Must The Engineer Like Your Music?

[Hobbayne]

We are on the lookout for a studio to lay a few demos down.
I dont want to go for the first place we see, but then again I dont want to get it done on the cheap.
Then I got this email from the drummer!

[i]Finding the right person to record the band is hard, we need someone who is into the music we play to be able to get the best out of it. No point picking someone who has been doing it for 40 years and they only like Jazz etc. We need someone who is into classic rock and not some long haired hippy!!![/i]

What does everyone think?

[Mykesbass]

An engineer is there to use his/her technical expertise. Sure a producer would need to like what you are doing but that's a whole other kettle of fish. (sorry, probably opened the door to a whole bunch of Basschat fish puns)

[Graham]

I think it's more important to find a producer/engineer who knows how to mix your music well - different genres present different challenges, which someone who'a specialised in your genre will be aware of and will have experience in mitigating.

If you can find someone who is both good and likes your music then all the better as they're more likely to take an interest in what you're playing and if it's working well.

Case in point when we were recording my old band's album:

Guitarist: "was that take alright?"
Producer: looks up from Ebay "don't know, wasn't listening"

[Chrismanbass]

Whats the purpose of the recording?

I think what he means is you need a professional ..... frankly most engineers won't tell you honestly if they like your music or not cause its not in their interest to

you're paying them so they're gonna say they do even if they don't

pick someone with a good cv if you can afford them yes having someone who works in the same genre as you guys will help but its not the be all and end all

if they are "just demos" then they need to be sufficient to be able to play to clients/ management and be presentable

imho you'll get far more bookings from a decent video of you playing than just going into a studio and recording some songs
because frankly pretty much anything can be dusted with "studio magic" and made to sound passable with the right amount of
time and money

Edited April 2, 2015 by Chrismanbass

[CamdenRob]

I'd say a good engineer will be experienced with most common styles... Classic rock isn't exactly an obscure unheard of genre and I would imagine any experienced studio engineer would have more than enough knowledge to get a recording up to a good standard. Only time I'd advise searching out something specific is if your doing some brand or other of extreme metal where your average rock music engineer wouldn't have a clue what sound you were going for.

Edited April 2, 2015 by CamdenRob

[uncle psychosis]

They don't have to like your music but they have to understand it.

[Fisheth]

As someone that's had a little experience in this area, I think it's important to get someone that is at least knowledgeable, but most engineers should be experienced enough to know what they're doing. However if you're working with a producer that calls the shots on everything from what mics you use to placements and arrangements. I think it's best to get someone that understands what you do.

[Drax]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1427973715' post='2736479']
Then I got this email from the drummer!

[i]Finding the right person to record the band is hard, we need someone who is into the music we play to be able to get the best out of it. No point picking someone who has been doing it for 40 years and they only like Jazz etc. We need someone who is into classic rock and not some long haired hippy!!![/i]

What does everyone think?
[/quote]

I think you should do what you want and not worry what a drummer thinks.

[lowdown]

Engineers don't like music, they just like the noise it makes.

[Old_Ben]

Most producers / engineers will put up samples of their work, you should think they were suitable for mixing / recording your band based on what you've heard of their work, or just don't choose to work with them?

[Lozz196]

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1427975981' post='2736535']
They don't have to like your music but they have to understand it.
[/quote]

That`s it for me. If they understand the genre, and how other bands in that genre sound, it`s basically a heads-up guide on what the end result should be.

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1427973715' post='2736479']
[i]We need someone who is into classic rock and not some long haired hippy!!![/i]

What does everyone think?
[/quote]

I think most long haired hippies are into classic rock
[size=4] [/size]

[Bilbo]

We are doing classic rock and don't want any hippes engineering it?

Like the 400,000 who were at Woodstck watching Ten Years After, Hendrix, Canned Heat, Santana, Grateful Dead, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Johnny Winter, Blood Sweat and Tears etc etc.

The first session I ever did with the BBC was engineered by a middle aged guy in a white lab coat. Sounded awersome.

[darkandrew]

I remember reading an article in Sound On Sound about the recording of New Order's "True Faith", in which Stephen Hague admitted that he wishes he'd put the bass more upfront in the mix but at the time he'd never heard the bass guitar played as a lead instrument. So going by that, I think it's probably fair to say that a good producer or engineer can record any genre competently but to get it spot on requires a familiarity with the nuances of the genre.

Edited April 3, 2015 by darkandrew

[spacey]

95% of what I have heard recorded from budget studios sounds the same.

[size=6][b]BAAAAAANG [/b][/size]loud in your face trying to grab your attention.
No space for bass tone, kick drum like a canon, compressed within in an inch of its life and at 20 seconds I hit the stop button.
Heard enough, loud band alert time.

one studio here invested in 24 track tape and old valve compressors and the sound is just magical, you can hear the bass tone and it sounds like a bass guitar !
Magical old school stuff.
The music has spaces, it has quite bits and dynamics missing from the generic American Mosh bang bang bang loud mix school of recording

Edited April 3, 2015 by spacey

[mike257]

Most good engineers/producers I know get their kicks from working with talented bands who do what they're doing well, moreso than honing in on a narrow genre. One of the best guys I know is building himself a really diverse portfolio but is also a great guy, easygoing and professional so people like working with him - this side of things is just as if not more important. You need someone who you can work with and have an honest exchange of opinions and ideas in a constructive way.