Charging enough to pay an ass eng and runner

[JGriffin]

So, it appears, we think that a one room, standalone facility being hired by bands, not other engineers or producers, does not need to hire an assistant.

Yes?

I'd agree with that. Unless there is some sort of extenuating circumstance we're not aware of, such as a workload that requires back-to-back sessions and no downtime--which has happened to me in the past many many times--where an assistant prepping the incoming session allows the engineer to take a pee break or wolf down a sandwich.

This is happening to me regularly...hate it.

A few years ago I went through this phase where one producer would book me from 9 to noon and another would book me from noon to 6, and so I'd have five full seconds between them to switch PT sessions, move mics, clean the control room, find the scripts and job sheet for the noon session...provided the 9 am session didn't run long.

...and of course, when I'd ask about lunch, I'd hear:
Morning session producer: well, we'll be out by noon, you can go to lunch when we're done. If I'm not working through lunch I'm not buying food on this job.
Afternoon session producer: I'll probably just grab lunch early, why don't you do the same? If I'm not working through lunch I'm not buying food on this job.



I have since wrested enough control over my schedule book that one time out of eight I can work in a half-hour between sessions for setup.

[@?,*???&?]

This is leaning toward the 'house engineer' scenario. Large, multi-room facilities need interfaces for their rooms when clients book. These are studios where freelance engineers are coming in with the project and don't know the idiosyncarcies of the room. An assistant engineer can often times be invaluable.

It doesn't even have to be a multi-room facility. If I'm at a studio in which I've never worked before, I'll absolutely want an assistant around. In most of those scenarios, I try to book a studio where the equipment is familiar to me so that I can work efficiently, but I'll still hire an assistant, usually for just the first day. Totally makes sense to me.

Yes, for the first day at least. Once I am up and running, I am very self sufficient. Mixing would be another issue. On a large format console, I'd like an assistant to perform an accurate recall of the mixes.

[JGriffin]

I have since wrested enough control over my schedule book that one time out of eight I can work in a half-hour between sessions for setup.

Except, as it now appears, for this Friday, where I'll be working 3 sessions from 9 straight through to 4.

[RefD]

I have since wrested enough control over my schedule book that one time out of eight I can work in a half-hour between sessions for setup.

Except, as it now appears, for this Friday, where I'll be working 3 sessions from 9 straight through to 4.

*offers to fly up and clean toilets and get food*

[JGriffin]

I have since wrested enough control over my schedule book that one time out of eight I can work in a half-hour between sessions for setup.

Except, as it now appears, for this Friday, where I'll be working 3 sessions from 9 straight through to 4.

*offers to fly up and clean toilets and get food*

[GodDamn]

As an assistant engineer/tape-op & runner type character, perhaps I can offer something to this thread? heh.

There's probably someone willing to do it for free; I am and do, fulltime. If you think you have something worthwile to teach, from this end of the stick, it seems a fair exchange; one on one tuition for my help. the owner/engineer's method of working suits two people; he mans the desk and I tape/computer-op.

I get to use the studio on down time, recording mate's bands, getting some practice in, which is great for me, and them, as they get to record in a facility a million miles out of their budget for free.

We don't get any freelance engineers as of yet, but if we did, I guess I would be the guy who showed him around.

Anyway. I guess the point being, there will probably be atleast 1 teenager in your city who's top priority isn't money.



jack

[fossiltooth]

Anyway. I guess the point being, there will probably be atleast 1 teenager in your city who's top priority isn't money.

True.

...but his or her top priority will probably be getting laid, being cool or having a good time.

The studio business takes tons of dedicationa and hardwork. As a rule, I'd never accept an unpaid substitute for a demanding job like assistant engineer. A real assistant's jon is very demanding.

I have respect for your work ethic if you're assisting 40 hours a week for no money for the love of the job alone.... but in that case, I'd say your worth being paid and I would do so!

[biasvoltage]

his or her top priority will probably be getting laid, being cool or having a good time.

Hey - I'm 34 and these are still my top priorities!


OT (or is it on-topic at this point):

Fave Help! quote:

What's That?
Season Tickets.
I like a bit of season in my soup.

[@?,*???&?]

The studio business takes tons of dedicationa and hardwork. As a rule, I'd never accept an unpaid substitute for a demanding job like assistant engineer. A real assistant's jon is very demanding.

Justin, I totally agree again. Most of the engineers I know were shitty assistants. A good assistant is better than an engineer at times. Few people want to strive to become good assistants. I look at a string of bad interns here at the studio and they really don't want to learn how to do this.

The exception is finding someone who wants to make a difference in the environment they work on a daily basis. Not a single person that's been here has left an indelible impression or has been missed since leaving. That says a lot. Nothing they've done helps the overall 'impact' of the studio.

There are many examples of studios from a particular era that had a collection of people that made the experience. Think of A & M studios when Shelly Yakus was there. Most every assistant that was there at the time is still working as an engineer now.

With many one-man operations now, how do you find that chemistry? Does it matter?

[Jon Nolan]

A real assistant's jon is very demanding.

i'm not that demanding!


"Go tooo dee WINDOH!"

[rwc]

Last week I had a session to do 5 songs for some CD this guy would give out at his wedding, in a day. I figured it'd take five or six hours. it took four. I charged $200 for the five songs. Someone really helpful was there for about 3-4 hours, who really made everything smooth, said the right thing to the client when I had no idea WTF he was doing tempowise. Some new intern. He was the opposite of the "BIG STUDIOZ" intern, he opened his mouth at times where I'm sure it'd get him fired elsewhere, but it was always moving the session along in the direction I wanted it to go.

I gave him $50.

It feels good to pay other people for their work. At this particular studio more interns want to work on my session than any other not only because I will never ask them to do anything, but because if they bring something to the session I accomodate them accordingly.

I could never ask some $8/hr asst in NYC to do real work for me. I couldn't trust it to him. Maybe it's some flaw on my part, but I can't do good work for extended periods of time for minimum wage, and I don't see how others can. I'd rather do stuff myself than trust it to someone about to pass out from malnutrition because he can't afford real food because he has to pay rent.