Studio Do's and Don'ts for a newbie Recording Intern

Max_H

Max_H

Inspired
Hey everyone,

In January I will be moving to Iceland to intern at a beautiful studio in Reykjavik (the capital) and it will be my first time interning in such a "formal" or "professional" setting. I was wondering from everyone else's experience what are some solid "good"/"no-good" things that a new guy in the industry would benefit from knowing?

I know for the most part I will be cleaning, setting up mics, getting coffee, going on food runs etc etc but I also know that the idea is that after 3 months I will be begin to do more important work with the music.

Any and all advice is welcome.
 
I don't know about Icelandic studio recording customs, but I do know NY studio recording customs. Hopefully these hints are applicable, check with your studio manager to be sure:

  • Be early and make sure everything the engineer, producer, or owner likes to see happens (e.g. bathroom clean, rugs vacuumed, windows spotless).
  • Document everything - whether it is sandwich orders for who gets which one, mic didtance and angle on the snare, to the absolute time for each part of a song- it may seem minor but those little thing keep sessions running like well oiled machines.
  • Memorize the patch bay as soon as you can. If there is physical outboard gear, the sooner you can know it like the bavk of your hand and not make mistakes patching, the quicker you move up the ladder of trust.
  • Be invisible and don't give opinions in front of the client. If the client asks for you opinion always defer to the producer or engineer. If you are not sure who to defer to ask your staff engineer or manager before the session.
  • Learn mic placement and document it. If you are setting up a mic for vocals, always ask the staff for the session whether the vocalist sings up at the mic, straight ahead, or down and prepare the mic accordingly.
  • If you mess something up in front of the talent where the engineer or producer gives you the look, politely, sincerely, and briefly apologize and move on. No need to dwell on bad things that can stop the flow of the session. If there is a lesson to be learned you will hear about it after the session.
  • Time is money, so you always want to work accurately and quickly no matter if you are picking up food, taking the trash out, setting up gobos etc.
  • If you don't know how to do something, you need to let your boss know discretely.
  • Learn the art of whispering.
  • What happens in the studio stays in the studio.
  • Synthesizers do not mix well with phantom power. Neither does outboard gear. If ever asked to plug them into mic preamps, make sure phantom power is defeated.
  • The answer to the studio boss is always yes unless he truly asks for your opinion on the side.
Following these rules, I was able to survive a great many years working in a commercial recording studio.

Know your studio's culture and live it.
 
Also if a drummer brings in his own drums and you are asked to mic them up:

  • Keep track of which mic is plugged into which input for a particular drum.
  • Note which mics require phantom power so that if you need to let the engineer or producer know, the info is at your fingertips.
  • Use the drum skins as your guide of if it's safe and unsafe to place mics. Any place on the skin where you see wear, not good to have a mic there. You want the mic close to the action to pick up the hit without getting hit.
I hope this helps.

If I can be of any other assistance, please feel free to PM me.
 
Hey, Max. Congrats on landing the internship and the upcoming move! Being a studio owner who's had both good and bad interns, I can give you some advice on the important stuff. Although almost none of it is specifically music related. It's all pretty much common sense and professionalism. So here it goes...Be on time. Always. Period. You're probably gonna find that many clients are not going to adhere to this rule, but YOU have to. Not fair, but it just is what it is. This will go a long way towards earning the studio owner/head engineer's respect and trust. Know when to speak and when to save a question for later. Carry a notebook for these occasions. If you have a question for the engineer about some part of the process, but it's in the heat of "battle", write it down and ask it after the session is over. The session can't pause because you're wondering why the engineer used this compression ratio vs a different one. Again, this will be appreciated. And most engineers will be happy to answer any questions you may have during downtime. Be friendly with the clients, but not overly so. You want to give them a sense that you know what you're doing and can be trusted, but a session can turn into a "hangout" very quickly if it seems more like friends just shooting the shit. Always work sober. Period. Clients may offer you a number of recreational beverages or substances during the course of a session. It's never done with bad intent, but just politely decline. You have to keep your head in the game and you want a clear head when a problem arises. (And it will) Don't be afraid to ask questions (at the proper time) or answer questions as long as you're sure of the answer. Be thorough in whatever task you're assigned. Doesn't matter if it's setting up mics, cleaning the bathroom, or taking a food order. Treat it like the most important job on the planet. It will not go unnoticed. Treat the studio and the gear contained within as if it were your own. (Hopefully, you treat your gear well. Lol) These are just a few things that I look for in the interns that we have from time to time. Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them for you. Congrats again, and good luck! You've got an opportunity, now it's all about what you do with it.

Oh, one more thing...NEVER apply phantom power to a passive ribbon mic. Ever. Just...don't. LOL
 
Haha that last one :D

Dr Bonkers, thank you so much for that advice. I'll be sure to keep all of that in mind in a few days when I start. Essentially, sit down, shut up, work hard and be professional. I think I can handle that. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous but with my correspondence with the Owner/Head Engineer he seems like a nice guy who wont rip me to shreds if I fuck up.

Jiffzilla thank you as well for your advice. All of the info in this thread is going to be immensely helpful towards proving that I'm an intelligent and trustworthy dude that one can rely on.

Welp, I leave on the 2nd and start work on the 4th... wish me luck ladies and gents and you all have a wonderful New Year's.
 
Max_H said:
Haha that last one :D

Dr Bonkers, thank you so much for that advice. I'll be sure to keep all of that in mind in a few days when I start. Essentially, sit down, shut up, work hard and be professional. I think I can handle that. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous but with my correspondence with the Owner/Head Engineer he seems like a nice guy who wont rip me to shreds if I **** up.

Jiffzilla thank you as well for your advice. All of the info in this thread is going to be immensely helpful towards proving that I'm an intelligent and trustworthy dude that one can rely on.

Welp, I leave on the 2nd and start work on the 4th... wish me luck ladies and gents and you all have a wonderful New Year's.
Click to expand...
Good luck. Drop me a line if you need some advice or cheerleading.
 
Good luck Max. Wow, going from Lincoln to Reykjavik is going to be quite a change. At least you're accustomed to the cold, lol. Have fun!
 
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