An Engineer's Day

What do you need to be an audio engineer?

You'll need headphones, a computer, a microphone, a mixer, some talent or a degree, and the most important ingredient is that you'll need more patience then a doctor(pun not intended).

Being an engineer may appear to be a dream job to most, but, the truth is that it's just as frustrating as any other job. It has the same process that all businesses use. Which is that we have something that other people need(equipment and people that know how to use it), then comes clients who demand it(artists).  You deal with the same presonality groups as any other place. An engineer isn't always going to be making the music of tommarrow. Most of the time its going to be songs you won't like at all, but, they are paying clients and like any other job you will have to do thing you wont want to. You will also have difficult clients where you'll have to record the same parts of a song over and over, and it will get frustrating but you have to do your best to not loose your cool. Most sessions will run anywhere from 3 to 8 hours for one client.

After the recording process there is a matter of mixing and mastering a song, which is where the engineer must make sure all the volumes of the vocals to the intrumental are right. This is the process where the engineers talent comes in to place. They must add to vocals what makes them sound the best with the instumental; several distortions, reverb, and delays are the basics.

So overall it's not as glamerous as people might think. It's alot of hard work and people should appreciate the time and effort an engineer puts into a song.

-Ramon

The Fabulous Life of Music

   Flash, flash, goes the camera. The crowd roars your name. A bead of sweat leaves your forehead. You raise your head to see thousands of your fans clamoring to hear your next word.

Sounds good huh? But, what happens after?

   You wake up in your bed and your back to your self proclaimed mediocre life. This is the truth of the music business for most. What I have experienced in music is that most of what we hear in movies or from television or on our radio's is music mostly from artist's who are bound by the politics of this business. To make it in a business like this 85% of what you are to the people is your image, not your talent. I have been doing music for some time and have met some of the most amazing instrumentalists and singers. But, due to the politics of music these people, who can rattle the music industry, will stay underground and remain unnoticed.

    Some of our most beloved artists don't even make most of their own music or lyrics. The industry has many writers and composers who will give their hard work to an artist with a prettier face.

    Do some of you feel offended? I know I do, but, what can one do about a problem like this. All we can do is sit and watch good talent be milked for all its worth without any recognition. And this is the Not-So Fabulous Life of Music.

-Ramon De La Cruz

Let's Get Started

   Hmm, where to begin. I know I have a pretty general topic as far as blogging goes, but, where I should start is the part that leaves me a bit perplexed.

  I suppose I should start with my name. They call me Ramon and I love music. I know you can throw a rock into a crowd of people and hit at least ten people who would be guilty of the same, so I guess my next item of business is to talk about what makes me different or special if you will in regards to music.

   I make music in a large number of genre's, I have an appreciation for all artist, I love the history of music, and I have a full understanding as to it's effects on indivuduals and the masses. I listen to music from the rhythic styles of latin style music to some of our classical music composers.

  Throughout this time I will continue to blog more personal things to me about music and other aspects of it as well.

And that should do it for an intro

-Ramon De La Cruz