Just how freaking old am I??

CurtZHP · Post by **CurtZHP** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:13 pm

Today at work, I had an entirely new experience. My day job is engineer at a radio station. Several months ago, we hired a new production guy. He's in his early twenties. Pretty sharp, knows his stuff, knows the editing platform we use in his sleep. Today, he asked for my help with a small project he was handed.

Someone else at the station had recorded an interview and the interviewee wanted both a CD and cassette copy of the interview. New guy was asked to take care of that.

He asked me if I could show him how to record a cassette!

As God is my witness, the kid did not know how to do that. He knew what a cassette deck was, for sure. I asked him point blank, "Have you ever had any interaction with this technology?" He replied that he had only ever played a cassette tape. He had a blank cassette in his hand, and as he studied it, it occured to me that he didn't even know which way to load it into the machine (in other words, which side was the supply reel).

I know I'm not getting any younger, but DUDE!

(For the record, I was cool about it. I didn't ridicule him or anything like that. I very patiently explained how to do it and told him to call me if he had trouble.)

DrummerMan · Post by **DrummerMan** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:32 pm

wow.

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:43 pm

Wow, I can see that being a kick in the pants. Good on you for not sticking it to the guy. Must've been tempting.

We are having to educate our interns about a bunch of our "legacy" technologies, both in audio and video. Today I was explaining how we used to deal with square and non-square pixels before Photoshop/Final Cut/Avid were able to automatically adjust for it...and that development is only about two years old IIRC!

Different but similar:
I remember in 1994 we had an intern in the studio and one day she brought her boyfriend over. He was studying audio at a local arts college and was apparently big into SoundTools etc. --all the new digital/computer stuff. He looked over at our 24-track machine as if it were a smear of dogshit on his shoe and sniffed, "I suppose one of these days I'm gonna have to learn to use one of those."

Like you, I was cool...I said, well, computer audio is still a very new thing. Guarantee me you will definitely get a job in a studio that's gone completely tapeless right out of school and no, you don't have to learn how to use one of those.

Corey Y · Post by **Corey Y** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:56 pm

My little brother is 24 and he's made mix tapes. It's not THAT old of a format.

At any rate, a little critical thinking goes a long way, but nice of you to help the guy out.

davepinkham · Post by **davepinkham** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:36 pm

Corey Y wrote:My little brother is 24 and he's made mix tapes. It's not THAT old of a format.

At any rate, a little critical thinking goes a long way, but nice of you to help the guy out.

I'm 24 and I've made mix tapes! I guess if you were born after 1984 you don't use analog devices anymore.

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:43 pm

*reads first post*

*head explodey*

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:53 pm

thebells wrote:
Corey Y wrote:My little brother is 24 and he's made mix tapes. It's not THAT old of a format.

At any rate, a little critical thinking goes a long way, but nice of you to help the guy out.
I'm 24 and I've made mix tapes! I guess if you were born after 1984 you don't use analog devices anymore.

they were still common in 2000, tho.

maybe if you were born in 1995?

wren · Post by **wren** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:17 pm

thebells wrote:
Corey Y wrote:My little brother is 24 and he's made mix tapes. It's not THAT old of a format.

At any rate, a little critical thinking goes a long way, but nice of you to help the guy out.
I'm 24 and I've made mix tapes! I guess if you were born after 1984 you don't use analog devices anymore.

I'm 20 and have made mix tapes!! I remember the switch to mix CDs happened when I was about 15 or so.

Corey Y · Post by **Corey Y** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:22 pm

I have a flatbed work truck that still only has a tape deck in it and it was made in 2001. I went to Warehouse when we got it and purchased some cassettes, including some new releases, to keep in it. That was probably the last year they had any new tapes in a music store that I've seen.

So yeah, beating a dead horse, but it's pretty ridiculous that the guy had no idea how to use a cassette recorder. I'm sure most people who've never seen one could figure it out without too much trouble with some basic problem solving skills. Sounds like more of a confidence and/or motivational issue on his part than a lack of ability or knowledge.

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:30 pm

or he has a crush on you.

Jay Reynolds · Post by **Jay Reynolds** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:51 pm

Maybe he wasn't clear on the cost of the media. Thinking that "tape is expensive", he decided not to experiment with it out of fear of running up overhead.

Mane1234 · Post by **Mane1234** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 6:14 pm

I would have been nice and joking but I would have totally given him shit about it. It wasn't like someone just pulled out the first phonograph ever made and said get this up and running....But at least he was honest about the whole thing and it probably was a little embarrasing for him so props to him for taking it like a man.

CurtZHP · Post by **CurtZHP** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 6:42 pm

Corey Y wrote:Sounds like more of a confidence and/or motivational issue on his part than a lack of ability or knowledge.

He's a highly motivated sort. He doesn't seem to have any lack of confidence; but on the other hand he doesn't come across as a know-it-all. He's not afraid to ask questions. Knowing what I know about the guy, I seriously think he just didn't know what to do.

RefD wrote:or he has a crush on you.

He's happily married, so I doubt he bats for the other team.

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:46 pm

you don't know your own age?

hmm 35?

I

Scodiddly · Post by **Scodiddly** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:03 pm

superaction80 wrote:Maybe he wasn't clear on the cost of the media. Thinking that "tape is expensive", he decided not to experiment with it out of fear of running up overhead.

"It doesn't say if it's a cassette-R or a cassette-RW"

Message Board

Just how freaking old am I??

Just how freaking old am I??

Who is online