Is it time to hang it up?
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Garthplinko
- gettin' sounds
- Posts: 104
- Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2003 10:05 am
WOW.
I am totally blown away by these responses. I couldn't possibly respond to them all but I can thank all of you for your input. Thank you VERY much.
I think the first thing I'm going to do is take a little break while my 002 goes into Black Lion.
Then I'm going to get back to doing better work. I think a lot of my problem is that this isn't my only job - it's something I do in addition to working on a degree, in addition to a second job. And I know I AM burned out - and more importantly, I'm spread too thin. I haven't been taking the time to listen to reference material or even clear my headspace before sessions. I haven't been focused.
As far as my monitoring system goes, yeah, it it's not the best and I'm sure that contributes to the problem. My speakers are decent starter speakers = the Wharfdale diamond pros - they're not Genelecs or Dynaudio but there better than my old stereo speakers (and way better than the monitor ones I used to use). I've converted the old dining room into my control room and it's square and only semi-treated. I've tried to read about acoustics and how to understand what's going on in a room, but most everything has been way over my head.
Thanks again for all the suggestions, I'm sure I'll bounce back. Lots to do.
If all else fails:
I am totally blown away by these responses. I couldn't possibly respond to them all but I can thank all of you for your input. Thank you VERY much.
I think the first thing I'm going to do is take a little break while my 002 goes into Black Lion.
Then I'm going to get back to doing better work. I think a lot of my problem is that this isn't my only job - it's something I do in addition to working on a degree, in addition to a second job. And I know I AM burned out - and more importantly, I'm spread too thin. I haven't been taking the time to listen to reference material or even clear my headspace before sessions. I haven't been focused.
As far as my monitoring system goes, yeah, it it's not the best and I'm sure that contributes to the problem. My speakers are decent starter speakers = the Wharfdale diamond pros - they're not Genelecs or Dynaudio but there better than my old stereo speakers (and way better than the monitor ones I used to use). I've converted the old dining room into my control room and it's square and only semi-treated. I've tried to read about acoustics and how to understand what's going on in a room, but most everything has been way over my head.
Thanks again for all the suggestions, I'm sure I'll bounce back. Lots to do.
If all else fails:
"Just because you don't like it don't mean it ain't no good."
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mad staring eyes
- audio school
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2006 3:47 am
- Location: london, UK
- Contact:
On a less technical note...I just wanted to say that i really respect you for being able to admit something like that man...i know alot of cats with crazy egos that would never be able to be as frank as you; they'll mix all the soul out of something till it sounds like processed cheese slices and still strut the Clearmountain!
Seriously...this game can be so tough and a good mix is dependent on many variables (both technical and emotional) but i'll tell you one thing that you now have over alot of people out there: the ability to really listen to your stuff objectively and with humility---that will always get you better results in the long run.
keep working, keep listening- you'll either have a break through where it all comes together or you won't-it doesn't matter...you're making music-that's a nice thing to be doing. ENJOY!
Seriously...this game can be so tough and a good mix is dependent on many variables (both technical and emotional) but i'll tell you one thing that you now have over alot of people out there: the ability to really listen to your stuff objectively and with humility---that will always get you better results in the long run.
keep working, keep listening- you'll either have a break through where it all comes together or you won't-it doesn't matter...you're making music-that's a nice thing to be doing. ENJOY!
Words to live by from Claude Debussy: "Pleasure is law."
Do what you do because it pleases you. Don't worry about making "good" mixes. Stop trying to be a "good" engineer. Just delight yourself, move knobs and faders around until something catches your attention and don't be afraid of it being 'wrong' or 'too extreme.' Just have a blast and the rest will happen all by itself.
Our tendency as humans can sometimes be toward want to be the "victor" who gets the "spoils." Maybe we want to be famous, well-thought-of, live forever in the immortality of our accomplishments as people talk about how great we were after we are gone. Or maybe we just want to use our accomplishments to feel good about ourselves, use our accomplishments to sustain our egos. However you slice it, we want to "win" at music! We want to "take everything we can take" even if we delude ourselves into thinking the very same process is "giving" ourselves to music! But it's not! "Giving to get back" is not true giving, and it doesn't always result in getting back. You end up trying to "take" from the act of giving itself!
I remember when I was a kid and, without expecting anything in return, I would give my entire self to everything I did... pasting construction paper together, whatever. I didn't worry about someone thinking I was the best at gluing construction paper or having people remember my gluing-construction-paper-ability and be impressed with me. My self-esteem had nothing to do with my ability to glue paper, either. And you know what? Looking back I did some pretty badass creative shit in that state of mind. If I had that state of mind now I WOULD be the greatest... but wanting to be the greatest prevents you from getting into that "space!" Oh the greatest of paradoxes!
So just do what pleases you "in the moment" and don't worry about the rest. Up here, I see it every day. NYC is full of people trying to "live their dream" and, like Hal David wrote about Los Angeles, "all the stars who never were are parking cars and pumping gas." But it seems from my observations that the people who really get over in a lasting way are the people who are just delighted by what they are doing. And THAT type of success is almost never hollow or fleeting. When you are "driven," the top is lonely when you get there. When you are "delighted to explore," you realize that "the top" is just another limit, but, impervious to it, you keep getting higher and higher. Pleasure is law.
And if recording itself has ceased to please you, then don't be afraid to take a break for awhile! You have no responsibility to it. In the music industry we take ourselves too damn seriously all the time.
That's my take anyhow!
Do what you do because it pleases you. Don't worry about making "good" mixes. Stop trying to be a "good" engineer. Just delight yourself, move knobs and faders around until something catches your attention and don't be afraid of it being 'wrong' or 'too extreme.' Just have a blast and the rest will happen all by itself.
Our tendency as humans can sometimes be toward want to be the "victor" who gets the "spoils." Maybe we want to be famous, well-thought-of, live forever in the immortality of our accomplishments as people talk about how great we were after we are gone. Or maybe we just want to use our accomplishments to feel good about ourselves, use our accomplishments to sustain our egos. However you slice it, we want to "win" at music! We want to "take everything we can take" even if we delude ourselves into thinking the very same process is "giving" ourselves to music! But it's not! "Giving to get back" is not true giving, and it doesn't always result in getting back. You end up trying to "take" from the act of giving itself!
I remember when I was a kid and, without expecting anything in return, I would give my entire self to everything I did... pasting construction paper together, whatever. I didn't worry about someone thinking I was the best at gluing construction paper or having people remember my gluing-construction-paper-ability and be impressed with me. My self-esteem had nothing to do with my ability to glue paper, either. And you know what? Looking back I did some pretty badass creative shit in that state of mind. If I had that state of mind now I WOULD be the greatest... but wanting to be the greatest prevents you from getting into that "space!" Oh the greatest of paradoxes!
So just do what pleases you "in the moment" and don't worry about the rest. Up here, I see it every day. NYC is full of people trying to "live their dream" and, like Hal David wrote about Los Angeles, "all the stars who never were are parking cars and pumping gas." But it seems from my observations that the people who really get over in a lasting way are the people who are just delighted by what they are doing. And THAT type of success is almost never hollow or fleeting. When you are "driven," the top is lonely when you get there. When you are "delighted to explore," you realize that "the top" is just another limit, but, impervious to it, you keep getting higher and higher. Pleasure is law.
And if recording itself has ceased to please you, then don't be afraid to take a break for awhile! You have no responsibility to it. In the music industry we take ourselves too damn seriously all the time.
That's my take anyhow!
Hey Garth,
It's all about the process for me....Hell if it was easy everyone would be doing it. By this time next year I'm going to listen to the mixes I think are the best in the world today and probably laugh at myself and wonder what the hell was I thinking. If you think you need a break then take one or like someone else said try some different projects. When I'm feeling a little like you do I go out and find some band I like and ask them if I could do a song or two for them for free. It helps remind me that I do this because I love it and not just for the money.
It's all about the process for me....Hell if it was easy everyone would be doing it. By this time next year I'm going to listen to the mixes I think are the best in the world today and probably laugh at myself and wonder what the hell was I thinking. If you think you need a break then take one or like someone else said try some different projects. When I'm feeling a little like you do I go out and find some band I like and ask them if I could do a song or two for them for free. It helps remind me that I do this because I love it and not just for the money.
Of course I've had it in the ear before.....
Wow, These responses are deep. Professors was sweet, van or driver? I am working on that one right now as my carrer pulls me in different directions.
My advice is to not give up. Seriously, next time you mix imagine that mentor dude over your shoulder, listening, try to be objective with your mix. Imagine him or her there. Seriously, I started doing this and it works.
Sometimes the way I am hearing a mix changes when someone else walks in the room. It will change if I imagine them walking in the room.
It's the forest trees thing, mang.
I remember one time I was listening to the "local stuff" on the radio. A very familar tune came on, I was like "where have I heard this before?" "this sounds pretty fucking cool" Like 8 bars into the song I realized I had mixed it. Duh!! I wish I could do this for every mix, because for those first 8 bars, I was listening purely from an OBJECTIVE point of view. It was cool. I actually liked it,way more than I thought I would.
We all get to that point where we dont have any idea WTF we are listening too. Snares start to eat guitars no matter what, kick drums and basses sound like mudd, vocals are boxy and distant, etc. Take a break, listen to mixes you like, ask questions, opinions are everywhere, facts are there, find them to conquer the issue. I put up with my failures because I love what I do, I fucking love it, and it aint gonna be rainbows and happy sunshine all the time if it is really worth it.
My advice is to not give up. Seriously, next time you mix imagine that mentor dude over your shoulder, listening, try to be objective with your mix. Imagine him or her there. Seriously, I started doing this and it works.
Sometimes the way I am hearing a mix changes when someone else walks in the room. It will change if I imagine them walking in the room.
It's the forest trees thing, mang.
I remember one time I was listening to the "local stuff" on the radio. A very familar tune came on, I was like "where have I heard this before?" "this sounds pretty fucking cool" Like 8 bars into the song I realized I had mixed it. Duh!! I wish I could do this for every mix, because for those first 8 bars, I was listening purely from an OBJECTIVE point of view. It was cool. I actually liked it,way more than I thought I would.
We all get to that point where we dont have any idea WTF we are listening too. Snares start to eat guitars no matter what, kick drums and basses sound like mudd, vocals are boxy and distant, etc. Take a break, listen to mixes you like, ask questions, opinions are everywhere, facts are there, find them to conquer the issue. I put up with my failures because I love what I do, I fucking love it, and it aint gonna be rainbows and happy sunshine all the time if it is really worth it.
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