Wellington City Council are currently negotiating with industry parctioners to set up a music mastering studio for wellington at a cost around $1million.. unfortunetly the council is choosing to talk to now government consultants ex marmaladians Rocky du shea & simon hughes for information.. according to Rocky there are only 40 bands in wellington and out of thoses 4 are worth supporting...??? My thoughts on this are simple - local studios will loose and a select few bands may gain at a cost to all - should we not be spending $$ on a practise space at a discounted price... well thoughts anyone?? as I said before this is in negotiation and im sure if enough people fell strongly against this decision could be swung..
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Technorati
I'd have expected Rocky Douche to be ...
I'd have expected Rocky Douche to be more supportive, given his contributions in the past - what is your source?
excuse my morning typos... Grant ...
excuse my morning typos...
Grant Taylor (current owner of marmalade) went along to the last meeting came back to the office and filled me in on the details which sounded like a pile of shit being sniffed and sniffed again with the wrong people being consulted - I must say Rocky hasn't really got his 'finger on the pulse' these days when it comes to wats best for the industry - can't find any links for you to follow but there will be another open meeting for more 'consulting' in the near future
// I must say Rocky hasn't really got ...
// I must say Rocky hasn't really got his 'finger on the pulse' these days when it comes to wats best for the industry
you may be right. it's his generation that are in control, though, and it's the 'old boys' network' sorta thing ... he used to be onto it, and they have to ask someone, so they ask him. of course we all know of plenty of people who are onto it and have their finger on today's pulse, rather than an understanding of the industry 10-20 years ago (am I being too harsh?) ...
I think thats pretty fair.. so wat ...
I think thats pretty fair.. so wat would you spend 1million on if you were the new douche of today that would be most beneficiary to the wellington peoples.. hmm??
by wellington peoples I assume you mean ...
by wellington peoples I assume you mean wellington musicians? if so then I guess setting up some kind of practice space like you suggested would be good, although it could be difficult to administer. The grant for music videos seems like a good initiative, maybe more incentive-type handouts like that. And maybe something like the seminars run during the Wellington Music Week last year would be useful - the sort of stuff the MMF have speakers about - things musicians would do well to know like about touring, publicity, promotions, venues, management, contracts, record labels, publishing... that's what I think.
only 4 bands worth supporting in ...
only 4 bands worth supporting in wellington???!!! i can think of about twenty without even thinking although to have thought of them i would have had to have been thinking so I have contradicted myself but still....you know what i mean.....
Rocky Douche is a Douche-Bag....
Rocky Douche is a Douche-Bag.
"local studios will loose" are there ...
"local studios will loose"
are there any specialised mastering studios at all in welly ? it doesn't make much sense - surely the council would be better off putting money into recording. wierd.
//are there any specialised mastering ...
//are there any specialised mastering studios at all in welly
is a bit weird... - mastering studios - Matrix/Marmalade/Surgery - although these aren't specific mastering studios i know the capabitlities are there and im sure studios will feel undercut.. I can speak for marmalade as saying we don't think its a good idea..
//local studios will loose mastering ...
//local studios will loose
mastering studios in wellington - matrix/marmalade/surgeory - although these aren't specifically mastering studios they are capable and im sure they wouldn't be to happy to have the council offereing cheap rates and undercutting potential bussiness in the region -
you sure fucked that up.. doh...
you sure fucked that up.. doh
L2's definately great, man I did rely ...
L2's definately great, man I did rely on it a shitload there for a while, but my new shtick is to make my mixes so good I don't have to rely on "finalizing" everything, heh. I found izotope ozone's dither a little more suited for the new album, you can run dither at 1 or 2 bits high, which sounds great with my 100% softsynth thingy anyhoo.
man you guys have some nice shit in there @ marmalade. makes my knees a little shaky to think I'm "mastering" with speakers I got from sallies. heh. (they're pretty nice Teac passive x-over'd 3-ways, going up from 50 to about 19k, from what I can hear anyway).. I may call in one day when uh, I find a wad of cash or something.
yeah, mastering seems like the one part ...
yeah, mastering seems like the one part of the process where its possible to get by without a room full of expensive equipment.....
recording space would be far more useful for bands, and an instrument library perhaps...
.. well... I think you can only go so ...
.. well... I think you can only go so far. I mean, some of the processing I did with Synthtease I would've liked to be more heavy-handed with, or have different flavours of EQ and comp... but I haven't gone far with any of the parameters, and it sounds better with the processing anyhoo.
sigh. gru, we gotta catch up mein brother. this weekend ?
- oops, I mean I feel that maybe I ...
- oops, I mean I feel that maybe I could've gone a little further processing-wise (with better results) using a studer and a damn good DAC and a TC finalizer and a neve or whatever doohickeys these pruffeshinals use, but I can't... at the moment.
i've always loved how you keep it real ...
i've always loved how you keep it real tho 'radio
what u doing saturday during the day??? or friday even maybe
//should we not be spending $$ on a ...
//should we not be spending $$ on a practise space at a discounted price.
The WCC is also in the process of deciding the finer points of what will constitute the ARTSCUBATOR. The following is reproduced from 'Number 8 Wire'-a newsletter sent to local Artists....
ARTS CENTRE UPDATE
From Allan Prangnell, Senior Policy Advisor for Wellington City Council
Wellington City Council has given the green-light to the proposal to establish an Arts Centre in Wellington city.
At this stage, the plan is to open the new Centre around May next year. The Arts Centre will have:
· Studio and workshop space for arts practitioners. These will be rented to artists on a variety of time-bound leases
· A ‘house gallery’ for the artists
· Communal wet and dry workshop space
· A Dark room
· A Kiln
· A commercial gallery
· A performance bar/café
· ‘Hot desk’ space for short-term arts projects
· Creative spaces for community arts groups
· Sound-proofed rooms for bands and other musicians
· An information hub for the Wellington Arts scene
· Professional arts organisations as tenants
The Centre will also run seminars and workshops for the arts sector, providing some training in issues like arts marketing and legal advice (for example copyright procedures).
The Council’s Community Arts Centre, currently situated at the Band Rotunda on Oriental Parade, will become part of the new Arts Centre.
The Council has set aside about $1.2 million in funding to re-fit a building for the Arts Centre, and about $500,000 per year to contribute to the costs of running the Centre. The users of the new Centre will be expected to contribute to the operating costs of the Centre.
The first step for Council will be negotiating lease arrangements on a building to house the Centre. Council’s preferred locations are in the inner city. At this stage, the location options will need to remain confidential, until a lease agreement is secured.
There will further consultation with the arts community as the new Arts Centre is implemented. We anticipate that further consultation will begin in August/September this year, once a location has been secured.
Lastly – what will the new Centre be called? We’ve used an operating title of the ArtsCubator for the last year. We think the arts community should give the new Centre its name, as it’s you who will own it. So for now, we’re going to run with the relatively bland title of the ‘Wellington Arts Centre’, until you come up with your own name!
Eric and I will endeavour to give you all regular updates as we progress with the implementation. If you have any queries, you can still contact me at the email address I’ve been running for a few months – artscubator@wcc.govt.nz
Regards
Allan Prangnell
Senior Policy Advisor
Wellington City Council
As you can see "Sound-proofed rooms for bands and other musicians " is on the list.
Personally I don't really care what happens to local studios in the wake of this as Mastering is a seperate skill from recording, reqiring a different ear and different equipment. If you are happy to let just anyone do it fine, but there is a good reason so many local acts head to 901 in Sydney for mastering.
[ http://dragstrip.orcon.net.nz ]
hmm choice- so how about a fish and ...
hmm choice- so how about a fish and chip shop on oriental parade..
//As you can see "Sound-proofed rooms for bands and other musicians " is on the list.
Personally I don't really care what happens to local studios in the wake of this as Mastering is a seperate skill from recording, reqiring a different ear and different equipment. If you are happy to let just anyone do it fine, but there is a good reason so many local acts head to 901 in Sydney for mastering.
actually 301 - to be padantic when you say you don't care about local studios and when your stating the obvious...
[ http://www.301.com.au ]
//padantic actually, to be a pedant, ...
//padantic
actually, to be a pedant, it's pedantic.
(wouldn't comment but the word begged for it)
When I say I don't care, I mean that a separate mastering facility will compliment rather than compete with local studios. Perhaps you, as an employee of a local studio, are not in the ideal place to evaluate things. A little distance can be such a fine thing sometimes. So can Vitamin D, get some sun :p
ahhhaaa beautiful!! cheer...
ahhhaaa beautiful!! cheer
// a separate mastering facility will ...
// a separate mastering facility will compliment rather than compete with local studios
complement
you started it
:P
im of two minds... on 1 side, i ...
im of two minds...
on 1 side, i dont see how a studio specifically designed for mastering can be out of place in welli right now - especially if u think in the sense that it could, with the right ppl at the helm also be used to train pplo to master (last count im pretty sure there's only a handful of cats who do it professionally in the 04 area, that coupled with the general recommendation to look across the ditch for "a real mastering job" etc) .... aswell as being a benefit to artists lookin to 'finish' recorded material, it could also possibly bring better mastering expertise this way ( - dunno , im guessing really...
on the flip: i think im not alone in stating the obvious about the ever-decreasing-circle of noise friendly environments in welli... money like $1M could be better spent on soundproof environments for hire etc... a practice room type affair would be a lower earner - but in the flux of it all, for the bands - how many actually need a top notch mastering job done locally before they need a place to get their songs record-worthy in... ya kno?
from the ground up kids :P
i question how much 'our fare council' actually 'support' local arts/music, as much as hold it back...
ha - nice thoughts - yeah it kinda ...
ha - nice thoughts - yeah it kinda reminds me of americans foreign policy.. i can just see the council meeting now -
pr guy -"hey kerry - this is rocky, he says we have 4 great bands in wellington" -
kerry - "what?"
pr guy "bands, you know music makers and stuff"
kerry "aye"
rocky - "you know , kinda like lord of the rings, but without pictures"
kerry "oh wow great, can we do an pr airdrop of music type supplies in the local bohemian area?"
pr guy "great idea kerry, you the man"
kerry - "oh yeah yeah, and you know how i love those lil polyphonicy things my phone does... well - theyre the future right? - rocky , i want you to set up an evil scheme where these bands get lured into a secret underground lair on a false premise and then get caged up and made to record these ring tones thingeys for the stupid public"
pr guy - "wow - with all the musos gone you may be able to get away with wearing those leather pants in public again kerry, and his time people will say its 'cool' - i promise."
This is crap, all this means is another ...
This is crap, all this means is another half-assed studio opens up in wellington..big fucking whoop. Wellingotn hasn't had a decent set of studios since they bowled broadcasting house, speaking of which, FUCK NATIONAL AND ACT!!! But yeh, back to topic, I think this is a bad idea because i can only imagine that it will be crap because of excessive budget constraints put on it...just like every other studio in wellingotn (even radio nz now, altho they do have sum good engineers + nice gear).
Dude where is Wellingotn...
Dude where is Wellingotn
It's at the bottom of the country ...
It's at the bottom of the country according to John Banks, apparently there are no southern islands.
what ru talking about ah i am lost...
what ru talking about ah i am lost
sorry, as you can se by my new topic, ...
sorry, as you can se by my new topic, i'm kinda riled about the possible loss of hys.
The last good studios in wellington were broadcasting house and bsaically, new studios are expensive and what we're left with now that broadcsating house is gone is a set of half-assed studios with average gear + talent (ok,some talent, but mixed in with some right crap as well) and the kinda of money the council would be prepared to spend is not enough to build a decent mastering studio. With that money it could easily be better spent on something like suggested practice rooms, not wasted on a useless mastering studio not fit to cater for a proper mastering session.
//The last good studios in wellington ...
//The last good studios in wellington were broadcasting house
you're well out of touch
//· Sound-proofed rooms for bands and ...
//· Sound-proofed rooms for bands and other musicians //
As a matter of interest, how many people are looking for practise spaces? I would suspect that the council aren't planning enough rooms, because they don't seem to quite understand how desperately rehersal spaces are needed (especially now, all the old warehouse spaces etc are being developed into the ghettos of the future, so yuppies can live in the CBD and complain about the noise). And alternatively, has anyone found any decent spaces that could accomidate more bands/musicians??
I went to a public meeting for local ...
I went to a public meeting for local artists to contribute their needs to the planning process and spent a good half hour afterward talking to Alan Pragnell about the situation as it lies and the needs of bands within the practice space. I told him exactly how desperate things were and so far he seems to have listened - the meeting was stacked 1 musician to 16 visual artists and ther fact that practice space has made the final list makes me think he heard what I had to say.
Good work dragstrip. Sorry, didn't ...
Good work dragstrip. Sorry, didn't realise you'd tried to get some action happening back in May. Hope others were more onto it than me. Still, I'm interested to see what other wellington NZMer's think. Most people round these parts seem to really stuck due to lack of space.
yeah, I submitted one of those "arts ...
yeah, I submitted one of those "arts practitioners" forms to the council... (found on this site)... basically just emphasised at every opportunity the dire need for practice spaces. and i'm very glad that they seem to have listened. if what they provide is going to be sufficient, affordable etc well obviously that's the best possible outcome.
i think that at the moment having somewhere to play in Wellington is just luck- if you're lucky, one of your band members lives in a garage in deepest industrial Seatoun or suchlike. Which isn't the position i'm in, what with my big amps which noise restrictions prevent me dialling up past 1. And a landlord who lives through the door and complains about the excessive volume of late-night dishwashing.
i think a mastering studio is kind of ...
i think a mastering studio is kind of an interesting idea.... when people can record their own music on their computers/4 tracks anyway... its still good to have mastering done properly...
but good on you for going the practise space arguement...
Samflux...am I really? what other ...
Samflux...am I really? what other studio complex can boast rooms that could rival 301, or even abbey road? those rooms were capable of recording anything and doing it well, you can replace gear, but a good room is a lot harder to replace, especially awesome purpose built rooms like those in BH. And yes, i've been into matrix and marmalade, they're average, anything you else you think is of world class in wellington?
well - i guess it was this comment that ...
well - i guess it was this comment that made me bite:
//what we're left with now that broadcsating house is gone is a set of half-assed studios with average gear + talent
thats a huge call man
i would never claim that wellington has a studio to compete with 301 - thats bloody stupid
samflux, i get you, i'm kinda pissed ...
samflux, i get you, i'm kinda pissed and riled @ the moment so i was probably a bit harsh if so sorry. Mabye we were just lucky to have such good studios in wgtn back in the day, I suppose we only had them because they were public, i don't think a complex on the standard of bh would survive in wgtn if it was a private enterprise (well definatly not profit).