To all the pro's out there...

[Remco]

As a starting engineer I'd like to know; what were the most common mistakes you've made in the past when you were just starting out as an engineer. I'm talking about miking, editing, use of effects and mixing down and customers.
This is a very broad topic I know. But I'm sure that there are loads of good stories out there from which I can learn, sure I will make my own mistakes but I hope to also learn from yours [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

thanks in advance,

Remco

[Brent Hahn]

In Letterman order...

3. Thinking I knew anything.
2. Not keeping my mouth shut.
1. Not amassing a database of every person I came in contact with, and maintaining that contact.

[Jules]

To add to the excellent list above

4) For a period of 2 years, have the majority of mistakes on a session, happen to an engineer you are ASSISTING - then they are not YOUR mistakes but the session engineers responsibility.

This is why assisting someone is THE BEST way to learn... It's what you get to see over 2 years, (if you are paying attention) that counts the most...

[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Redbeard]

My personal Favorite mistakes from when I was a beginning assistant.

1) Erasing about 30 sec of all tracks of a song when I was doing a record alignment as let the 24 track run past the record pad and leader. Luckily the tape was just a safety and we were able to recreate it.

2) Tripping over and pulling out the remote cables on a Mits 32 track machine. This part wasn't so bad. When I tried to quickly plug them back in and the machine was running; sparks flew and the machine died.

3) Recording a whole vocal session into the back of the microphone when the engineer allowed me to do vocals in the B room.

[Dr. J]

1. Trying to use the same mic for everything!
1.b. or even trying to use the same vocal mic for every singer.
2. Not taking the time to experiment with sounds, tones, drum tuning etc... to find what's perfect for each song.
3. Smoking, big mistake there. (not sure what that has to do with the question though, but it's definately a mistake)
4. Not paying people better than I, to come in, do it right, and watch and learn, THEN, go try it myself.
5. NOT GETTING PRO TOOLS EARILIER.
6. Once i got into Hard Disk recording, not keeping up with upgrades.
7. Not being part of all the recording forums i could. (to Learn)
8. Not changing my name on EVERY forum, so people who were pissed at me on one, diddn't follow me to another and be pissed at me there.
9. Be content putting out stuff at the dollar amount I quoted, instead of realize my name went in that damn CD cover and taken extra time to do it right!!! [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

I could go on and on, but i won't.

Personally, I have learned one very important thing in this "recording" business. And keep in mind this may just be for me, and not everyone. But I have learned that I only find true satisfaction in the creating of the music, and not in the pay. So if i loose money to make it right, I usually do. The big $$$'s are in the performing and selling, not in the recording. If you can live with that, you'll enjoy this life. If not, a different path may be that way to go. (I tell everyone that little pearl)

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[gerax]

Hi

I'm just a step ahead of you since I moved on from my assistant days just one year from now; my worse mistakes?

1) Erasing 2 secs of a 32 trks song (on Mitsubishi X850) while doing a punch in (my first one), luckily the band was still in and we re-recorded that song immediately, and it came out even better ( [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] )

2) Recording vocals with a nearby monitoring system turned up in the recording room: luckily the bleeding wasn't worse than the headphones'.

3) being rather messy with file menagement and studio keeping.

4) not keeping my mouth shut, and keeping it shut when not needed [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] .

As a freelance now an advice I can give you is to just watch closely and assist people with experience, because no matter how much theory and knowledge you have, the only way to make it as an engineer is to learn from the real world experience; watching how skilled and experienced people pull theirselves out of trouble will be worth a thousand books or theory lessons, and will make you avoid the most common pitfalls. In a technical-laden job as this one troubles are ordinary: the skilled engineer should be able to forsee them and be prepared (to me it's a key word now).

Best of luck

L.G. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[lwilliam]

Yep, my #1 mistake was talking too much or offering an opinion when NOT asked. Be a fly on the wall and try to anticipate needs. Listen how the main engineeer handles the politics.

[Mario C]

In general, a profitable skill is simply make the engineer look good.

This may be a poor example, but during my internship at a post house, the engineer was trying to connect a synth to his DAW. He somehow had the channel routed into itself, and for a moment created a feedback howl. While I was on the other side of the room, I quickly responded, "Sorry, my fault." (While it was obvious it wasn't.)

The engineer smiled and said, "You're going to go far."

My point is not that I'm going far (how far can one go in SLC?), but don't try to make yourself look great at the expense of others. These contacts will remember and repay in kind.

For technical advice, try this: make sure your routing is straight and monitor the correct source. We once recorded 10 minutes of silence in a foley session. We were monitoring the mic/input, and not the output from PT, and didn't notice the input wasn't assigned properly until we looked closely at the straight line waveforms. (Our walker was not amused.)

[digigirly]

I once erased a 30sec drumtake(12 tracks), while the band left the place
I repaired it overnight with my Akai s1000,( yes those days) beat by beat and tracks by track.
Next day the band didn't noticed anything, but after a few hours, I couldn't keep my mouth shut.
[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
and I was fired for this project.
So boys and girls, the main thing I learned is:
Keep your head on the road, and your hands on the wheel, but most important, keep your mouth shut. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

[deerock]

I have seen so many people screw so many things up.
My rule #1 is make the clients happy. They are your bread and butter. Even if it means giving them free time here and there.
My rule #2 is know editing inside and out. Know quick key strokes, etc. Then you can do anything else on the system or any other.
My rule #3 is to have fun with it. There is enough stress in the world.
My rule #4 is CHECK YOUR WORK, always. Once it goes out of your hands, it is in someone else's and they might have a few choice words about you, even if you made the smallest mistake.

Good luck

Derek Sample
Post FX, Inc.

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