Someone once quipped to me that Google had proved that omniscience is overrated. It's true. Before Google emerged my wife and I could happily watch TV or a movie and if we wondered what we had seen a certain actor in before we would think for a couple of seconds and if we couldn't remember we would continue watching the movie. These days we use IMDB or Google to track them down, and we won't rest until we have. The fact we miss half the film doesn't seem to make us wonder if this is progress.
Don't get me wrong; there is plenty to celebrate, be it a YouTube video showing you how to cook the perfect steak, or how to replace the lock on a double glazed door. Two things I've used it for with great success.
However, it seems that not all this access to information is progress, but before I rant, I want to make something very clear. We all started somewhere, and we all need help when getting started, so if anyone thinks this article is some miserable middle-aged bloke belittling those starting in home recording, then it's not. This blog was created to help people, we've been doing it for over a decade, and we have been delighted to know we've helped tens of thousands on their journey. So if you get further down this article and start thinking 'people have to start somewhere' then I refer to this paragraph. No one is happier seeing people realise their potential - I've spent a large chunk of my life making that happen.
OK, so here goes: I don't think a hundred Facebook groups, started with good intentions I'm sure, with the same questions asked again and again, like some social Groundhog Day, is the way to help further the collective knowledge of the recording community.
Let's look at the growth path of many of these groups. Someone thinks it's time there was a group on Facebook to help people learn more about recording/mixing. At worst they do zero research and start one, not realizing there's less chance of getting wet when jumping in the sea than finding a Facebook group for audio recording. Slightly better is they think specifics matter, so the group gets some focus around Metal Recording or Banjo Group Recording, or Mastering For People Living In Alaska Who Were Born In July. You get the idea, after all niche is good, isn't it?
The next thing they do is invite everyone in their address book to join, after all a Facebook group with ten members is going to look shit, isn't it? Well actually it might look shit, but it might be the answer to this problem... more on that later.
After some time this new Facebook group we all needed (after all, 200 similar groups isn't enough) starts getting more members. Many of these people join for no other reason than FOMO... fear of missing out, I asked my kids. Soon there are several thousand people in the group. So now we have a group, however well-intentioned, and however focussed it hopes to be now full of people that have as much in common as me and a Bavarian sheep farming specialist. So what's so wrong with this?
Soon the group has so many members the founder gives up trying to police all the absurd questions and answers, now it’s a free-for-all and about as useful as a chocolate fire guard.
So the questions start, lots of them, which range from Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem to which end of the mic to plug the cable. So you subscribe to the maxim there's no such thing as a silly question... OK, I'll let you have that one for a moment and come back to it later, plot spoiler... there is. Even if there's no such thing as a silly question, there are now several thousand people with mixed experience, knowledge and skill able to answer any question that is asked, what could go wrong? Plenty. If you are lucky you get someone who knows what they are talking about if you're not you get someone who may start their sentence with 'I'm no sound engineer but...'. You'll find many answers to questions anywhere where someone starts with 'I'm no lawyer but...' or 'I'm no doctor but...' Take my advice anyone who starts any sentence with 'I'm no X' should be ignored, run for the hills. I can't imagine for one moment you would sit in a hospital and be assured by the person examining you saying 'I'm no doctor but..."
And to the point there's no such thing as a silly question, let me give you two examples. Questions to a group of thousands asking for an opinion, that's a silly question. Questions without any context like 'What's the best microphone?' That's another silly question. Why? Well, the first is asking for opinions, if you are lucky you might get consensus, but if you are hoping to reduce the confusion that led you to ask for opinions, it's about a likely as me becoming the next Pope. A question without a context is equally pointless, and the only reasonable answer to a question like that is to ask for more context before trying to answer.
At some point in our very recent history we've been tricked into thinking the more sources of information we have the smarter we'll become. It's not true, and if you don't believe me join ten Facebook groups or a few forums, and you'll soon discover I'm right. I joined many such groups and having made the journey of me thinking 'this is interesting' to 'not another fucking "what's your favourite X" question' I've concluded that the maxim 'Information is Power' has its limits. Not all information is equal and neither are all opinions equal.
A few years ago at NAMM I found myself having dinner with Michael Carnes, Cliff Maag and Bobby Owsinski, so I was the least informed or experienced in the room. The smart thing for me to do was to shut up, listen and learn. The sooner we stop pushing the theory that there are no experts and that all opinions are equal the sooner we can all start learning again. It’s not stupid not knowing the answer, it’s stupid thinking you do when you don’t.
To my point about the assertion that some consider small Facebook groups pointless - the most valuable groups I belong to are tiny, one of them has less than 30 members, and no I'm not sharing the link. Not because it's exclusive but because it's precious and the reason anything is precious is not ubiquity but scarcity.
Am I saying no one gets helped in public help forums? Of course not, plenty of people do. However due to their low barrier to entry, poor focus, and free for all of unchecked and unsubstantiated information sources the likelihood of them consistently helping the majority is low. If they were schools or colleges they would be closed down.
If you are new to this stuff then find a group of trusted, experienced and knowledgable people you can ask the advice of when you need it. Do it privately too, public spaces have their merits but with the likelihood of every man and his dog having an opinion in a group, often asking specific questions is not one of them. Someone emailed me today with that very request of being someone they could call in for advice, and I felt honoured to be asked.
If you want to join some groups to be part of a community then that’s fine but be what my wife calls a ‘lurker’, that’s someone who enjoys the company but doesn’t say much. My favourite Facebook groups are ones that make me laugh, that remind of the absurdity and stupidity of life - I may pick up some tips and tricks, that’s great but for an education, no thanks.
Are there some good forums and Facebook groups? Of course, there are. I still belong to some of them and the ones that work have barriers to entry such as memberships and are well managed but that takes a lot of work on the part of the owner. However these are the exception and not the rule and I do not believe our collective knowledge is improved by belonging to lots of groups with a free-for-all of opinions.
Discuss.