How much of a musician do you need to be?

[charliemantica]

I know there is no right or wrong answer to this question, but many people have told me that it is necessary to have at least some musical training to be a recording engineer. In my case, I know some guitar, piano, drums, and can read some. I have only very basic knowledge of these instruments. My question goes to those who have done a few recordings, do you think that knowledge of musical theory is necessary?
I plan to learn more about music as i go along, but i am afraid that having little knowledge about this will not let me be the best recording engineer I can be.
Any thoughts??

[BushmasterM4]

Originally Posted by charliemantica

I know there is no right or wrong answer to this question, but many people have told me that it is necessary to have at least some musical training to be a recording engineer. In my case, I know some guitar, piano, drums, and can read some. I have only very basic knowledge of these instruments. My question goes to those who have done a few recordings, do you think that knowledge of musical theory is necessary?
I plan to learn more about music as i go along, but i am afraid that having little knowledge about this will not let me be the best recording engineer I can be.
Any thoughts??

Nope !!! I dont know an "C" chord from an "G". Cant read music at all. I know chords, but not the name. I cant tell you what key something is in either. And I still manage to play and record my own stuff. I just figure it out by ear. I may not be the greatest, but with what I have I do all right. Dont get me wrong, I would love to learn to read music and some day may. But my ears seem to do me fine for now. Plus the "old dog" rule applies to me. And even most sound engineers cant play well, if at all.

[the.blode]

I don't think you need to be a musician; but it certainly helps.

I was a musician long before I was an engineer - but now that my engineering has taken on a more important role I find myself becoming less technically adept at my instrument/s. This is only due to the lack of time available to practise. For some reason, my compositional skills are far better than they were when I was just a musician.

My main problem is; if I'm not a musician I have nothing to engineer. My studio isn't marketable in its current condition and it won't be for quite a while. so I HAVE to be a musician if I want to engineer anything.

[brandondrury]

I was a musician long before I was an engineer - but now that my engineering has taken on a more important role I find myself becoming less technically adept at my instrument/s. This is only due to the lack of time available to practise. For some reason, my compositional skills are far better than they were when I was just a musician.

We are EXACTLY the same in this regard!

The guy that produced Radiohead's The Bends (great record) had never played an instrument in his life when he recorded that album. I think this sums it up.

It's easy to think that you need this prerequisite before moving on to this task. Producing doesn't work that way. Not at all. Producers are so wildly different from one another. A great example of this is watching the Smashing Pumpkins work with Butch Vig and then watching them work with Flood. Butch Vig is a robo perfectionist in the technical sense. Flood is much more about vibe and mood. Which one is right? Who cares! Both have cranked out albums that excite me.

Going back to the original question, I don't know a damn thing about drums. I don't really know what a rudiment is. Hell, I confuse a crash and a ride sometimes. However, I can speak in terms that may not be technical but I can say "bigger", "slower", "busier" and things of that sort to convey whatever the hell I actually mean.

Then again, with guitar stuff, I'm usually knowledgeable than the guy I'm recording (but not always, thank God!). It's convenient knowing the right time to reach for a Dynacomp or EQ pedal. I don't think a drummer engineer dude would be as up on that.

Brandon

[scribe]

Hey there,
I think it helps with communication with muso's during a recording session and also sometimes they will look at you for ideas and it is cool to either be able to articulate it or play it.

Cheers