[MusicTlk] I'd like to have a civil, nonjudgemental discussion about audio production techniques, if we can manage to do so.

[David Fritz]

Chris

David Fritz here.

I have been involved in the professional music scene since 1978 - I
have recorded more than 10 albums myself and was involved with
production of many other tracks and albums for many musicians through
the years.

All the modern talk of effects and DB levels is just smoke and mirrors
- it's not meant for you or me or any other experienced person who
knows music and music production, but its aimed at the wannabees and
try-and-do-it-yourselvers who all want to make a fast buck with the
least financial investment.

Many of these recipes, do it like this or like that, is to hide flaws
in cheap sound synthesis, cheap sound cards etc.

There is a rule which applies:  "keep it simple, silly".

The more you add, the more you mess up something good.

Keep doing what you're doing, and if you are experienced, trust your
ears - that's the bottom line.

Good luck

David









On 11/16/22, Christopher Gilland via MusicTlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> First off, let me say this. I've been doing audio production work now
> for practically almost 30 years and counting. Heck, if this tells you
> anything, I started out when I was only 11 years oldd using a purchased
> Tascam 424 Portastudio 4 track cassette mixer given to me for Christmas
> one year by Santa... ahim... my parents.. Point being, I've made many
> mistakes along the way, and also have made many many discoveries as
> well. So, please please don't shoot me with my possible bluntness on
> this topic. I think we can be very firm/direct, but saying things like,
> you obviously don't know what the h e double hockey stick you're talking
> about is nonproductive, and gets us absolutely nowhere! So, if you can't
> be civil about this, then please just don't say anything, and hit the
> delete key/move on. But if we can really be civil about this, and really
> can objectively look at my question from several standpoints possibly,
> then I'd really like to hear from some people who also have been doing
> this stuff professionally for a while now.
>
>
> So, here's the million dollar question:
>
>
> How important is it really truly to learn every single dad gum plugin in
> your DAW reading it's manual front to back back and forward, learning
> how to properly gain stage, learning how to understand the ins and outs,
> no pun intended, of compression/E Q/reverb/delay, learning how to
> parallel process things, sidechain things, etc?
>
>
> Now hold on here, hold on here! Don't shoot, don't shoot! I'll go
> peacefully! Blasphamy! you say. Well, really though? Hear me out on
> this. Just humor me here.
>
>
> You read one book on audio engineering, it says always always always put
> a high cut filter on your reverb when doing lead vocals to get the best
> sound. Another says to get that kick bass drum to punch/smack you in the
> face, use a compresser with a very long attack, and a very long release.
> Another college institution university may tell you, oh God! Compression
> on vocals? No wayyyy!! That'll make it sound squashed and terrible.
>
>
> A youtube video may say don't ever! ever ever ever ever! unless you're
> going for the Cher Believe effect, instantiate pitch correction like
> auto-tune from Antares or Waves Tune Realtime, or Melodyne on a lead
> vocal, and set the root key, scale, and range then just forget about it,
> and let it process the whole shabanggo vocal track, as it'll sound way
> way way too artificial/robotic/unnatural, call it whatever you desire.
>
>
> Others may say, add effects and processing only if you need to, while
> others say you always wanna process your stuff to get the best clarity.
>
>
> Some may say when recording vocals, try to come into your DAW by
> shooting somewhere in the ballpark of about minus 12DBFS. Others may say
> No, that's slightly too low, shoot more for around minus 10, not 12.
> Still others say, under no circumstances go above minus 10, as by the
> time you add compression if needed etc, you'll have almost no headroom.
>
>
> Some say, reverb on a lead vocal is essential as long as you don't drown
> yourself in it. Others say, don't use reverb at all, and others still
> say, unless you need it, don't use it, and even then, be very sparing.
>
>
> My point is, to tie this back in to music talk, as this list is more
> about music not audio production per sé, what in the name of purple and
> yellow clouds above in the sky are we doing listening to all this baloni
> maroni! I mean, seriously?
>
>
> Audio production is so! so so so so! subjective. I mean, so! subjective!
> Wouldn't it be better time spent in the studio making music, creating
> things that are beautiful and sound incredible than spending 18
> umpzillion centuries trying to piece out every! single! cotton! pickin!
> little nuance of the sound engineering process? I'm not saying don't
> learn anything at all about sound production... OK? Let me be very very
> clear. I did not say that! And, just to even furter! the record of
> clarity here, You'll never hear me down the road say we shouldn't learn
> basic audio production 101.
>
>
> What I am, saying though is, so many people say quote: this! is the
> right, the only! way. Others say, no? Uh uh! Hashtag FTS! Sidenote, I'll
> let you figure out that accronym for yourself. LOL!
>
>
> So at the end of the day, yes. There are certain things which can't be
> neglected. Certain things which you either do or simply put, don't do no
> matter what. Sure.
>
>
> I mean, you don't put a singer in front of a mic, have them sing ta ra
> ra boon dié while recording them at positive 90 DBFS, then apply clip
> gain on top of that to push them on the output up to 150! DB. OK,
> extreme example, youzers! but it proves my point nonetheless. Point
> being, there are certain things you don't do. Period. But really at the
> end of the day, are there truly right or wrong answers?
>
>
> Lookat: if it sounds good to you, and you get others to listen, and they
> too agree it sounds great, is that not what matters at the end of the
> day? Who gives a rat's hehonkis how you got there.. It sounds phenomenal
> not just to you, but to others as well, so who cares! If you spend so
> much time reading, youtubing, etc you're gonna get so many mixed, pun
> intended, opinions, you're not gonna no which way is again pun intended,
> left from right. By the time you've bored yourself to tears trying to
> get the right correct, quote unquote, sound, you could have spent
> probably 80 to 90 percent of that time composing/arranging and coming up
> with brand new ideas, which guess what! You never know: could! no
> guarantee, but could! have been a hit smash number 1 song. You say, I
> don't write number 1 hits Chris. Well, of course you don't, if you're
> sitting on your derrire all day plunkity chunking along at getting your
> mix to sound explosive.
>
>
> I say, just be yourself for God sake! If it works, go with it! So how
> much do you all think is talk talk, vs. how much truth really is there
> that universally all engineers can agree upon? You know? how much is
> subjective, vs. true actual fact, like it or not.
>
>
> Heck, I made a recording the other day. Most people would say apply at
> least a little bit of EQ, or compression. Guess what. I didn't do
> anything. Literally, my whole channel strip on each track from pianos to
> strings to guitar to bass/drums, vocals lead and backing, I put nothing!
> No compression, no gain boosting, no limiter, no exciter, no reverb, no
> delay, no chorus, no saturation, no vocal doubling, no panning, no
> automation, no noise gate filtering, no dithering, no pitch correction,
> literally, I mean nothin! Bare to the bone! And uess what. It was
> probably one of the best mixes in over 15 years I've ever done.
>
>
> So yeah. What're you all's thoughts?
>
>
> Chris.
>
>
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