The 4 Ups for Young Recording Engineers

So, you have spent thousands of dollars building an education in recording arts and science. Now you enter the marketplace expecting to be paid, how foolish are you. Do you even know how to make coffee?

The recording studio business is a customer service business. If you can't service your customers past the esoteric mechanical skills you developed at school, you ain't got shizzle.

In the world of professional recording studio operations, seasoned folks, with over twenty years in, witness an emerging trend. It's a trend of people entering our business without any concept of customer service beyond their ability to deliver a product by performing basic recording studio operational functions. 

Some candidates emerge to become uncouth, unrefined machines looking to become famous, wealthy or actually believe the trade school ad that reads "Work Less, Earn More". It shows a recording engineer sitting at a recording console, touching it with both hands, staring aimlessly into the abyss of notoriety. 
Here are the 4 Ups us old folks learned as young people in the record industry:
  • First Up:   Listen Up ...Listen to the seasoned people in your business ...they are your history, the builders of the path you walk on, your torch.
  • Second Up:   Clean Up ...that is your job, your space speaks volumes about you and the respect you have for yourself.
  • Third Up:   Stand Up ...Take ownership in wherever you land, make it your studio, your home. Protect what it yours.
  • Forth Up:   Shut Up ...How are ya going to learn anything if you are always trying to convince others that your cool and knowledgeable? Shut up and make coffee.
It's then that the light of the past will illuminate the path into your future ...the vacuum cleaner.
next up ... Cool Plug-in's 

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Table of Contents

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It's All in the Talkback For Tom Cody ...and Bruiser ~Welcome to the Show~ Lessons learned from life on the other side of the glass. 1)      The 4 Ups 2)      Cool Plug ins: How do you know? 3)      Cool Plug ins: Its Level 4)      Hang ~Around the Campfire @ The Old School Music House~   A combined 200 years of audio engineering experience sitting around a campfire. 1)      Getting there   2)      Digital / Analog Warriors   3)      How do you know? Call Chips   4)      People knowledge. A lost treasure?   5)      Romantics vs Classics   6)      How did we learn? Under fire     7)      I'm out      ~The Show~ 50 Years of How I Mix Music 00)      3 Screens 01)      Whadda ya need?   02)      Color   03)      The Meat   04)      Raising Faders   05)      Bass & Drums 06)      Blending Drums 07)      Drums ...You or me?   08)      Drums ...How big is your window?   09)      Snare drum ...Loudness   10)      Mixing Overheads   11)      Mixing Bass   12)      Whaaat?? 1-5 summ
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Hang

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