Comments on: Ask Joe #11 – Do I Need Pro Tools Certification?

By: Christopher

Christopher — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:56:54 +0000

Thanks, for your comments. I am a musicians and I desire to put my ideas in songs that are recorded, mixed and mastered correctly. Learning Pro Tools is where I am at. I thought getting certified would be the answer for me. However, I beleive learning pro tools and how to apply plug-in and mastering will get me over the top. I appreciate everyone’s comments.

By: Abhijit

Abhijit — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:26:34 +0000

Thanks Joe…
Abhijit

By: Joe Gilder

Joe Gilder — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:23:57 +0000

Whenever you’re doing any compression or limiting on a mix, you don’t want to slap the compressor on right at the end, before you do your bounce. Compression will change the balance between the instruments, and may very well ruin the mix you’ve already crafted. The reason is that compression will make the louder things quieter and the quiet things louder.

By: Abhijit

Abhijit — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:45:12 +0000

Joe,
I have a question, recently i was waitching “mix it like a record” dvd, by charles dye. There charles mentions using mcdsp ac1 on his master fader or buss mix, but he says its better to put the plugin in the begining of the mix, rather than at the end of the mix. What does he man by that, whats the difference between the two? How does one get that in pro tools?
Thanks,
Abhijit

By: kRemstudios

kRemstudios — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:54:20 +0000

You are welcome. It is all about helping others out there just like you are doing.

By: Joe Gilder

Joe Gilder — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:48:37 +0000

Thanks Krem! Great analogy, too.

By: kRemstudios

kRemstudios — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:43:19 +0000

Wow Joe, you nailed it once again. I was having the exact same question. What I thought was “why am I going to spend so much money if I’m not that good yet?” I have always thought that you should learn a bit or a lot before you get certified on anything. For instance, I’m a computer, website design, and SEO specialist. I have worked on tons of sites and computers. One day long time ago I had the same question “should I certify myself in Microsoft, Adobe, and other stuff?” My answer was “no way.” Why? Well, many times certified people are those behind the money, not the passion (not who I am). Also, people quickly realized that I am good, just like Joe is good as a recording engineering. What do you need? You need material to show; a portfolio. A certification will take you so far. And to that I add: what do you think about a non-certified, successful r. engineering, and a certified but non-experienced engineering?

EXCELLENT post.

By: Joe Gilder

Joe Gilder — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:41:12 +0000

All very good points, Andy. Thanks! I think you really need to look at it like any other profession. The degree may be important, but it won’t be the thing that lands you the job.

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:37:31 +0000

I think your right Joe, the Pro-Tools training programs can be a good way of getting training on Pro Tools if you have never used it before or are a musician looking to posh up your skills to allow you to record your work quicker and more efficiently but it won’t teach you how to be a good sound engineer. It also I don’t think will open many extra doors for you except those in education or maybe sales. No sound engineer I know has ever got a job on the basis of a piece of paper saying he can do that job. The breaks come from making personal contacts with people and from having a portfolio of work behind you to back up your sales pitch. If doing the training program allows you to build on that portfolio then it may be worth looking at but otherwise I’d use online resources to teach yourself and concentrate on building up the show reel.