Craft and Process
Posted on | April 30, 2009 | 5 Comments
I’ve recently been having some online conversations with Kavi Alexander, one of my recording gurus. He shared his opinion about the state of audio recording with this paraphrased statement: “This type of Master of the Guild no longer exists…no real MEN, but mere boys.”
He was referring to the dedication and skill in creating high-quality audio, something that is in short supply in the world of MP3 and plug-ins. Listen to some of his recordings, and you’ll understand what he’s talking about.
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From Ohm to Om reflects the opinions of mastering engineer Paul Abbott, owner of San Diego's ZenMastering.
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April 30th, 2009 @ 1:54 pm
“…high-quality audio, something that is in short supply in the world of MP3 and plug-ins”
I thought you are a avid user of plug-ins Paul
April 30th, 2009 @ 2:45 pm
Brendan — I am…of what I consider to the best of the best…and usually ones I’ve had a hand in designing.
In general, plug-ins exist for convenience, not quality. And once you’ve heard great recordings done with the best gear (generally analog) you start to realize how far we’ve slid down the path of convenience.
April 30th, 2009 @ 3:51 pm
I know I agree… but having a studio/home studio full of boutique pres, eqs, compressors and tape machines will only be possible for many when we we win the lottery so i guess we’ll have to make do….but I also agree it is not just the equipment being used (plug-ins) or compressed file types he is talking about – It’s the art of the audio engineer – the craft is also going by the way side and no amount of great analog gear and high-res formats can save that
April 30th, 2009 @ 4:05 pm
Brendan — Agreed. I think specifically he was talking about equipment manufacturers (of the Stellavox and Nagra ilk), but your point is well placed. I was only using plug-ins and MP3s as an example of convenience vs. craft. Hopefully everyone who reads this blog knows that I feel the craft person is more important than the tool. And we are in the digital age. We just need to find a way to make sure quality is a priority in digital sound.
May 1st, 2009 @ 12:20 pm
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