How many pro recording engineers on the Forum?

Bryan Daste · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

It seems like steel guitar is one of those things that you almost have to be a "gearhead" to get into...and a lot of guys on the forum are recording their own CDs, lessons, etc. So I'm wondering, how many of us do it for a living?

This is my studio:
The Magic Closet, Portland, OR.

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Sierra "HJ Custom" D-10, Peavey Session 500, Goodrich L10k

Reggie Duncan · From: Mississippi

I guess if doing it for a living makes you PRO then I am. But, I have ALWAYS operated on a limited budget. I use the Samplitude program for recording and don't have much in the "preamp" area. Definitely not a gearhead. I did finally get Auto Tune and it has made life easier and recordings better.
Playing steel is a small part of what I do, even though that is why I am doing what I am doing. It takes me a whole lot longer to put the tracks together, and steel is just the "icing on the cake". So, I really don't get to play as much as I would like.

[This message was edited by Reggie Duncan on 23 November 2006 at 06:32 AM.]

Dave Boothroyd · From: Staffordshire Moorlands

Sort of, I suppose. I run a College course on Music Production and teach the people who become pro sound engineers. So I suppose I must know something about the subject.
Cheers
Dave

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I have been recording people since 1962 or so.

Most of the time I do get paid.
Sometimes I like a project,
or I get lots of freedom as a player on it,
or expanded production control,
and charge less.

But this is what I do, I am no hack,
and expect to be compensated.

I did give the ears a break
and went mostly acoustic for 10 years or so,
bluegrass, symphonies in the USA, and classic an trad musics in Europe.
I basically also switched to video editing,
but I was always recording something.

Hit 50... I still am recording things..
Go figure

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 26 November 2006 at 10:15 AM.]

Glenn Austin · From: Montreal, Canada

I've done professional recording for nearly 20 years. These days it is no longer a full time gig for me. The studio business has gone right down the toilet here in the past few years. I am now a certified aircraft De-icer here in Montreal, and run a nice home renovation, house flipping business in the summer. I suppose I will always be involved in music and recording, but strictly on projects that I like, and ones that pay preferably !! BTW, I don't own a shred of recording equipment anymore, and that suits me just fine.

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

I suppose since a good proportion of my income comes from my engineering and production activity, that makes me a "pro".

Like other musical pursuits, one of the things I love so much about recording is that there's no end to what you can learn and experience. And, for that matter, how much money you can spend...

It really is satisfying to have a client come in with just a sketched out rough idea, and leave with a fully-realized product and a grin.

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

My day job is as a mastering engineer (and sometimes electronics manufacturing). I've been recording and/or mastering professionally for about 12 years. The past 6 years have been about 95% mastering and maybe 5% recording/mixing.

Brad

Frederic Mabrut · From: Olloix, France

I'm a sound designer/engineer for nearly 18 years, mainly in the video production, but I make some music based stuff especially for musical illustration or musical logos for several companies. I'm currently working with Digidesign ProTools, but now i'm more or less an "executive producer" in the industrial video domain.
Ooops! Feel like getting boring...
Fred

Bryan Daste · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Hey Brad,
We're always looking for a good mastering guy! Do you do a lot of jobs through the mail? If you're willing to do a sample I'd like to send you a track.

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

Bryan,- Brad mastered my CD, I'm in Norway and we shared files via an ftp site. Worked like a charm and I couldn't be happier with Brad's work (click on any of the links in my signature for sound samples).

Steinar

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"Play to express, not to impress"
www.gregertsen.com
Southern Moon Northern Lights

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Brad consulted on some tracks I did,
and his analysis was spot on.

I expect to have him do mastering for me also.

John Macy · From: Rockport TX/Denver CO

I started hanging around studios right out of high school in '71. Bought a steel in '72 and became more focused on that for a few years, though I was constantly in the studio also. Built my first commercial studio in 1979 in the mountains outside of Denver from the ground up. Moved the studio into a new facility in downtown Denver in '85, then built my last facility in southeast Denver in '91 (three studios, 6000sf, lotsa overhead

). Sold out to my partner in '99 and went back into the freelance world--not the best of time to be a commercial facility owner. I designed a studio at the church I play at, and it turned out so nice I do most of my work there, utilizing bigger, tracking studios in Denver and Nashville for the basics. I moved most of my gear into the church studio, and I do their projects (usually about 3 records a year) and they let me use the studio for mine.

I also have a fully transportable studio that I can move easily to any location to work, which is great for certain clients. A couple of years ago we did the latest Nitty Gritty Dirt Band record up in Jimmy Ibbotson's house in Aspen, and I have taken it to several other locations for recording projects. Sometimes it comes home to my house for certain mixes, though I prefer not to have clients on top of my family.

As Glen mentioned above, the studio climate is ever changing, and you have to adapt to survive. I work with many of my clients in helping them set up their home studios--they utilize me more for tracking and mixing these days. By working with them, I still retain some of the work. I also travel where needed--I have been mixing for a production company on the east coast and have been there about 8 times this year already. I also have a lot of music business experience, and do some consulting work for some clients. The in late '90s, I ran a division of Pamplin Records for about 4 years, overseeing all the business affairs of the label as well as producing/engineering several releases for them, as well as some outside clients.

It's been a heck of a ride, but I have made my living in the music business for about 35 years now. There were some early years where the steel was my primary source of income, but mostly it has been the studio (though I have played more gigs the last year than the last several combined

). It translates into a heck of a lot of hours, but I have lots of great gear, a great house and my wife is a stay at home mom (though she did work for Chilis as a training manager for many years in the 80's and early 90's--we have been together for 30 years--our kids are 17 and 7). It will be an interesting next bunch of years as we see how the music industry shakes out, but I am confident I will still be in it...

Chuck Fisher · From: Santa Cruz, California, USA * R.I.P.

I worked studios engineering and doing design stuff for rooms and electronics, some sesson playing, ran service departments for several music stores. Mostly in the 70s and 80s. These days I am semi retired and only do projects I'm into.

Steve Stallings · From: Houston/Cypress, Texas

How funny... I had just finished reading the last page of Nov/Dec "Tape Op", which is a short article by Larry Crane of "Jackpot Recording Studio", Portland, Oregon. He specifically names your studio as one of the many studios in the area. (BTW... who in the world would record at a studio named "Smegma Studio"? blechhh!)
I grew up in the St. Helens/Scappoose area and still have family in that area. I always did love the Willamette Valley.

I don't do this for a living, but I do own a nice "home" studio called "Brazos Valley Audio". I've recorded several projects for folks and also my last CD.

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Steve Stallings
The Songs

Bryan Daste · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Hey Steve, nice tunes!
I'll have to check out that Tape Op...that's cool, thanks for the heads up.

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Sierra "HJ Custom" D-10, Peavey Session 500, Goodrich L10k

Vernon Hester · From: Cayce,SC USA, R.I.P.

I retired from TV Broadcasting,having built many TV studios,Remote trucks,radio and recording studios thru the years.How many remember the ADM Quadphonic boards,used Joy sticks to move four channels of sound around the room in the early 70"s.
vern

[This message was edited by Vernon Hester on 07 December 2006 at 12:32 AM.]

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Yep, I do, them's was da days!

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Not me, but my 24 year old son who reads the forum over my shoulder is an engineer at NRG in North Hollywood. He's an "educated" engineer who we put through Muscian's Institute, and he completed their full recording technology program. That was his "college fund" and we couldn't be happier about it.

Duane Reese · Posted 21 Dec 2006 10:36 pm

I spent about 4 or 5 years trying to work into a career as a recording engineer, as an aprentice and gradually into a freelancer, and I did manage to make a little money at it...

But I lost many times more (in one way or another) at the endeavor, got chewed up and spit out a few times, stiffed, lied to, blamed, jerked around, strung along and railroaded by many people, taught and applied erroneous and skewed recording techniques and principles, talked a lot of big talk, stepped on some toes, catered to some total morons, made an ass of myself here and there, had some stuff stolen, broken, burned-out, spilled-on, rewired, messed-up, and made many recordings, most of which went only as far as the scrap heap, and that's basically where the whole venture ended up as well.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

A life-long geek,I built my first 4-trk studio in the back of a music store in Norfolk,VA in 1972. A couple years later when I moved to L.A. and was a struggling guitar/steel player,I took a day job manufacturing recording consoles for a small outfit called Speck.This led to me being the defacto maintainance guy for all the studios where I had installed Speck consoles.Soon I was engineering and producing in those studios.Somewhere in there I was a freelance engineer/maintainence tech and worked at Bolic Sound(Ike & Tina Turner),Paradise(Leon Russell),Wally Heider,Cherokee and numerous private studios which dot the Hollywood Hills.In 1985 I built my own 16-trk place in the back half of my house in North Hollywood and called it Class Act Recording.Things worked out great financially and I made a lot of records of every description. Most L.A. pickers of note were regular fixtures there - guys like Jay Dee,Skip Edwards,Albert Lee and a hundred more - many not-so-great.

In 1998,I bought a large property in Sylmar that had a guest house about the size of my other whole house and built Class Act part 2 there. Of course this was right around the time everybody and their brother bought a ProTools rig and set it up in their bedroom.As everyone has said,the business model of having people come to your studio and pay you a living wage to record them with your $10,000.00 mic collection,vintage mic preamps and 30+ years experience is going the way of the dodo bird. Canned samples,softynths,lo-fi plug-ins,cheap Chinese mics,auto-tune and talentless artists making their own DIY CDs is the norm nowadays. Luckily I've been around a long time,know a lot of people in this town and can still occasionally do quality projects that mean something to those of my generation - like the Murph CD,a few jazz projects,etc.
Between that,a little TV/movie acting,playing gigs and doing the occasional photography/video gig(I shoot and edit)I've so far managed to get by without a "real" job. Unless I hit the lottery or suddenly become rich and famous at age 59,I'll never be able to "retire" - nor do I want to.

Mike Headrick · From: South Pittsburg, TN, USA

It's been almost 30 year now since I opened a 4 track studio in the back of my retail music store. I sold the music store about 15 years ago when the studio began to demand more of my time than I could give it after splitting it with the retail shop. I have just moved into my third studio facility and it will surely be my last. I never want to move again!

John Rickard · From: Phoenix (It's A Dry Heave) AZ

22 Years and counting!
JR

Bobby Flores · From: Blanco, Texas, U.S.A. (deceased)

Al Michalczak and I have our Yellow Rose Recording Studio located here in Blanco, TX. Been operating as that since this past January and have been doing albums projects and enjoying it. I love producing albums and have been doing that for several years.

And I've been very lucky to have been able to work with some of the best in the engineering field, like Tommy Detamore, Marius Perron, Bill Green, Bobby Arnold, etc. These guys have such an in-depth knowledge of gear and recording in general, it's just staggering. So I've tried to pick up as much as I can from them although nothing can replace years and years of experience and research.

I recorded my last CD here (Direct From Blanco County) and have also been fortunate to record and produce a few others here this year with some very talented new artists like Dottie Jack, Leighan Cortes, GayLynn Robinson, Ronnie Pfeil, Paul Dvorak and my brother & Christian artist, Greg Flores.

I also enjoy recording long-distance type track overdubs and that's a lot of fun as well. Either by mailing CD's back & forth or sending data files online. I even got to play on a Randy Beavers song recently!

Since this is one of my main sources of income I'd have to say it falls in the "for a living" catagory for me. It's a blast!

Bobby
Yellow Rose Recording Studio
Yellow Rose Records, LLC
Blanco, TX.

seldomfed · From: Colorado

I've been recording audio since I was about 8yr old. More recently as a full time career. I started in the computer business in '72 I worked for HP for 26 years as a software guy and ran a project studio and played country music part-time concurrently for the last 23 years. When I left HP 1.5y ago I opened the studio full time and started playing music fulltime. Sorta backasswards perhaps. I have a number of musician friends that are thinking of going part-time and getting into a cubicle. I figure it's never too late to follow your bliss and try new things.

I play pedal and lap steel in a number of bands. One is backing Doug Kershaw on steel and fiddle. One is Hawaiian. The studio, and teaching music add soup to the pot.

Chris
www.seldomfed.com
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Chris Kennison
Rhythm Cats - steel, guitar, banjo, dobro
Gold Canyon, AZ
www.rhythmcatsshow.com
www.seldomfed.com

Geoff Barnes · From: Sydney, Australia

These days I work as the sound designer, composer in residence for a gaming company.
We are based in Sydney Australia, but apparently are opening a second facilty in Fort Lauderdale in 2008/9. I will then commute between the two until the Stateside facility is fully operational, (or I run away and hide from all of 'em). Wink

I currently work with 35 3D animators and 15 or so 2D artists.

I run a very tight operation with no flab.... I write and perform 90% of the parts, so the studio is basically a "high end bedroom" setup, with an obvious bias towards voice-over work.

Right about now, I miss gigging like crazy and watch my buddies who are out and about with a jealous eye.... but the pay here is regular and reasonable.... and at age 55, I wonder if I still have the courage to be a self employed musician again.
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Too much equipment....I think I need help.

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