Audio effects and persistence - Posted on 2016-05-03 by Nicole Thorp

At this point in the program I've developed somewhat of a consistent routine in terms of when i go to the studio and what i do while i am there. Right now I'm averaging one lesson a week, one to two sessions that i assist on (tracking mostly), and going in and interning for the rehearsal facility whenever i can. I think it's extremely important to log in the hours wherever you have an interest in working at because 1. it shows the other staff and manager/owner that you are committed and 2. you get invaluable experience that you won't get in a regular classroom. I've been able to see firsthand what being involved in the music industry is like, I've been able to see other staff troubleshoot problems and improvise when something unexpected happens, and i have been introduced to how things work in the studio as well as how to setup, run equipment, and interact with clients. It's just unreal how far i have come since i started in January. I literally started from the ground up and I'm now starting to see how my hard work is benefiting me. 

To me, not just anyone can be an audio engineer. Don't get me wrong, if this is your dream go for it because it was mine and i went right after it but i do believe it takes a specific set of skills to succeed in this career path. You have to be technically inclined, have a great ear, be creatively competent, and know how to deal with the array of clients that walk through the door. There's no formula on how to do this right, sure there is a guideline that you can go by that will lead you in the right direction but learning all that goes into this career is definitely something that takes years of practice and actually making it to the point where you can get paid for your services is a whole other hurdle. One thing that i admire about Pierre is that he doesn't sugar coat things, he told me that it isn't going to be easy and you will encounter bumps in the road but it didn't phase me because i know what I'm capable of and i know what my heart is set on. I've always been goal-oriented and had the motivation to achieve the things that i set my mind to. The end of this course is approaching but in all actuality it's just the beginning for me. 

This lesson was geared toward time-based effects. Pierre demoed time based effects for me. I brought up a mix that i have been working on for a while on the board and he showed me how to setup delays and reverbs properly as well as the different delay and reverb plugins he uses on sessions. He also explained to me the differences between using time-based effects as a send and an insert and what situations you might use each of them. We also went over flanging, phasing, and chorusing which were interesting to see put into action on vocals. I then pulled up a different session which was a nice light folk inspired acoustic guitar song with two different female vocals. Pierre had me patch in two of the different outboard compressors so i could see the difference between them. After the lesson i stayed in the studio and worked on the mix, using the different compressors to craft a sound that was really nice and complimented the acoustic nature of the song well. These past three lessons have been so fun for me because I've had the opportunity to use the studio and get to know the equipment and use it so i can get more experience which is great. 

I also came in and interned at the facility and helped out with setting up for a party that was happening that night in the live room. I also worked on some soldering skills and fixed some TRS and XLR cables. I like to do this whenever i can simply because I'm new at soldering and i think it's a good thing to have basic understanding of electronics and cables especially. I did some basic tasks like making sure the rehearsal rooms were in order, getting some equipment for the bands that came in to practice, and straightening up the rooms at the end of the night. Like i mentioned earlier, it's important to me to log in these hours because it shows commitment and it gives me the chance to learn something new every time I'm there which is what I'm there for! I wish i could see where I'll be two, four, or even six months from now but that's the mystery of the journey right? I do know that if i continue with my hard work, persistence, and dedication to what I'm doing my future is going to be very bright.