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flapmaggot
takin' a dinner break
Joined: 10 Jul 2003
Posts: 156
Location: Whittier, CA
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 Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:27 pm Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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Serious congratulations!! I work at a major University in L.A. but luckily love what I do at this point. I take on a couple of clients a year in my studio who usually wear me out and am wondering if I did it for a living, would I still love it , or will it drag down my own creativity. I appreciate the hard work and experience you endured to get where you are - Keep Rockin!
Chuck
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casey campbell
buyin' a studio
Joined: 17 Sep 2008
Posts: 891
Location: hammond, louisiana
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| Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:32 am Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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+100 on the epic win log diffuser!
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-3db
gettin' sounds
Joined: 26 Sep 2009
Posts: 119
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 12:16 pm Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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Great! Nice to hear that things are working out for you.
Just so that you know, nothing is stable in the full time job world either. They can cut you and ship that job to India in a moments notice and not give a crap.
That must be great to find a space not out of the way to set up shop where people are willing to spend time to create their music.
Sorry if I missed it, but did you go the residential or commercial space route?
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Um excuse me, these headphones aren't working... |
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Red Rockets Glare
tinnitus
Joined: 07 May 2003
Posts: 1127
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 7:41 am Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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| -3db wrote: | Great! Nice to hear that things are working out for you.
Just so that you know, nothing is stable in the full time job world either. They can cut you and ship that job to India in a moments notice and not give a crap.
That must be great to find a space not out of the way to set up shop where people are willing to spend time to create their music.
Sorry if I missed it, but did you go the residential or commercial space route? |
Jeeze, sad to hear nothing is stable out there. I felt pretty cozy working at UCLA. That was for sure part of the problem. It was way to easy to sit around and collect steady pay instead of jumping in with both feet ad just doing what I am meant to do.
I went the residential route. My studio started off as a converted (barely) garage. People used to call it Raymond Richards' Garage, or RRG if they were lazy. One very anti-patriotic day I came up with Red Rockets Glare to take the sting out of having the word garage thrown around so much. I have recently opened up my recently inherited house that the garage is attached to for tracking and it is working out really nicely for a new palate of room sounds. I had Redco make me a 16 channel drop box and snaked the cable under the house into the studio. It's nice to have a separate drum room and a vocal room after making a one room studio work for 8 years. I can even keep the plate reverb in one of the rooms now so I can use it live when I mix.
I just finished a record for a great rootsy band called Honey Honey, and having the singer belt it in a nice sounding room made a huge difference with a vocal room mic. I ended up sending the room mic to the plate a lot, and the natural delay made for a great distance.
I am still fooling around with room mics for the drum room. I started with my default that had worked in the garage, a U67 and C12, both Royer knock-offs, about 15 feet from the drums in large stereo spread, hitting Pacifica amps and Chandler TG-1 on stereo fast limit, and that sounded crazy explosive, kind of Bonham-esque. But then on the next project I borrowed a Shiny Box ribbon, (amazing by the way) and used my Oktava ML-52 with a Lundahl tranny and NOS RCA ribbon, through the Pacifica amps and Changler on fast limit, and they sat a little more discreetly with the close mics. I am thinking I may want to get a stereo ribbon mic. Peluso make a nice one, has anyone here used it? The reason I am thinking a stereo ribbon is that the Shiny Box and the Oktava picked up drastically different pictures of the kit.
Thanks for the encouragement folks. I hope to keep reporting that it can work if you want it to. |
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Slau
gimme a little kick & snare
Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 98
Location: New York
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 8:18 am Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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| As far as stereo ribbons go, the Cascade X-15 (at least the Lundahl version) is really nice. The base price is around $400 and the upgraded version is around $650 or so. I've used it on drum overheads and it sounds great. Also, it comes in handy as a very quick alternate piano mic which I usually record at the same time with a pair of LDCs. Some clients prefer the sound of the ribbon over the condensers. |
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cjogo
re-cappin' neve
Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 645
Location: Carmel
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 9:28 pm Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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We use a U 89 overhead for our drum overhead -- and a pair of C 1000s mounted to the roof  We use a Royer for a room sound on cabs.
Been out there recording since the70's..... we just select artist to match our equipment and musical preferences .
http://www.redshift.com/~cjogo/TUNES/images/web2480%20VS.jpg
We use truck tires, instead of wood piles  -- we have a stack above the piano in the corner 8 -9 ft tall  [/img]
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DrummerMan
tinnitus
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
Posts: 1195
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:35 am Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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| Red Rockets Glare wrote: | | I am thinking I may want to get a stereo ribbon mic. Peluso make a nice one, has anyone here used it? The reason I am thinking a stereo ribbon is that the Shiny Box and the Oktava picked up drastically different pictures of the kit. |
I've been pondering the idea of a stereo ribbon myself. Really interested in the idea of something for scoring stuff that I can set up in the middle of the room and really just get as much or as little presence and place wherever in the stereo field as I need just by where I stand in the room. I'm going to have some money available soon-ish to do that thing where you buy some different options with the plan on returning most of them. Was looking at maybe trying the AEA r88, and on the ultra-expensive end, that Royer SF-24V. I'm going to have to wait until I convert my garage, though, since there's not much use in testing out things which really capture the room, when the room is a cordoned off section of a trailer and sounds like ass, as far as the concept of ambiance is concerned at least. It'll be at least a bunch of months away, but I'll let you know when that goes down and if you haven't picked up something by then and feel like it, you're totally welcome to come over and check out how they sound. |
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Jaybezus
audio school
Joined: 13 Feb 2010
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:50 pm Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a rep |
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| Quote: | | It turns out that spending a little extra time working on my craft was all I needed to really stand out |
While the log jammer IS super cool, I found this to be the most important part of this inspiring post. Practice may not always make perfect, but it sure as hell helps! I often spend too much time scheming, dreaming, and reading about the theoretical while my workflow remains in the same beaten path instead of true experimentation. Kudos to you, sir, for the inspiration
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There are no problems, only solutions |
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klangtone
pushin' record
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 276
Location: San Diego
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| Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 7:24 pm Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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I wanted to resurect this thread because I'm considering a go at full time engineering in the next 5 years or so. I'm working on a backyard studio build-out now. I have a lot of uncertainty, though, about how much money I can reasonably expect to make per month on average (assuming I do a decent job at finding clients and building a reputation).
For those of you who have transitioned into full time recently, would any of you mind sharing your average monthly income? You could PM me if you don't want to share such things on a public forum.
Other questions of interest would be:
1. Average number of hours worked per week?
2. How are those hours typically spread through the week? Are you working weekdays only or also weekends? Are you working during normal business hours or do you often work late into the night?
3. How long did it take you to ramp up to steady work?
Thanks,
Roy
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"No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media,
and our religious and charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful." -Kurt Vonnegut |
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Tim A
gettin' sounds
Joined: 01 Dec 2010
Posts: 116
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| Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 9:10 pm Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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| Quote: | 1. Average number of hours worked per week?
2. How are those hours typically spread through the week? Are you working weekdays only or also weekends? Are you working during normal business hours or do you often work late into the night?
3. How long did it take you to ramp up to steady work? |
I would assume that the hours would be in direct correlation with the amount of money you can make. Ive worked for a major studio in sydney here for the majority of the year. working maybe 70 hours a week on average. on close to minimum wage salary (which works out to be less considering the hours). after being terminated due to the budget I now feel like I've worked and learnt enough to stand on my own feet, so me and a good mate are starting up a space in the city, and thankfully are already turning down work as its not ready yet. I would be super hesitant to jump in full time without the hope of some steady work lined up.... maybe thats just me and that niggling voice in the back of the head saying, dont do it.
I also think that pretty much in everything money shouldnt be the ultimate goal... not staying that it is for you. But if you can somehow work out a good balance between cost vs time, then it might help get some work in the door. eg low enough rates for you to survive. that might change your business plan to look like marketing your space to a different audience as not to compete with out already established spaces.... think of a hook that no one else has, that will justify people spending money on you. I dont know about the situation in america.. but over here at the moment it seems like a tough game convincing people recording (well) is something worth paying for. |
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joelpatterson
carpal tunnel
Joined: 10 Jun 2003
Posts: 1723
Location: Albany, New York
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| Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 9:51 pm Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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| timadamson wrote: | | ... it seems like a tough game convincing people recording (well) is something worth paying for. |
If they could hear, beforehand, what impact an excellent version of their song would have on their own personal time-space continuum, then they would pay for it, but this requires a time machine or two.
Also, they need to need an excellent version of their song, not just be gee willikers about it. Seems like the evidence points to alot of people being satisfied with generically okay versions of their songs, especially if they were some variation on "free," especially with everyone posting "cell-phone music videos" on all these free internet 'zines. Hard to argue with freedom.
You need people with plans for their songs, ambitions, a reason to believe... those people realize true excellence is really sorta rare and does cost something.
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~The Peak of Perfection~
Petersburgh NY 12138
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klangtone
pushin' record
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 276
Location: San Diego
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| Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:41 pm Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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| Quote: | I would be super hesitant to jump in full time without the hope of some steady work lined up.... maybe thats just me and that niggling voice in the back of the head saying, dont do it.
I also think that pretty much in everything money shouldnt be the ultimate goal... not staying that it is for you. |
Agreed.
I'm trying to ease into this, hence the 5 year time horizon. I figure if I get the studio built and start bringing in some people in my free time, there will be some word of mouth interest growing in the community which could lead to somewhat steady work from the onset of going full time with it.
And yes, I'm not going in expecting to make bank and that's definitely not the reason I'm interested in recording. I just want to get a sense of how much I can reasonably expect to make at it so I can put together a financial plan that works for my life. Or, in the worst case, scrap the idea if it seems un-realistic when combined with my other life goals.
Thanks, and good luck with your studio.
Do you know Guy Blackman, by chance?
Roy
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"No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media,
and our religious and charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful." -Kurt Vonnegut |
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standup
buyin' gear
Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 518
Location: Baltimore
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| Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 1:27 am Post subject: Re: First Full year as a full-time recording engineer, a report. |
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I got layed off (laid?) almost two years ago, and after a year and a half of paying bills with my "day job" skills (freelance graphic design) I started booking some recording gigs.
Right now I'm recording 10-15 hrs a month, so it's maybe covering the groceries and beer.
But it's fun and I'm recording some cool music and meeting good people. I'm working with a spare bedroom as CR and running snakes down to the living room, both rooms are somewhat treated. Getting OK sounds. Also doing some remote recording with a small rack of mic pre's and a 10-input interface. I'm doing a jazz gig tomorrow morning.
For me right now most recording is weeknights between, say 5-11 pm. The clients are working folks who stop by after work. I'm recording folk, jazz, folk-rock it seems like, right now.
I'd have to raise my rates and have a LOT more hours booked to make a living at this. But for now it's nice additional income and satisfying work. |
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