that. That's the stock answer on every similar post to this one so let's just assume that there can always be more and better room treatment. Thoughts? I'm not a home studio, but probably the greatest asset about my studio is speed. I've always got a great kit mic'd up and ready to go. Band comes in, get some quick levels, and off the the races. I've got a bass cab ready in an iso booth. Guitar cab ready in an iso booth. Flea47 plugged in and ready for vox. Whatever the band is looking to accomplish, I'm basically ready to roll. A lot of bands don't want to screw around with setup and levels for 3 hours at the top of the day. Let's get in and get cookin. great. would have loved that situation. some years i booked a pro studio for 8 hours (1 day). i wanted to record drums, bass, 2 guitars and vocals for one song. only me. i knew the song in and out, knew what to play, no experiments. but most of the booked studio time got wasted with the engineer setting up the drum kit, the mics, than packing it away again. than micing the guitar amp and so on. got the song down just in time. but so much wasted time ... |
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Post by mrholmes on Mar 1, 2021 15:06:39 GMT -6
Don't say "room treatment." Let's assume that we're talking about the typical "better than novice, but it's still a home studio" type here. Someone like myself. Workable mic collection. Some room treatment. Enough tools to get the job done. Mostly recording myself but picking up more external projects and looking to increase that. What is the one thing that is probably more important that I realize? And the only reason I'm saying "don't say room treatment" is that I think we all already know that. That's the stock answer on every similar post to this one so let's just assume that there can always be more and better room treatment. Thoughts?
Room treatment.... 
1. Great Song.
2. Great or at least a good arrangement.
Which is subjective, but I think it should show some coherence.
3. Performance. If you can't sing you may have a few good days, but the fact stays - you can't sing. Since 18 month I practice vowels for 1,5 to 2 hours a day and my singing is, compared to not practicing at all, good, not professional good, but OK. I get control over my vocal cords.
4. A good amount of serenity and the will to make things not perfect, but good.
I can't count the lifetime I lost because I thought it was not good enough, but actually it was fine.
Perfectionism is a real problem in the DAW age, because you can go back to every little thing.
Commitment to a sound...
It's easier to do with hardware, working ITB I lock channel-strips to remind myself to not go back to this sound.
In other words.....making decisions and moving on... - easier said than done.
I think this makes great producers valuable - they know what they need and want.
5. Find your LOVE tools and stick to them, no matter what they say.
This includes sounds, real instruments and the AE gear. You can get lost, and you never get anywhere if you do not know the tools in and out.
That was the reason why I was so happy to have the SSL strips back ITB.
I may don't like the overall SSL sound, but the way the EQ works is just intuitive to me.
6. Ask more experienced people in your filed for help even if you have to pay for thier adivse. It is a true source over the years.
One valuable post per day - sleep well world.
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Post by gravesnumber9 on Mar 1, 2021 15:09:13 GMT -6
a fully stocked pro studio e: I know that’s not what you meant, it’s just I typically am on repeat for every question from my home studio friends.. “well if you want that, a pro studio does XYZ, and why it’s almost impossible to get that at home” ... even if it’s just better takes they want, usually that requires better cue mixes, a producer coaching, an engineer offering different techniques. So much a pro studio offers. This is actually a great answer (I think). Do you mean "access to a fully stocked studio?" |
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Post by gravesnumber9 on Mar 1, 2021 15:13:54 GMT -6
Don't say "room treatment." Let's assume that we're talking about the typical "better than novice, but it's still a home studio" type here. Someone like myself. Workable mic collection. Some room treatment. Enough tools to get the job done. Mostly recording myself but picking up more external projects and looking to increase that. What is the one thing that is probably more important that I realize? And the only reason I'm saying "don't say room treatment" is that I think we all already know that. That's the stock answer on every similar post to this one so let's just assume that there can always be more and better room treatment. Thoughts?
A good amount of serenity and the will to make things not perfect, but good.
I can't count the lifetime I lost because I thought it was not good enough, but actually it was fine.
Perfectionism is a real problem in the DAW age, because you can go back to every little thing.
Commitment to a sound...
It's easier to do with hardware, working ITB I lock channel-strips to remind myself to not go back to this sound.
In other words.....making decisions and moving on... - easier said than done.
I think this makes great producers valuable - they know what they need and want.
No matter how many times I need to hear this, I still always need to hear this! |
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Post by gravesnumber9 on Mar 1, 2021 15:19:20 GMT -6
The off-axis response of different mics. Interesting response. I've been wondering whether I understand mic positioning as well as a I think I do (spoiler alert, I don't). And specifically how to get different sounds out of the same mic. That's one of the things that hard when you're recording yourself, adjusting mic positions and experimenting with placement is a painful process when you're wearing both hats. |
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Post by swafford on Mar 1, 2021 15:45:37 GMT -6
...having a clean bong...
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Post by Tbone81 on Mar 1, 2021 15:58:54 GMT -6
1) A comfortable, creative vibe/look
2) excellent coffee
3) a small table that clients can use to put their keys/wallet/drinks etc
4) cool lighting that can changed per the mood
5) a comfortable chair
6) frequent breaks
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Mar 1, 2021 16:11:11 GMT -6
If only more people understood how much recording is like playing, practice makes us better. |
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Post by wiz on Mar 1, 2021 17:24:55 GMT -6
Arrangement
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Post by Ward on Mar 1, 2021 17:43:46 GMT -6
Professionalism
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Post by mike on Mar 1, 2021 18:28:29 GMT -6
While I know the answer will be subjectively different for different people,... for me I'd say high quality mic's.
Good mics need less EQ and they take EQ better, while often having another kind of size and depth to them that is easy to under estimate until you've used them.
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Post by srb on Mar 1, 2021 18:54:56 GMT -6
...pre-production matters.
Lots of answers have intimated this, but pre-production is worth emphasizing especially with less-experienced clients.
Frustrations are concomitant to studio work...for all involved. Encouraging clients to spend time in preparation for coming in to record is never wasted time or energy. Minimizing the prospect of client clock watching with that "oh shit" look on their faces helps keep engineers out of the blame game...especially being the victims of it.
Arrangements are certainly part of this, as are instrument choices, familiarity with the material, keeping guests to a minimum...there's more I'm sure most of you could add.
Pre-production: the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit!
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Post by gravesnumber9 on Mar 1, 2021 19:16:04 GMT -6
Pre-production: the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit!  |
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Post by gwlee7 on Mar 1, 2021 19:19:33 GMT -6
I am a home recordist. I used to underestimate TRACKING. But now, for me tracking is king. It is amazing how easy something is to mix if it is tracked right. Here is what made that light bulb come on for me. drumsound (Tony S) has done some drum work for me. He sends me the individual tracks. I pull them into my DAW, I push the faders up and follow the rough panning guide he sent me. I listen. I say to myself “holy fuck they sound great just like they are...they have mixed themselves”. I tell Tony how the drums “mixed themselves” and he says it’s because he made sure he tracked them right in the first place. To me this cannot emphasized enough. Tracking is king. |
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Post by gwlee7 on Mar 1, 2021 19:25:42 GMT -6
...having a clean bong... LOL. Wasn’t someone talking about working fast up the thread? |
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Post by srb on Mar 1, 2021 19:28:35 GMT -6
I am a home recordist. I used to underestimate TRACKING. But now, for me tracking is king. It is amazing how easy something is to mix if it is tracked right. Here is what made that light bulb come on for me. drumsound (Tony S) has done some drum work for me. He sends me the individual tracks. I pull them into my DAW, I push the faders up and follow the rough panning guide he sent me. I listen. I say to myself “holy fuck they sound great just like they are...they have mixed themselves”. I tell Tony how the drums “mixed themselves” and he says it’s because he made sure he tracked them right in the first place. To me this cannot emphasized enough. Tracking is king. It is indeed a joy to push up the faders on smartly tracked audio! Realizing much additional processing can lessen that impact is a lesson in itself. Good point! |
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