Real-Life Communication -- Solution
Here's what you can tell the band:
I
understand your concerns. This is a small studio. However, let me assure you
that we can create that big room sound.
If we were recording the drums
in a big room, we would put the mics about 20 feet away from the drum set.
To get the same effect, we're going to use a delay.
Sound travels
about one foot per millisecond. So, to simulate a distance of 20 feet, we'll
use a delay of 20 milliseconds.
We can adjust the delay until it sounds
just right. It will sound just like we're in a big room.
Communication
skills are "paramount" for recording engineers, according to Jason Wright.
He owns his own studio and production company.
"They're paramount,
not just having to deal with the actual audio engineering, but having to deal
with customers, doing sales, dealing with the plant," he says. "I'm having
to communicate with everybody, from people I've known for 10 years to
people I have to cold call on the telephone."
Recording engineers work
with a lot of complicated equipment. You have to explain how it works to your
clients. You also have to assure them that you're the best person for
the job.
"You have to explain to people who know nothing about sound
or recording what it is that you do, and why what you do is better than what
other people do," Wright says. "Probably the most important part of the job,
even more so than the actual recording, is explaining to people how it works."