Interesting article about Prince's audio engineer

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/nov/09/princes-sound-engineer-susan-rogers-he-needed-to-be-the-alpha-male-to-get-things-done
 
Edited to turn text into proper link because of goddamn stupid buggy forum software

I should really go back and turn that link into a proper link. I posted it from my phone and it came through as pure text. Goddamn stupid buggy forum software is getting worse and worse. Is anyone at Cake keeping tabs on this? 

Hi,
 
I think the only way anyone can be innovative these days, or at least in the past 50 years, is by having someone engineer them, that understands the artist behind it, and is willing to test the waters with the artist, and eventually come up with the goods.
 
This was the case for some of the best recorded artists around, and some of the most important for a period of time. Hearing her talk about this, is nice, and having her comparing it to Picasso, or the ideas associated with the arts (I doubt painting was her only thought), and then throwing it at music, is nice ... 
 
It's kinda interesting, and great to see, and it brings up my situation, even though I am not an engineer, and people have a tendency to throw me under the bus, because of comparisons with other arts, and my favorite is always the guy that says ... gotta love it, comments about music by a non-musician ... which just tells you that specific person will never get anywhere in recording, because they are closed up to ideas and thoughts ... not that they are necessarily right, but sometimes the crossing of the two is good! 
 
And the real good engineers find these strong moments because of it. That she talks about it, is magnificent, because this is an area where music has been ignoring for a long time ... I kinda joke that they don't need a "director", but it helps having one around, to tighten up things beyond the notes ... the conceptual and completeness of the work is based on that overlook!
 
This was a nice read, and just like that one about the Beatles engineer, and the Tom Dowd special DVD ... which tells you so much, about how a lot of music is created, but "musicians", sometimes, don't get it!

eph221
The means of production is not composition nd should never be construed as such. Despite the inexorable fapping of the djs and producers. Collaboration doesn't diminish or wAter down the process. Simplicity is not a desperation on a par with conformity of observation.

Please try and catch the Tom Dowd DVD ... it's awesome, and it tells you the story of "Layla" that no one seems to know ... and how it was picked up.
 
There are times when the person "outside of it" is very important ... George Martin comes to mind ... but, it's not exactly the process itself, but it helps the process develop itself, which helped create the music ... and that is the important part of it.

eph221
The means of production is not composition nd should never be construed as such. Despite the inexorable fapping of the djs and producers. Collaboration doesn't diminish or wAter down the process. Simplicity is not a desideratum on a par with conformity of observation.

 
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eph221
The means of production is not composition nd should never be construed as such.

Audio engineers are not generally part of the initial composition process, but they're often involved in the arrangement. Highly paid engineers are frequently given free reign over the mute button because of their expertise in what works and doesn't work in a production.

sharke

eph221
The means of production is not composition nd should never be construed as such.

Audio engineers are not generally part of the initial composition process, but they're often involved in the arrangement. Highly paid engineers are frequently given free reign over the mute button because of their expertise in what works and doesn't work in a production.

Yes.  A good engineer should know when a mix is getting congested because an arrangement is crowded.  A mute button can do wonders!