"Why are they called 'industry veterans' "?

As you hopefully know, in the United States today is Veterans Day, a day to honor the brave men and women that have defended our country and our families, protecting our freedom and our way of life.  My gratitude is beyond words and beyond the scope of this blog.  But it has gotten me thinking....

"Recording Industry Veteran."  I've seen this term a lot lately.  I may even be guilty of overusing it myself.  So, why are long-standing recording industry professionals commonly called "veterans"?

Well... what images does the term "veteran" conjure up for you? For many, "veteran" is coupled with the word "war". "War veteran."  Possibly a person who has survived insurmountable odds? Devastating conditions? Had bombs exploding around their head while wondering if they were ever going to see their family again? Not had a real night's sleep in weeks or a warm meal in days? New boots a distant dream?  Wondering if the supply chain was cut off and would ever be able to reach them?

Not to detract from war veterans. I have an immense appreciation for their sacrifices and recognize that I benefit from them on a daily basis.  I can't even pretend that working in the recording industry and fighting a war can be made analogous.  My intent is to help prospective entrants into this industry recognize that "this ain't no picnic."

Surviving in this business for the long-term means beating insurmountable odds. While you may find success, the typical lifestyle includes some fairly poor conditions at times. Ever spent a night listening to a bombastic drummer that could only play full on? (check) Ever worked a 72 hour shift, covering six different sessions in a row, with only three hours off the clock in three days? (check) Ever lived on PB&J or cereal and milk for weeks on end? (check) Ever used gaffer's tape inside your shoes to hold them together because you just didn't have time to buy a new pair - or had an opportunity to go home and change? (check)  Ever had a time when you didn't know where your next dime would come from - or if there would be a next dime? (check)

If you love it - and I'm talkin' about an undying, irrational passion.  An addiction stronger than any other - then you will LOVE it.  If you think you'll like it, or want to do it "'cause it's cool", or to get rich, or to meet girls, then it will probably chew you up and spit you out.  Of the hundreds of professional engineers and engineering students I have met over the years, less than 10% are still working in this industry.  I'm talking about successful engineers and serious students that shelled out tens-of-thousands of dollars to pursue a dream.  Why? Because they weren't up to the fight.  Something else became more important.  Perhaps family, food, shelter, sleep, or an aversion to the word "no".  I'm not judging them poorly.  If anything, I admire their ability to shake this monkey of their backs.  There are very few old recording engineers - perhaps because most either wise up or die young.

Veterans; war, recording industry, or otherwise, earn the title veteran because they survived.  Decorated or unknown, General or Private, chief engineer or lifelong gopher - it doesn't matter.  Surviving the tour itself indicates a brave soul who understands there are winners and quitters and is committed to winning.  Or, a total lunatic who should be committed. 

I used to say: "I wouldn't trade this industry for the world and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy."  My suggestion now: run for the hills while you still can.  No one will blame you, you won't get court marshaled or shot. And in the end, you'll probably have a better chance of keeping the girl.

Your other option: don't let anyone or anything stand in the way of your dreams. There is no in between. The choice is yours.

I heard an interview with Kirk Douglas [for you young-ins - he's a famous actor and father of famous actors] where he said that he tried to talk all of his children out of an acting career.  He knew that if his words alone would stop them, then they could never overcome the other challenges they would inevitably face in the entertainment industry.

On that note, I had a student that once told me she was dedicated to a career in this industry post on Facebook that she was giving up on her audio-related job-search.   I asked why and she said she had heard the word "No" twenty five times.  (You know who you are.)  Boo-hoo-hoo.  The only music you'll hear in this business is the tiny violin I'm playing for you right now.  A two letter word, twenty five times.  50 letters.   There are more than 50 letters in the first sentence of this paragraph.  Dedication. Yeah, right.  I think I'll do an upcoming rant on how you can, and should, learn to embrace the word "No" and can use that to turn from a quitter into a winner.  It's a method I learned that significantly improved the number of times I hear "Yes".

Until then, don't say you weren't warned.  Now, go find another blog that has something to do with a "Real Job".

Additionally, the next time you see a veteran, the kind that keeps us safe and free, please remember to say "thank you".

Peace and Blessings,

Rob

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"How much does it cost" & Often Overlooked Expenses

“I’ve got some songs…”

“Let’s record something”                   .

“We could sell a ton of CDs”

“I’m sure we can make some money”

“Let’s call a studio and get some prices.”

The most common question I receive from prospective clients who have never recorded before is "How much does it cost?"

The short answer is "it depends on the budget."

In the previous post I provided some ideas on how to start figuring out how much you can spend on a recording project and allowing for bigger picture items.  The primary concept being: It's hard to know how much you can spend on the overall project until you figure what you anticipate getting back out of the project: either directly or indirectly.   Today, we are going to identify some budget items that extend beyond the cost of recording itself.  Oftentimes, knowing these expenses first will make it easier to know how much you will have left over for the most variable of all costs: the time to actually record and mix. 

Yes, you need to pay for the studio time and/or the engineer's time to record and mix.  We'll cover that with great detail in the future.  Beyond that, the following items are required for almost every project and are sometimes overlooked when initially figuring out costs.

• Media:  The "stuff" you record on to and where your recordings are stored.  Typically this is one or more hard drives while recording and then CDs for the final mix.  Don't be surprised; the hard drives that meet the specifications for most recording projects are more expensive than the ones you will typically find at local retailers.  The studio you choose can advise on the drive particulars.  [Watch for a future posts on selecting studios and media.]  If you are recording to analog or digital tape, then expect higher media costs.
• Backups: Your hard drives will fail.  It's not a matter of "if" but "when".  Allow for additional backup media and the time to backup.  Optical media (CDs, DVDs, etc) are a little more durable, but nothing is guaranteed.  Don't take chances.  Murphy shows no mercy.
• Mastering:  I suggest that you do not master with the same engineer or in the same room where you mix.  If a studio combines mixing and mastering in the price, press for details.
• Duplication, Printing and Packaging: You want more than one, right?  How many copies you will need should have been estimated during the  'big picture" phase.  Remember to account for extra cost items such as bar-coding, shrink-wrap, full color printing and inserts.
• Artwork: This is different then the cost of printing, which is often folded into duplication and packaging, but rather the design process and/or the rights to use the artwork on the CD, packaging or promotional materials.
• Marketing, Promotions and Promotional Material:  You need to get the word out.  Even sending emails to both of your adoring fans takes time; time you could be using to make money on something else.  Whether it is putting up flyers for the locals or flying to different locales, know how you intend to market and allow for this in your budget.
• Distribution: Selling CDs out of your trunk?  Remember to allow for a decrease in gas mileage due to the extra weight, an increase in towing costs since you decided to ditch your spare tire, and extended-stay motel expenses for when your significant-other throws you out.  As distribution models are constantly changing, you still need to allow for delivering the product to market - even if it is just buying your brother-in-law dinner for selling your CDs and merch at gigs, shipping, or fees for on-line retailers.  By the way, if you leave CDs in your trunk, then you'll need to double your anticipated duplication costs.  Why? Try it.  You'll learn the answer in July or August.

To recap, if you take the time to figure out what you want the project to do for you, leading to knowing how much you can spend on the project, and are aware of the required expenses that are beyond the studio time itself, you can then have an idea of how much you have left over to record and mix.  At that stage, and not before, you will know how much you can budget for the studio time; providing the answer to "How much does it cost?"

You then need to make sure you stay within that portion of your budget.  With that, in future posts we will get into optional studio expenses, allocating time to various portions of the project, using time efficiently, the biggest time wasters, and so much more.  We will learn why big money is spent on big projects, why spending less may cost you more, and the pro and cons of lower cost.  Yes, we will also cover a lot of tech stuff.

I want to cover the areas that are of interest to you.  So, please leave your comments, be in touch and check back often.

Looking forward,

Rob

Pre-project planning: The budget

Hi!

Two seemingly different parts of my day started me thinking....

I am about to transfer a Pro Tools mix to cassette for a recording client that does not own a CD player or a computer. (Yes, this is a 2010 post.) After this, I'll be putting the final touches on a midterm exam for one of my audio production classes.

Over the years, there have been vast changes in this industry, along with necessary modifications to the subjects we present to future engineers . As one example, mixes are (usually) sent electronically as audio files instead of using tape. Tape-related subjects have understandably been reduced or eliminated from school curriculum. However, one area has remained unchanged; the significance of a budget.

While project budgeting is sometimes overlooked in recording-related schools, understanding project budgeting may be the single most significant factor in determining your own satisfaction with your project.

This is not just "spend more, get more." Proper financial budgeting allows you to budget how you will spend your time. It will help you decide if it is just not worth it to spend another hour on bass punches for a filler song no one will hear, when you still need to record lead vocals on your "hit"... even-though you are already halfway through, what was supposed to be, your second day of mixing!! Unless you have unlimited funding, a situation like this leads to spending too much time on minutia, rushing the important details, working longer (hence overspending) and reduced quality. This happens more than many people realize - and it is avoidable with proper budgeting.

It's not just a problem later in a project when someone realizes the things are running behind - on the imaginary schedule that should have been flushed out prior to going into the studio. Having the financial budget, and resulting schedule, even a rough schedule, before going in, will let you know that you have an extra hour to work on getting that amazing drum sound you envision. Or perhaps, run a few extra takes to really find the pocket.

It is the unfortunate truth that most first attempts at a professional recording project are expensive lessons in what not to do. Yet, they rarely give insights on how the process could have been better.

The following are some items to consider before putting together your budget - and some may surprise you.

• Less than 1% of all projects recover their costs (That’s great…. If you plan to lose money)
• Does this mean spend less? Maybe, maybe not. You can maximize the return on your investment with a little planning.
• In most cases, you can’t really know how much you have to spend until you know how much you plan to make.
• or plan to lose

To plan your budget, it helps to answer a couple questions:

• What do you want your project to do for you?
• To make money? If so, how? Be specific.
• Do you plan to sell CD’s/ Downloads
• How? (Marketing & Distribution)
• How Many?
• Are you using this to get gigs?
• How many?
• What Rate
• How long until you need to record the next project following this one?
• You need to determine your anticipated ROI (Return on Investment)

Be honest with your purpose:

• Is this a “demo”?
• If so, is it to…
• get gigs?
• get a “deal”?
• get chicks?
• Is this for practice?
• Is this for something else entirely?
• Is this for vanity?

Keep in mind, the #1 overlooked budget item is.... the big picture!

A completed recording is often just a small part of a bigger goal.

(i.e. Career development, getting gigs, a “deal”)

So, budget for the bigger goal first

This often includes:

• Marketing / Promotion
• Legal Fees
• Support Personnel
• Travel
• Stylists
• Music Lessons

and then the recording project.

The long and short of it is, you won't know what you can put into a project, until you know what you need to get out of it.

With that, if you are one of my students studying for the mid-term, you will get out of it what you put in. Study for a decent grade and you may earn a grade that means relatively little after you graduate. Study for knowledge, and you will carry that with you for life. Chances are, you'll also get a decent grade along the way.

As I am teetering on the edge of running over my budgeted time for writing this blog, I will pickup again soon with tips for creating the recording project budget itself.

Until next time....

Rob

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog!! As is typical for a working recording engineer, I am wrapping up a long day just a couple hours before most people wake up. In this blog, I hope to share with you technical and artistic tidbits, along with general tips and tricks from my actual recording sessions, to make your recording projects more productive and sound better. This will include a wide range of topics - some rather basic and others highly technical. At times it may be product specific, but will usually trend towards universal concepts. On occasion, if I am feeling nostalgic, I may share some stories from over the years. While this will mainly deal with recording, many of the ideas will apply universally throughout the field of audio and sometimes even video.

With that, the best place to probably start is by giving you some background about myself. I've been working as a professional recording engineer since the mid-80's. In that time, I've had the good fortune of being paid to work at some of the best studios in the world. This includes the legendary Power Station Studios and Quad Recording in New York, along with other well respected studios such as Cove City Sound in Long Island and Sheffield Recordings in Maryland. Beyond my real-world background, I have a strong formal education in recording and actively study engineering on an ongoing basis - just because I love the fact that there is always more to know. I own a production company, serve on the Executive Committee of the Audio Engineering Society's (AES) Washington, DC section, am an adjunct professor at a local college where I teach audio production, formerly served as the Director of Education for a recording trade school and have been a multimedia subject matter expert for a trade school accreditation organization. While I don't want to bore you with too many more personal details, I just want you to rest assured that the information you are receiving is valid and that there is a reason why I have gained a reputation for knowing a thing or two about this subject.

With that.... Lesson number one: "No one person (or source) can know everything about audio. Anyone that claims to know it all is either lying or truly ignorant."

I don't claim to have all the answers. But again, that is one of my favorite aspects of this industry - I will never run out of new things to learn.

This blog is for you and I want to address your areas of interest. With that, please contact me with your questions or comments and check back frequently for new information.

Looking Forward!!!

Rob

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