Why are most engineers jerks?

B

Broken Friday

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I mean seriously. I know people who went to school to be an engineer, and said that many of them are straight jerks.

I really don't see the reason. I would think Lawyers or Judges would be jerks, but no... of all careers, engineers, most, are jerks.

It's getting to the point where they should be call emoneers.

EmoCAT.jpg


i've met Jimmy, he isn't a jerk... so...
 
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I'm talking about when they aren't at work. I know some are, just that I think the ratio for engineers are higher.
 
"Jerks" or just "jaded?"

AE's are some of the most jaded people I know until you get to know them. But usually, it's not really their fault - It's a defense mechanism.

I've dealt with more crap from more "divas" and otherwise "professional" people in this industry that I'm surprised I stay in it. Certainly one of the main reasons that you don't find me tracking and mixing much anymore. I'm tired of dealing with all the BS and baggage that goes along with it.

And you never know -- Some people are as nice as pie. Others are as nasty as a lion with a thorn in its foot. And that's probably a defense mechanism also.

I was working with a group a couple years ago -- Five days after their fourth Grammy - in a row. I thought they were going to be the cockiest, nastiest, "who gives a rat's a$$ about the little guy" bunch in the world. They were anything but. Humble, gracious, pleasant, kind, while maintaining an obviously professional approach. I happily bent over backwards to keep them happy.

Then you get the other side... The guys who feel as if you're not supposed to be walking on the rose petals coming out of their [SELF-CENSORED]. I specifically recall picking up a group from their hotel - after waiting for them for over an hour after the scheduled pickup time - They were from NY (I'm in Chicago) and the "main dude" started playing around with the radio. Hey, that's fine -- I have no problem with that. But in the interest of being helpful and a gracious host, I said "I'm pretty familiar with the stations around here -- Anything in particular you're looking for?"

Dead silence - The whole rest of the group looked around at each other and at "the leader" -- I could see them thinking "Did *he* just *talk* to *the man*?!? Where does this guy think he's coming from just talking to the man like that?!?"

At least, it sure felt that way. But not one to rush to judgement, I let it slide and tried something similar several minutes later by adding a comment to their otherwise lively conversation...

Same thing. They actually seemed utterly shocked that I would speak when not addressed.

These jerks, who kept me waiting outside for an hour (which was only the *first* breech of their contract that evening) evidently thought it completely inappropriate that I was a person.

And I gotta tell 'ya... I was completely unprepared for that. The guy was blues/jazz royalty. I've dealt with blues/jazz "legends" all the time and found them to almost always be fantastic to work with. Gene Harris, Art Farmer, most of Muddy's former bandmates -- It's like your instant "old buddies" -- But not this guy... Unfortunately, he wasn't the last...

But I had to swallow that and spin knobs and move faders all night for the jerk. All I was all night was nice to them. All they were all night were too big for their britches.

I'm sorry -- Am I starting to sound jaded? :monkey:
 
When I'm lethargic, I don't become a jerk. i think some people just use being bored as a scapegoat for their dull, jerkful personality.

Thing is, you got jerks in the world, and you have nice people, then you have people who try to use facades.

i can't stand jerks, people that act like you owe them something, you are beneath them, etc... I think it's like a Napoleon Complex.

That's why I idol Timbaland so much too, he has one of the coolest personalities.

Though you know how some people have attitudes when they wake up, or carry their anger toward other people even though they didn't do a thing? That's totally not me.

I don't blame you MM.
 
MASSIVE Mastering said:
They were from NY (I'm in Chicago) and the "main dude" started playing around with the radio. Hey, that's fine -- I have no problem with that. But in the interest of being helpful and a gracious host, I said "I'm pretty familiar with the stations around here -- Anything in particular you're looking for?"

Dead silence - The whole rest of the group looked around at each other and at "the leader" -- I could see them thinking "Did *he* just *talk* to *the man*?!? Where does this guy think he's coming from just talking to the man like that?!?"

At least, it sure felt that way. But not one to rush to judgement, I let it slide and tried something similar several minutes later by adding a comment to their otherwise lively conversation...

Same thing. They actually seemed utterly shocked that I would speak when not addressed.

These jerks, who kept me waiting outside for an hour (which was only the *first* breech of their contract that evening) evidently thought it completely inappropriate that I was a person.

And I gotta tell 'ya... I was completely unprepared for that. The guy was blues/jazz royalty.
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man, PLEASE spill the beans on who it was!! I'd feel terrible enjoying records from a jerk like that. People like that deserve to be taken down a notch.


..and to answer the OP's question: Have you ever met any "artists"?? So you're the engineer for this jackass and it's upon your back that this guy (and everyone else in the biz) will have success. IMHO, there are few more important positions in music than the engineer, who really doesn't get credit for the sound he made. Engineers are like the 5th band member, only more important.
 
But seriously this is exactly what I personally *hear* all the time. Never deal with audio engineers they are all jerks. At the beginning I was like "nah it can't be that bad", but now I think it has to be something true in it, when really so many people say it.

But when you think about it, engineers are the azzholes for everyone, for the label, the producer and artist, engineers are the ones to blame when something goes wrong.

Not the singer sang the wrong notes, the audio engineer was not good with Autotune, easy as that.
 
Because they run on coffee and red-bull? Or because they sit in 24 hour sessions?

They possibly have the hardest job, once its all said and done it s in their hands to present the final project, its like gettin the stick at the end of the relay race and loosing it for the team. Alot of pressure on 1 person.
 
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i hate "artists". well not hate but they are far worse than the ass hole studio guy. when i go into another studio good or bad i show respect. most artists dont know it but they arnt respectfull. big heads dont help with outside input and the engineer has to learn how to stay in control of his studio. this gives him an edge on the service and makes everything happen in a timely manner. so if he says "that sounds crapy do it over" just think to yourself that you should have practiced more not "this guy is an ass hole". i mean he hase more exp with a wider range of people. his expectancy bar is higher and he wont waist time telling you that. but what a bastard right.
 
I know everyone kind of people (human) can be a jerk or not. I think the producer has the most important role when it comes to the song.

I sit on my computer almost 24 hours a day, and I'm not a jerk. I know engineers who are jerks, and i can point some on this site, (not you MM).
 
I think Engineers may get a bad rap because they come across as being condescending, when in reality they are just trying to do their job. It's hard to communicate technical ideas to people who are non-technical, and they get impatient because you're tweaking stuff that they can't even hear or understand. All they know is that they've heard the song 20 times in the past hour, and they don't have a clue what you've been tweaking. I try to keep them informed, but even then they don't always understand. It can come across as condescending, which is not my intent but it can appear that way. Little details that YOU know need to be worked on seem like a waste of time to untrained ears, and it can drive clients crazy because they just don't understand. When you try to explain, it comes out as over their head and just frustrates them more.

It's hard for engineers to have patience for people who don't have a clue, and it's hard for people to understand a highly trained and experienced audio pro, since EVERYONE thinks they can mix/produce. They all have opinions, some good, but most are uninformed, and they can get frustrated with not knowing what the engineer is up to, and the engineer knows full well that to explain would take an hour, an hour that nobody has or wants to pay for.
 
^^agreed^^ there are definitely some jerks on this site, but, lets face it, you cannot escape them in whatever job you are in, or where you are. Am i being a jerk for saying there are jerks on here?
 
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i agree with the both of you. Although some people just have poor communication skills, and just happen to be an engineer, where your ear does the talking.

I could teach a baby how to use Vista, and it can sit there crying the whole day. Sure it will get a little annoying, the crying, but then I realize they are learning.
 
Engineers have attitudes for the same reason the lady at the DMV or Meter Maids have attitudes. Cause when youdeal with attitudes all day, you begin to build one yourself.
 
That's not it, that's just a sign that the person isn't really happy with what they do, or where they do. Plain and simple.
 
I think the 'attitude' you talk about is the passion and the seriousness they have towards what they do. I'll admit some are pricks but the atitude is just the passion they have for clean and concise recordings. I dunno everyone is different. Take peeps as you find them my mum says
 
rocsta said:
Not the singer sang the wrong notes, the audio engineer was not good with Autotune, easy as that.
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lol...
yea, that's so fcuking pathetic it makes me wish I could get into a time warp. Too many lazy (and then of course relaxed and easy going) artists and too much shifting of artist's WORK (you know artists, it's this activity where you practice the same thing over and over again until it sounds right - just in case you've never heard of it) towards engineering.
 
The jerks are just the ones who cant handle the numerous times they have encountered idiots and azzholes in their line of work. Or have gotten screwed over by those same idiots and azzholes. As someone said its just a wall they put up in case they have to deal with such ppl again.
I, so far try to remain informative and pleasant for as long as I can.
 
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