iamnotthedj
(UK)
Wednesday 11 Jan 2017, 1:16am
Wow
Ok, with the exception of a couple of you i'm genuinely surprised that the main thing you're bothered about is the fact I used the word 'Beats'. And x51WSH7N may have the opinion that singers aren't musicians (and lets face it we all know singers that sound less than musical) but that is obviously just one person's opinion given nobody else here has been quite as disgusted by it.
At the place I studied a music degree we were told that a vocalist's instrument is their voice, and unlike any other musician they have the unfortunate luck that their musical capability is judged on the quality of their instrument. Unlike a guitarist who might play a Pacifica but is still a good guitarist. That insightful distinction given to me by some of the most talented musicians I have ever met (some of them were even singers x51WSH7N) has shaped my opinion on whether or not a vocalist is a musician, so to you x51WSH7N I wholeheartedly apologise on behalf of a university full of 25,000 students all currently believing that the place they are spending massive amounts of money investing in their education at actually knows what they're talking about. I'll email all the members of staff there right now and tell them they don't have a clue.
Needless to say what I actually mean is that on the matter of whether a singer is a musician I don't give a f*ck about your opinion x51WSH7N. I do however want your opinion on what you consider value for money in terms of recording studios.
Now before you get your knickers in a twist any further let me tell you this - I am not a student. I haven't been a student for many years. I was however, like you all, in many bands for many years and started off having mostly good experiences in studios but had at least one that was bad. The bad experience showed me that there are people so desperate to make money that they will take advantage of musicians (including singers x51WSH7N, just in case that wasn't clear enough for you), particularly those that are unsigned and promise a high quality product that they are just incapable of delivering. If you have never experienced this then I am genuinely happy for you but I can guarantee there are many here that have.
Because of that one bad experience I became a studio engineer, and since then I have also become a live sound engineer and tour manager. I now work for one of the biggest indie labels in the country, one of their acts recently made it to number 1 with their second album in 34 countries. That band started like you all did - playing in various different bands, not fitting into one scene or another, but eventually found their identity got a deal and are now playing arenas. One of the main reasons they were able to do that is they learned to appreciate the value of good production. They (and their label) also understand how to get the most out of the recording environment without wasting time or over spending.
The reason I created this survey is simply because it's a subject i'm genuinely interested in and one I care about. To be honest I don't know how anyone who writes/plays/records/produces music (and singers too x51WSH7N!!!) can afford not to care about it. It's such a massive part of everything we all hear on a daily basis and I think it's worth being well informed.
The best way I could think of informing myself was to ask as many people who use recording studios as possible - musicians, producers and film makers, which is where this survey has gone. I have to say - none of the other forums have found that much of a problem with my use of the word 'beats'. All of those other people might be people you work with in the future. If you're not bothered about hearing what they think, then fine you don't need to see the results when I have them. If it's of no interest to you whatsoever then no problem, don't even fill it in.
Criticise the questions all you want. But you're wasting your time. You may as well use that time to be better informed and find out what more people think than just you.
By the way - the questions 'what are you' and 'where are you' are intended to make it feel light hearted and less like you're filling out a council tax form. And the option in question 2 that offended so many people by using the word beats is again light hearted, slightly sarcastic humour, admittedly aimed at the more technical people. Thanks to the person who figured out this simply means desktop setup.