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What do you do? [message #89385] Thu, 06 September 2007 22:04 Go to next message
Gantt Kushner is currently offline  Gantt Kushner   
Messages: 545
Registered: June 2006
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland, ...
Senior Member

When you give a client a bunch of rough mixes and he/she thinks they sound
so good that they must be almost done (like, maybe only another 15 or 20
minutes of work, 30 tops) but you haven't done ANY of the things that you
know need to be done to a good sounding finished mix, like using some nice
sounding plugins, setting up some automation to keep voices and solos on
top of the music and maybe even (God forbid!!!) tuning a note here and there.
And then they find out that the GOOD mixes take an hour or two or even three,
never mind the big production numbers that eat up 8 or 9 hours of editing
and mixing time and STILL need some tweaking to be "just right".

Most of my clients sweat at least a little blood for every dollar they pay
me. I have to try to strike a ballance between what I want and what they
need. I had one project where I just gave up on doing all my fancy mix tricks.
I slapped my UAD-1 plugs and my Waves plugs on a few tunes and he came back
saying "I like the rough mixes better".

So... What do you do?

Gantt


Gantt Kushner
Gizmo Recording Company
Silver Spring, MD
www.gizmorecording.com
Re: What do you do? [message #89388 is a reply to message #89385] Thu, 06 September 2007 22:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Neil is currently offline  Neil
Messages: 1645
Registered: April 2006
Senior Member
"Gantt Kushner" <ganttmann@comcast.net> wrote:
>Most of my clients sweat at least a little blood for every dollar they pay
>me. I have to try to strike a ballance between what I want and what they
>need.

What do you mean by what you want? Do you mean what you want
in terms of payment for the work, or what you want in terms of
what you think the finished product could or should sound like?

Neil
Re: What do you do? [message #89400 is a reply to message #89385] Fri, 07 September 2007 02:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
John [1] is currently offline  John [1]
Messages: 2229
Registered: September 2005
Senior Member
don't give them rough mixes and tell them Mutt Lange spends two weeks on each
song and ask them if they would like to have half a billion dollars too?
Re: What do you do? [message #89402 is a reply to message #89385] Fri, 07 September 2007 03:06 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rick is currently offline  rick   UNITED STATES
Messages: 1976
Registered: February 2006
Senior Member
show them this post.



On 7 Sep 2007 15:04:18 +1000, "Gantt Kushner" <ganttmann@comcast.net>
wrote:

>
>When you give a client a bunch of rough mixes and he/she thinks they sound
>so good that they must be almost done (like, maybe only another 15 or 20
>minutes of work, 30 tops) but you haven't done ANY of the things that you
>know need to be done to a good sounding finished mix, like using some nice
>sounding plugins, setting up some automation to keep voices and solos on
>top of the music and maybe even (God forbid!!!) tuning a note here and there.
> And then they find out that the GOOD mixes take an hour or two or even three,
> never mind the big production numbers that eat up 8 or 9 hours of editing
>and mixing time and STILL need some tweaking to be "just right".
>
>Most of my clients sweat at least a little blood for every dollar they pay
>me. I have to try to strike a ballance between what I want and what they
>need. I had one project where I just gave up on doing all my fancy mix tricks.
> I slapped my UAD-1 plugs and my Waves plugs on a few tunes and he came back
>saying "I like the rough mixes better".
>
>So... What do you do?
>
>Gantt
Re: What do you do? [message #89404 is a reply to message #89402] Fri, 07 September 2007 04:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Rod Lincoln is currently offline  Rod Lincoln
Messages: 883
Registered: September 2005
Senior Member
good one! seriously
rod
rick <parnell68@hotmail.com> wrote:
>show them this post.
>
>
>
>On 7 Sep 2007 15:04:18 +1000, "Gantt Kushner" <ganttmann@comcast.net>
>wrote:
>
>>
>>When you give a client a bunch of rough mixes and he/she thinks they sound
>>so good that they must be almost done (like, maybe only another 15 or 20
>>minutes of work, 30 tops) but you haven't done ANY of the things that you
>>know need to be done to a good sounding finished mix, like using some nice
>>sounding plugins, setting up some automation to keep voices and solos on
>>top of the music and maybe even (God forbid!!!) tuning a note here and
there.
>> And then they find out that the GOOD mixes take an hour or two or even
three,
>> never mind the big production numbers that eat up 8 or 9 hours of editing
>>and mixing time and STILL need some tweaking to be "just right".
>>
>>Most of my clients sweat at least a little blood for every dollar they
pay
>>me. I have to try to strike a ballance between what I want and what they
>>need. I had one project where I just gave up on doing all my fancy mix
tricks.
>> I slapped my UAD-1 plugs and my Waves plugs on a few tunes and he came
back
>>saying "I like the rough mixes better".
>>
>>So... What do you do?
>>
>>Gantt
>
Re: What do you do? [message #89407 is a reply to message #89388] Fri, 07 September 2007 06:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Gantt Kushner is currently offline  Gantt Kushner   
Messages: 545
Registered: June 2006
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland, ...
Senior Member

I meant what I want the mixes to sound like!

Gantt

"Neil" <OIUOIU@OIU.com> wrote:

>
>What do you mean by what you want? Do you mean what you want
>in terms of payment for the work, or what you want in terms of
>what you think the finished product could or should sound like?
>
>Neil


Gantt Kushner
Gizmo Recording Company
Silver Spring, MD
www.gizmorecording.com
Re: What do you do? [message #89413 is a reply to message #89400] Fri, 07 September 2007 07:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Robert is currently offline  Robert   CANADA
Messages: 127
Registered: May 2007
Senior Member
Speaking of Mutt Lange, does anyone know if there is anything written about
his style of working, techniques, biography, Shania's br..... oops, got side
tracked there......!!!

Rob




"John" <no@no.com> wrote in message news:46e11f72$1@linux...
>
> don't give them rough mixes and tell them Mutt Lange spends two weeks on
> each
> song and ask them if they would like to have half a billion dollars too?
Re: What do you do? [message #89414 is a reply to message #89385] Fri, 07 September 2007 07:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
TCB is currently offline  TCB
Messages: 1261
Registered: July 2007
Senior Member
Take the song that would be the easiest to get sounding the way you think
it should. Mix it (for free) and give them a copy. Tell them that while of
course they're welcome to use the rough mixes--it's their music and money
after all--you think a more polished version sounds better.

TCB

"Gantt Kushner" <ganttmann@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>When you give a client a bunch of rough mixes and he/she thinks they sound
>so good that they must be almost done (like, maybe only another 15 or 20
>minutes of work, 30 tops) but you haven't done ANY of the things that you
>know need to be done to a good sounding finished mix, like using some nice
>sounding plugins, setting up some automation to keep voices and solos on
>top of the music and maybe even (God forbid!!!) tuning a note here and there.
> And then they find out that the GOOD mixes take an hour or two or even
three,
> never mind the big production numbers that eat up 8 or 9 hours of editing
>and mixing time and STILL need some tweaking to be "just right".
>
>Most of my clients sweat at least a little blood for every dollar they pay
>me. I have to try to strike a ballance between what I want and what they
>need. I had one project where I just gave up on doing all my fancy mix tricks.
> I slapped my UAD-1 plugs and my Waves plugs on a few tunes and he came
back
>saying "I like the rough mixes better".
>
>So... What do you do?
>
>Gantt
Re: What do you do? [message #89415 is a reply to message #89413] Fri, 07 September 2007 07:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Don Nafe is currently offline  Don Nafe   UNITED STATES
Messages: 1206
Registered: July 2005
Senior Member
"Rob Arsenault" <mani1147athotmaildotcom> wrote in message
news:46e15c68@linux...
> Speaking of Mutt Lange, does anyone know if there is anything written
> about his style of working, techniques, biography, Shania's br..... oops,
> got side tracked there......!!!
>
> Rob
>
>

From what I hear they're impressive
Re: What do you do? [message #89419 is a reply to message #89385] Fri, 07 September 2007 08:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Carl Amburn is currently offline  Carl Amburn   UNITED STATES
Messages: 214
Registered: July 2005
Senior Member
This is a tricky on Gantt. I've run into this before. Now, I just make
project arrangements beforehand so that it doesn't happen. Letting the
roughs go is cheaper for the client, but you will potentially look better
(advertise your talents/studio) - and them too!!!! - if you can "mix" them
up. I would just talk to them and explain it best you can - but if they
can't hear the difference OR think it's worth it, then it's not gonna be in
your interest to hassle them about it, and you should just let it go. Maybe
ask them to give you proper credit that perhaps mentions that it wasn't
mixed.

good luck,
-Carl


"Gantt Kushner" <ganttmann@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:46e0dbd2$1@linux...
>
> When you give a client a bunch of rough mixes and he/she thinks they sound
> so good that they must be almost done (like, maybe only another 15 or 20
> minutes of work, 30 tops) but you haven't done ANY of the things that you
> know need to be done to a good sounding finished mix, like using some nice
> sounding plugins, setting up some automation to keep voices and solos on
> top of the music and maybe even (God forbid!!!) tuning a note here and
there.
> And then they find out that the GOOD mixes take an hour or two or even
three,
> never mind the big production numbers that eat up 8 or 9 hours of editing
> and mixing time and STILL need some tweaking to be "just right".
>
> Most of my clients sweat at least a little blood for every dollar they pay
> me. I have to try to strike a ballance between what I want and what they
> need. I had one project where I just gave up on doing all my fancy mix
tricks.
> I slapped my UAD-1 plugs and my Waves plugs on a few tunes and he came
back
> saying "I like the rough mixes better".
>
> So... What do you do?
>
> Gantt
Re: What do you do? [message #89424 is a reply to message #89413] Fri, 07 September 2007 09:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Nei is currently offline  Nei
Messages: 108
Registered: November 2006
Senior Member
"Rob Arsenault" <mani1147athotmaildotcom> wrote:
>Speaking of Mutt Lange, does anyone know if there is anything written about

>his style of working, techniques, biography, Shania's br..... oops, got
side
>tracked there......!!!

Gearslutz has a pretty decent thread with Mike Shipley wherein
a number of people ask him about this, he doens't really give
anything away, but he does mention a few specific items of
interest.

Neil
Re: What do you do? [message #89441 is a reply to message #89419] Fri, 07 September 2007 13:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Gantt Kushner is currently offline  Gantt Kushner   
Messages: 545
Registered: June 2006
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland, ...
Senior Member

A long time ago I had a friend who told to never make a rough mix sound too
good. His premise was that sometimes people would like the roughs so much
that they wouldn't even come back for the finished mixes. And this was
back in the cassette days! I once had a client who I had co-produced who
reneged on our deal threaten to take rough mixes to mastering when we refused
to give him the final mixes. We finally caved just to keep the inferior
mixes from getting released.

Gantt

"Carl Amburn" <carlamburn@hotNOSPAMmail.com> wrote:
>This is a tricky on Gantt. I've run into this before. Now, I just make
>project arrangements beforehand so that it doesn't happen. Letting the
>roughs go is cheaper for the client, but you will potentially look better
>(advertise your talents/studio) - and them too!!!! - if you can "mix" them
>up. I would just talk to them and explain it best you can - but if they
>can't hear the difference OR think it's worth it, then it's not gonna be
in
>your interest to hassle them about it, and you should just let it go. Maybe
>ask them to give you proper credit that perhaps mentions that it wasn't
>mixed.
>
>good luck,
>-Carl
>
>
>"Gantt Kushner" <ganttmann@comcast.net> wrote in message
>news:46e0dbd2$1@linux...
>>
>> When you give a client a bunch of rough mixes and he/she thinks they sound
>> so good that they must be almost done (like, maybe only another 15 or
20
>> minutes of work, 30 tops) but you haven't done ANY of the things that
you
>> know need to be done to a good sounding finished mix, like using some
nice
>> sounding plugins, setting up some automation to keep voices and solos
on
>> top of the music and maybe even (God forbid!!!) tuning a note here and
>there.
>> And then they find out that the GOOD mixes take an hour or two or even
>three,
>> never mind the big production numbers that eat up 8 or 9 hours of editing
>> and mixing time and STILL need some tweaking to be "just right".
>>
>> Most of my clients sweat at least a little blood for every dollar they
pay
>> me. I have to try to strike a ballance between what I want and what they
>> need. I had one project where I just gave up on doing all my fancy mix
>tricks.
>> I slapped my UAD-1 plugs and my Waves plugs on a few tunes and he came
>back
>> saying "I like the rough mixes better".
>>
>> So... What do you do?
>>
>> Gantt
>
>


Gantt Kushner
Gizmo Recording Company
Silver Spring, MD
www.gizmorecording.com
Re: What do you do? [message #89447 is a reply to message #89441] Fri, 07 September 2007 14:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
neil[1] is currently offline  neil[1]
Messages: 164
Registered: October 2006
Senior Member
"Gantt Kushner" <ganttmann@comcast.net> wrote:
>I once had a client who I had co-produced who
>reneged on our deal threaten to take rough mixes to mastering when we refused
>to give him the final mixes. We finally caved just to keep the inferior
>mixes from getting released.

This is how you prevent that from ever happening (or, for that
matter, also prevent someone from being so happy with the
roughs that they don't want to come back for a final):

http://www.voxengo.com/product/beeper/

I used it recently on a commercial that had to be sent out for
approval prior to payment. Wrote right on the CD that it
was "beep-encoded" so there was no suprise or shock on the
client side when they heard two little beeps in their 30-second
spot.

Neil
Re: What do you do? [message #89460 is a reply to message #89447] Fri, 07 September 2007 18:06 Go to previous message
Gantt Kushner is currently offline  Gantt Kushner   
Messages: 545
Registered: June 2006
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland, ...
Senior Member

Way cool!

"Neil" <IOUOIU@OIU.com> wrote:

>
>This is how you prevent that from ever happening (or, for that
>matter, also prevent someone from being so happy with the
>roughs that they don't want to come back for a final):
>
>http://www.voxengo.com/product/beeper/
>
>I used it recently on a commercial that had to be sent out for
>approval prior to payment. Wrote right on the CD that it
>was "beep-encoded" so there was no suprise or shock on the
>client side when they heard two little beeps in their 30-second
>spot.
>
>Neil


Gantt Kushner
Gizmo Recording Company
Silver Spring, MD
www.gizmorecording.com
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