Do you use recording engineer JARGON to attract clients?

What is with jargon and brand name dropping that attracts studio clients? For Christ's sake, try to be as down-to-earth as possible. I try to laymanize, analogize and simplify very technical terms so I can deal with most clients, unless you have some braniac tech-geek client.

So next time you invite a client and say, "We can sum the tracks through 32 individual busses with some 15ips tape compression simulation, Pultec EQ TDM plugs and TC Reverb...", why not say "we can have as many virtual tracks as possible, and we can add processing to make it sound like an analog recording..."?

Usually the only jargon I need is "Protools". They all think they have to have it in order to record anything good.

They see the Protools screen up there, with some meters going, and think "wow this Protools is the {censored}!!" Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I record everything through a Mackie HDR Pro running through a Soundtracs Solologic and harware preamps, dynamics and efx.

Eventually, someone asks, "hey what's that Mackie thing do?"

Then they learn the rest of the story....

when someone asks me about protools, i like saying "See that mic on the stand in the booth? It's older than your parents. And more expensive than your car. And makes you sound like Aretha Franklin."

You know how you get someone who comes in to your studio and orders you around and tells you to do a few things that don't really make a whole lot of sense, acting like they know it all but really don't? I've once spouted a couple of sentences of jargon to ask them questions that I know they don't know the answer to just to get them to shut the hell up. Incidentally, the one time this happened, it was a guest of one of the musicians, puffing his chest to try and appear knowledgeable and cool to his friends.

Ordinarily, I like to explain things in a way that everyone understands.

A fair amount of the time, quite frankly, I can only explain things in a way that everyone understands!

I don't always remember the specific terminology, but often understand the underlying principle.

And sometimes, I don't understand the underlying principle!! For instance, there's very little useful information I can give anyone about how a computer *really* works. I mean, I know that there are elves inside that perform most of the computations, but after that, I get a little fuzzy on my facts.

I avoid it - usually if I start talking about anything like gear I get a blank stare. Or the opposite like "I heard that [insert name of most expensive gear with most limited possible usage here] is the bomb, do you have one of those?", from the potential client.

I do get an occasional DYHPT? Those are the easy ones - yeah, we've got PT, but we've got some other sequencers too and we'll use what will make your project go the most smoothly.

Nope, tech talk and gearlists are just for show and tell.

i never use gear jargon to attract clients, most wouldnt know what I'm talking about anyway. Every now and again I find the guy in the band who has a little setup at home and wants to talk gear, but thats usually once we're in the studio and he kind of just wants to know about what gear I'm using for what.

I talk about the music. It's my job to translate that into tech.

"The kick needs to punch you in the chest more, don't you guys think?"

not...

"I'm going to align the outside mic and flip the polarity. Then I'm going to scoop 8 dB out, centered at around 350Hz. Raising the amplitude by 5.5 dB at 5k or so and around 80Hz too, no wait, make that 65Hz. I'm lowering the threshhold on the 1170, but don't worry, I'll slow the attack a bit too, making up the gain on the backside of the 1170. What do you guys think?"

Results will bring you more business than jargon.

Yes, I get that too, once in a while, especially if someone is interested in setting up their own home studio or have their own studio already. And of course, that's more fun, like talking shop.

I should also add that I've recorded in numerous recording studios, and have never once had anyone try and impress me with jargon or shop talk. Hopefully it doesn't happen very often. What I did get from a few people is when I expressed interest in the recording process, the engineer was only too happy to talk about what they do, and seemed flattered that someone would take an interest in it.

I love technical details a theory, but of course you cant use it as a marketing tools, at least not with those not interested in technical things. Because some other people like to know that they can express in technical terms and they are going to be understood. Nothing is more frustrating than telling the studio guy "what polar pattern are you using with that mic" and the guy "what?":evil: and they see you like if you were the one who knows nothing.

I hate when someone is trying to comment every move you do "he es preparing and stereo audio track", then "he's going to insert and effect", then "yeap, he has chosen a reverb". Usually they do that to impress, and it is so much fun to start talking with them manipulating technical jargon to make it more complicated just to see them shut up

Amen.

But then there's "colorful" jargon like "Making your mixes that loud will result in Flaming Voice Coil Syndrome" is nice sometimes...

It's always fun to tell your clients that your monstrous digital audio cables have a "high velocity of propagation for lower time smear." That usually brings knowing nods and smiles to their face when they know that.

I never use the jargon, I think that building relationships helps. Be respectful and if they ask explain it so that they learn. They will get more from the experience and that can only help.

Originally posted by Phil O'Keefe You're right fuzzball... relationships matter. If the client is interested, I'll explain... but I try to do so on their level (whatever level that may be - I have some pretty knowledgeable clients and some who know zip about the recording process) and with analogies that are relevant to them.

Yeah, that's the best way to do it, I think. After all, you're trying to communicate ideas and concepts to them, so why would you communicate in a way that they cannot understand?

I've gotten a few questions about how compression works, and after I explain it to them (often using hand gestures, one to represent the ceiling and the other to represent the peaks and valleys of the sound), they say, "Oh, yeah, that makes sense!!". For some reason, compression seems to be one of the more common questions. Well, that and "Don't your neighbors ever get pissed off?"

(no, they don't)

The first thing my clients and I talk about is what kind of beer we're going to get.

I like to put 'stuff' through 'things'. Some 'things' sound 'yummy'. Other 'things' sound 'crap'. Some 'things' sound 'really crap'. Sometimes, some 'things' sound 'really yummy'. That's what I go for, as much as possible.

Seriously - because I engineer/ produce/ arrange/write/play/sing, I find that my brain goes to mush. The better the music is sounding, the mushier my brain gets. If i'm forced to explain what i'm doing, you'll be lucky to get anything coherent.

Hahaha! That is good- so true- although I hope this "brain mush" isn't permanant- mine's pretty soft right now after a 9-hour day...

Yeah, but do you try to wow them with brewery jargon then?

"I lean towards Pilsners from eastern european countries because of the extended brewing phase they incorporate, due to the high calcium in their spring water. That, and the low copper found in their exchange tubing. Those leather smocks are cool too. "

No, I just tell them Bud is what I prefer. And none of that light {censored} I'm a skinny-ass.