R U A PRODUSAH, OR an ENGINHEAR, or BOTH, or WHAT?

[Mixwell]

Does your job OVERLAP as an AE? Mine overlaps as a poorly qualified tech [fixing shit] a runner [fetching shit] an assistant [hitting a patch and moving a mic] a coach [showing you what your missing] a shrink [shirking your head] a translator [Swahili] a parental unit [learning how to make a decision and standing by it for the rest of your life].

I draw a fine line when I work. At the end of the day, the job I am doing is giving someone an experience, so I try and facilitate that experience at all costs. I take it upon myself to help people create in the moment. Sometimes its risky - sometimes it moves the session forward so the notes can change and unfold. I see a benefit to helping coach people with their performance, [if they need it and are screaming for it] but I also see many issues with that as well. Feel free to speculate.

Music and Audio:

Both very different things, yet like a bad marriage they keep getting back together.

[Tomasz]

I try and facilitate that experience at all costs. I take it upon myself to help people create in the moment. Sometimes its risky - sometimes it moves the session forward so the notes can change and unfold. I see a benefit to helping coach people with their performance, [if they need it and are screaming for it] but I also see many issues with that as well. Feel free to speculate.

Music and Audio:

Both very different things, yet like a bad marriage they keep getting back together.

I can't really help falling outside the "ENGINEER ONLY" or "assistant/runner only" label. As a player myself, sometimes i hear shit i think the band should try but, you gotta know when to hold 'em.. ( thank you GAMBLER) or pick your battles as my mother has larned me....
It's part of knowing when the band is going to be receptive to outside ideas..
This past sunday, for example, i was tracking a hard rock/metal band with two MIT grads.. How do i tell him that the acoustic part he's laying down is way too busy for the context? Well... I say "I don't want you guys to think i'm trying to be your producer here, but hey man, give this a shot( explain alternate part) it'll only take a few minutes, and we'll keep your idea as well and then see what YOU like.."
Sure enough once he and the band heard the "SIMPLER" part they went for it.. i would've gone with whatever, but i just knew my idea was what they had "heard in their heads"..
Sometimes when you know shit is awry, you just need to make 'em think it's their idea..
And it's dynamic.. one approach will not work with all artists IMO..

Then again this last band was really cool and receptive: While tracking leads for the song, and multiple takes, I joked.." Hey man, if you fuck this up again, i'm calling MIT and asking for a refund" ( Massive laughter ensued and the moment was lightened as this is not supposed to be a proctologist's visit) You definitely cannot say this stuff unless you establish TRUST with the band, , and I think that once you do that you are more free to help produce better creative flow for the music..

[Mixwell]

+100,000,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Agree on ALL points there.

( Massive laughter ensued and the moment was lightened as this is not supposed to be a proctologist's visit)

Yea, I forgot comedian. This very important factor of mood enlightenment cannot be overstated as extremely helpful, when DONE RIGHT. This above is exactly how to capitalize on making your artists happy go lucky and loose, [enjoying themselves] so they can do their ABSOLUTE best in your hands, without tension. Really, you can go from disaster area to day at the spa with well played comedy and a talk back microphone. Just don't let the produsah touch the button.

[Tomasz]

Just don't let the produsha touch the button.

i'm fairly certain they have no idea where that button is....
i'm thinking of rigging up a fake TB button so their comments:moon: are heard by those who care... ;) if the "producer knows what a balanced cable is, then maybe he/she is in the ballpark with me...... hehehe

[Sandyrb]

Does your job OVERLAP as an AE?

Massively.

I consider myself primarily a producer. There are a couple of reasons for this: 1) I've produced loads of records :) 2) I've always been driven by the urge to make better recordings, to not settle for second-best, to make things that reach a certain standard, that sort of thing. As the producer's job is first and foremost quality control, I consider this a good attribute to have for it. Borrowing a much wiser person's phraseology, I recently said to a friend "I'm not amongst those who moan about how bad everything is and say "why, why?", I stand with those who see how good things could be and say "why not?".". :)

But as you said Adam, there's a ton of overlap. I *try* to only engineer the projects I'm producing so that there's plenty of work for the other lads but sometimes they're not available so I do everything. Some days I'm cleaning the place up, sometimes I'm doing admin stuff, sometimes I'm soldering EDACs and dead cables... in between answering the 'phone. At other times I'm giving our people advice on how the local Band Warz should be judged, mastering, experimenting with Zach (not ON Zach you daft buggers), making CD labels or helping the boss to move gear between the studio and our other premises.

So whilst I consider myself primarily a producer the title should probably be "do-all-get-everything-teaboy-and-gopher"! :)

Yes music and audio are very different things... but where they meet... that's a magical place!

Cheers,

[Langston Tunes]

Because I consider being a produsah and an enginhear opposing sides of the same coin, my mind is often moving between thinking about notes and thinking about tonal treatment, which is exhausting but necessary, because I really care about how the music (product) will be heard.

I'm learning to let go and worry about matters when they arrive, but sometimes, I get so wrapped up in it all, I find myself slouched over the midi keyboard, with a beer bottle serving as a temporary pillow. :)

It's the best form of stress a creative type could have, I think.

[Mixwell]

I find myself slouched over the midi keyboard, with a beer bottle serving as a temporary pillow. :)

This is really the only way to make MIDI sound "humanized"......