Before the music emerges from your speakers....


I thought it might be instructive (perhaps interesting) to have an insight into one engineer's thoughts and methodology into assembling what we listen to.

This young lady details some of her thoughts before, during, and after she 'tracks' a session (or 'X' number of) with her 'rig' on site, followed by 'the real work' creating the master.

There's a lot of 'trade tricks' going on 'twixt the artist(s) and your ears.  It's good to be not only aware of this (which may already be the case for most), but to acknowledge that it's all going into the 'comp'.

It may be played analog...but it's all going direct to digital.

https://reverb.com/news/shani-gandhi-on-recording-bluegrass-and-metal?utm_source=MarketingCloud&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20200112+Sunday+Content

Note her comments on the use of compression; done with a 'light touch' it seems a standard practice to 'sweeten'/'dial down' certain elements of a recording.

This is also one reason I have no qualms about using 'pro gear' within my equipment.  What's good for the goose...;)
128x128asvjerry
@tuberist ...No offense taken, but thank you for the concern.  It takes a lot more than print to ruffle my feathers. ;)   I'm not totally aware of how I 'come off' when read, so I tend to be generous in interpreting what gets posted.  focus on what's being said as opposed to how.

Works for me. *G*

@glupson ...yeah, how 'bout that...;)  Mix boards still seem to be the 'weapon of choice' for multi-channel work. 
When I go to concerts where there's a 'pit', you'll generally find me nearby..or as close as is practical.  My thought is to hear what the 'show runners' are, since they're in charge of what's going out of the arrays.  And (if I can get close enough) it's interesting to watch their screens to see what the 'comps' are doing.
The 'modern concert experience' is basically driven by programs that control the staging of the lights and 'what's hot and what's not' at any given time throughout the performance.
Even the 'curtain calls' are 'pre-sets' to some degree.
After all....'overtime' for the staff is generally avoided...Right? ;)

@maplegrovemusic   ....Thanks, and I'll add to it when I spot something pertinent to the scope of the subject(s) entailed. *S*

We spend so much time and 'treasure' optimizing our home equipment for our personal experiences.  I find the knowledge that the same regard for 'selection' of microphones, placement of same, and the spaces for the intended 'sound' of various instruments is just as subject to the same level of care on the 'input'.

Just the selection of the microphone type seems a analog for what we do with speakers.  And the same applies to equipment and SW choices...

IMHO....(and that's only how I view it, FWIW...)  It's only analog anymore at the very beginning (and that can be debated)...and at the end, in our homes.

One can take the stance that physical tubes only act as a version of EQ;  there's 'tube sound SW' and equipment that mimics it. 

(Now there's an 'A-B, behind the curtain' test I'd like to witness...not that I want to tick tuberist off, mind you.  I'd like him to be there, to help make the call...)  ;)


Thanks for the link it was informative and an entertaining read even though I didn’t quite follow some of the insider lingo. Yes, it  looked like a lot of equipment for someone who just clicked a mouse 😮
*L* djones, it seems nearly any trade has it's own lingo....

I look at the NWS pages for their weather info, maps, radar, satellite imagery because we work outdoors as much as in shop.  Reading the 'forecast discussion' is where the 'real meat' is, and it's taken me a year or so to 'follow the breadcrumbs'.

More abbreviations than you've ever seen....;)  Typ. for a gov't. agency, tho'...

Yes, a lot more going on than mousing around...if that was the case, at least there would be a reasonable rationale for lousy studio output.

If anyone likes twiddling knobs, switches, plugging and unplugging, tweaking this 'n that.....all in the pursuit of 'the Perfect Sound' (...in their case, the 'mix'...)...

Arise, off one's tush, go back to skool, get a degree, learn how to 'do' what they do....

Stop complaining...and Fix It! *L*

And then...we can blame YOU. ;)

(Yes, sometimes I fall out of bed on the 'wrong side'....actually, either one.*L*  Just....stand back....)
In some applications (machines) what used to be buttons and knobs fifteen years ago is not even a mouse now. It is touchscreen. So "mousing around" may easily be the same thing as "knobing around" done on a more up-to-date technology.

Who needs fancy fuses and expensive mousepads disguised as "tweaks" when it can be done more elegantly by clicking?