Re: I need to get vaguely proficient with pro tools
well the guy who asked about PT is looking for an assistant who can handle that stuff. The idea is for me to eventually handle sessions without him. so if i'm not specifically going to be just an engineer, is it strange to have some producer duties? In my talks with the fellow what kind of questions should i ask about his motives and such and what should i look for should i go for a face to face interview and see his studio? (if he has his own, didnt mention)
Gonna try to keep it short... its a deep subject and I really don't have the time to get into it here... nor is a web forum really the proper medium... so, having said that...
Everyone will have their own expectations and motivations... much like anything else in life. I can't tell you what anyone else expects, and a lot of that is going to depend on how big the shop is and how busy they are... the type of sessions and all that stuff.
One thing I can say though, is that if I'm hiring an assistant... and this holds true for a lot of people... is that if the person is hired into the gig, we expect them to be proficient with at least one major DAW; be able to find their way around a studio, have a fairly good sense of proper etiquette in a professional recording environment AND some idea of how to properly run a session. Among other traits...
On the other hand, I'd expect a hell of a lot less from an intern... to the point where they can identify an XLR from an instrument cable, be able to stick mics on stands, and take direction well enough to not fukk up the food order. Anything else is a bonus, and usually the less they know the better.
Either way, there shouldn't be more then a week or two of hand-holding... if it goes much beyond that point & the person can't swim they'll be replaced with another warm body. There's a lot more rekkordin' skool grads then available positions in the industry... probably 50 to 1 if not way higher, so the low man really has to make a great impression.
Lastly... and sort of another topic but not really... It's ALWAYS (or at least should be) the producers gig to cut takes together and tune vocals on their clients project. Think about that for a second...
If I found out that someone was doing that stuff on one of my productions without my knowledge, and/or without me being present there would be NO END to the hell that would be unleashed.
Most all of the really great producers don't trust anyone else enough for those crucial tasks. Eno... Barresi... Bryce Goggin...
The assistant gets to make backups & do lots of other things like run rough mixes but NEVER cutting drums or any sort of editing without supervision.
I realize its becoming somewhat commonplace but IMNSHO that's one of the major problems with 'modern' record making.
Peace.
