some good readin'

[getbent]

Well boys, I found a website that is strange and wonderful and one section is some of the most interesting reading I've done in a long, long time.

Take a Look click on the part called the mixerman diaries... I'm halfway through and I started to send the link to Stu and I thought 'shoot, almost everybody would find this interesting.'

or not.

[Big John]

Thanks GB, what an interesting place, i bookmarked it and had a brief scout around and found NO love for Logic8 thats for sure !
Quite like the idea of the 'mixing' competition but can only imagine the howling and arguing that would probably ensue, having said that ....... maybe a TDPRI 'record and mix' thing might be an alltogether more civilised affair, then again .......

Neat looking site too.

[StuH]

Thankyou so much GB, very interesting.

Another link I posted a million times. I really like this blog

http://www.hometracked.com/

[Tim Armstrong]

I'm a regular at the Womb, and was at its predecessors, the MARSH and the Recpit. It's a wild and wooly place, and I love it!

Of course, about 80% of what's posted goes right past me, but I've gotten a lot of good stuff from the 20% that I can comprehend!

The coolest part, for me, is the CAPE (Collaborative Audio Production Experience), in which folks sign up listing what they can do, and are assigned to teams to produce a song. I've been on several teams, once as songwriter, a few times as a guitarist, and a few times as a bassist. Really a fascinating thing!

There is a profoundly deep level of recording expertise there (guys like Bob Ohlsson, who learned his craft while working as a mastering engineer at Motown in the mid-60s!). Several others, like Mixerman himself, are experienced and even hit-making engineers, musicians and producers who choose to remain (mostly) anonymous on the internet (and if you've ever seen the feeding frenzy around here when a well-known musican posts, you'll understand why!).

It's not necessarily a great place if you have a thin skin, but if you can deal with a significantly less polite group than we have here, there's a ton of good info there...

Cheers, Tim

[klasaine]

Do you guys read Tape Op magazine? I heard about 'mixerman' there. Great stuff - lol!

On-line and/or receive a hard copy free ... www.tapeop.com

Besides recording gear and tutorials they always great interviews with engineers and producers, etc. This month - Bones Howe. Usually the on-line version is one issue behind the mailed out copy.

[E.D. Patton]

Ouch!

Man, that stuff is brutal. I thought I'd take a quick peek and lost half an hour.

It's kind of like a car wreck, or the Surgery Channel- gruesome, but you can't look away.

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by getbent

Well boys, I found a website that is strange and wonderful and one section is some of the most interesting reading I've done in a long, long time.

Take a Look click on the part called the mixerman diaries... I'm halfway through and I started to send the link to Stu and I thought 'shoot, almost everybody would find this interesting.'

or not.

A lot of those guys are on Gearslutz as well, where I spend waaaaaaay too much time.

[E.D. Patton]

Having read a couple more weeks of journal entries I'd be curious to hear another side of that story.

It's possible that Mixerman is the only person in that studio that isn't a complete idiot, but not likely.

He really lost me when he ripped on that editor from Nashville who couldn't possibly know what he was doing 'cause he was packing a "hip-hop vibe".

Maybe Lance (the "idiot" 2nd engineer) could start his own blog...

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by E.D. Patton

He really lost me when he ripped on that editor from Nashville who couldn't possibly know what he was doing 'cause he was packing a "hip-hop vibe".

Maybe Lance (the "idiot" 2nd engineer) could start his own blog...

The diaries are several years old at this point, and Lance DID write a little bit, but that didn't go anywhere.

And I'd note that Mixerman actually gave "Fingaz" the Radar operator a fair amount of praise for his skill at doing the job. He only made fun of his "white boy brotha" act...

As far as that goes, he also pretty much said that the band members had some skill (well, all except for Cotton) at various things, as did the producer...

Cheers, Tim

[klasaine]

Originally Posted by E.D. Patton

Having read a couple more weeks of journal entries I'd be curious to hear another side of that story.

It's possible that Mixerman is the only person in that studio that isn't a complete idiot, but not likely.

He really lost me when he ripped on that editor from Nashville who couldn't possibly know what he was doing 'cause he was packing a "hip-hop vibe".

Maybe Lance (the "idiot" 2nd engineer) could start his own blog...

"Mixerman" aside - a lot of the time in sessions, especially with self contained rock bands, the engineer IS the only guy or gal that has a clue.

*Disclaimer* Of course not all of them, and certainly not 'anybody's favorites' past and present .

[getbent]

this thread has some of my favorite people on it. cool.

I finished all of the online diaries today.... I'll end up buying the book.

Tim, where is Bubba in all of this? I won't ask the obvious questions (I researched them instead)... I enjoyed the diaries.... but, I get what you are saying E.D. and I always have a healthy skepticism... this is the juiciest of gossip in a way... and yet, somehow it makes everything kind of human....

I know I don't know anything about recording... but, boy, the whole process seems so self conscious... I'd love to read Gary Katz talking about making a Steely Dan record or Bill Symcyzk or Peter Asher/Val Garay...

Ken, I signed up for tape op....

Anyway, I think I like my garage... maybe my neighbor has some fatties.

[E.D. Patton]

The bit when the producer has a stack of CDs and proceeds to select a bass drum sound from, a snare sound from another, and so on is priceless.

That is the kind of fellow who will be going places...

[Daddydex]

Thanks GB, I lost most of my free time yesterday reading this very entertaining journal (I swear I feel like I was there). I will finish it today or tomorrow. I do wish Willy would stop by to help me stay focused.

Dan

[Big John]

Originally Posted by E.D. Patton

The bit when the producer has a stack of CDs and proceeds to select a bass drum sound from, a snare sound from another, and so on is priceless....

Don't laugh !!
When budgets were budgets i have seen a producer taking almost a day to get a good snare sound pre 'digital' days with a real kit and mics and not too long ago i saw him take almost as long auditioning samples !!

Yup, thats progress .............

[E.D. Patton]

Does anyone here know who the engineer was who recorded tones over a Steely Dan track and was run out of L.A.?

Not metaphorically, but "we will destroy your career" kind of vindictiveness.

I have it on good authority (via Tom Scott), he just can't remember the guy's name...

[woodman]

wow -- great resource! i'd never heard of it before, but TDPRI is the only forum i fool with so i'm out of the loop. i'll definitely be hanging out some at the Womb from now on!

[klasaine]

Originally Posted by getbent

this thread has some of my favorite people on it. cool.

I finished all of the online diaries today.... I'll end up buying the book.

Tim, where is Bubba in all of this? I won't ask the obvious questions (I researched them instead)... I enjoyed the diaries.... but, I get what you are saying E.D. and I always have a healthy skepticism... this is the juiciest of gossip in a way... and yet, somehow it makes everything kind of human....

I know I don't know anything about recording... but, boy, the whole process seems so self conscious... I'd love to read Gary Katz talking about making a Steely Dan record or Bill Symcyzk or Peter Asher/Val Garay...

Ken, I signed up for tape op....

Anyway, I think I like my garage... maybe my neighbor has some fatties.

I've seen a lot of 'hard copy' versions of the Mixer Man Diaries in both large and small studios here. Sitting on the coffee table in the lounge (if there is a lounge) and/or in the john. I've seen engineers actually hand it to particularly 'potentially' troublesome clients .

Of course there's also the complete "opposite" type of session/scenario :
Self contained band that 'seems' like a bunch of burnouts lays down "basics" for 12 cuts in three 10 hour days. Two weeks of overdubs, vocals, editing and two weeks of mixing and mastering. Boom! Done. That stuff isn't nearly as fun to read about though.

*Randy you'll really dig "TapeOP". It's my favorite music mag and I 'barely' do any recording at home.

[mudbean]

It's way cool that this stuff is new and exciting for you guys! I'm coming from the other side of the glass - been an audio recording hobbyist for years, now embracing the Tele side of things. Anyhoo, yep, the Womb is a wild and crazy place ... ever hear of Slipperman's "Recording Distorted Electric Guitars Thread From Hell"? Hilarious!

mud

[Daddydex]

Well, the diaries are an entertaining read but they also lead you to a dead end. The ending sections are no longer online and the book is no longer in print. Of course you could buy it on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/The-Daily-Advent...QQcmdZViewItem

Dan

[getbent]

hmm.. I'll do some digging... If I get a copy, I'll be glad to share...

[winny pooh]

Since starting on Thurday, I have finished everything online but sadly there is no more and the site that hosted the full thing have long since stopped doing so.
Entertaining to say the least. Wish I could somehow find out how it ends regardless of how factual it is in reality
Found things like "air-washing" pretty funny, plus the fact that Lance out-bassed the bassist.