Farming out mix down and mastering from Cakewalk, but engineer wants to do it by phone...

[Dreamer]

Finished my project on Cakewalk. I don't like mixing or mastering so I'm farming it out. Problem is that the sound engineer wants to do the mix over the phone using my DAW. Not that I want to put down my axe its great but I thought that's why one would want it farmed out. New set of ears, (golden I'm assuming),  in addition to a  high end studio. And I already mentioned to the engineer that I don't like mixing. Has anyone ever been asked to  this??

I've been out of the industry for 30 yrs now. Does this sound right? This is unusual to me

[slartabartfast]

OK so I am confused. Does the distant engineer want you to send the DAW output over the phone while he somehow controls your DAW remotely? Does he intend to listen over the phone and tell you what to do at your controls? In any event, if he is judging your mix from a telephone transmission it is likely he is not going to get a really accurate signal to sort out. Engineers make such an issue about having the best monitor speakers in a perfect room to do their mixing, that I am surprised to find someone who wants to set his reputation on what he can do from a telephone transmission, presumably captured off an unknown monitor system through a microphone that is designed for voice (not music) transmission at an unknown bit rate depending on the intermediary telephony system.

If he does not have a copy of and familarity with the original DAW on which the recording is made, I would think the usual way to do this would be to request exported stems to be sent to him as digital files.

[msmcleod]

Yeah, this "over the phone" thing confused me too...

I'd clarify what he means. The only sensible "over the phone" method I can think of, is for you to send him the stems, him to do the mix in his studio, then discuss the results over the phone.

But to do an actual mix over the phone? That's crazy.

[Dreamer]

Sorry for all the confusion. To answer, the engineer basically wanted to coach me over the phone as a co-mix, not remotely.  I've since pulled back and hired someone else. This idea to me was ridiculous and the mere suggestion of doing this teed me off.  I thought that after so many years wow has the industry really progressed. But something just didn't sound right and despite the explanation that was given to me, (to keep the project in an acceptable budget for me), my gut was telling me he was taking me for an idiot.  As always, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.  But I've learned to trust my instincts and the red flag stuck out like a sore thumb.

[slartabartfast]

5 hours ago, Dreamer said:

despite the explanation that was given to me, (to keep the project in an acceptable budget for me),

Now that is crazy. If this guy is charging for his time, I can not imagine anything that would take more time to get the same job done as telling someone what to do over the phone and having him do it step by step.

It goes to the old contractors' adage:

$50.00 per hour if I do it
$100.00 per hour if you watch
$250.00 per hour if you help