Why we wont be writing for audiotechnology anymore

[The Mill]

[color=#0040BF]Well, where do I begin...

I guess the thing I have to admit right off the bat is that unfortunately I can't say much in print – ironic really, given that I'm normally inclined to speak my mind without fear or favour.

I’ve spoken to my lawyer and he assures me that I’m entitled to state the facts as they occurred, and speak truthfully about what transpired – I just can’t use florid language to write about how I was treated and the out-of-the-blue nature of the events.

Anyway… blah blah. The fact is I was sacked from AT without any prior knowledge or warning and that fact in itself was deeply shocking to me, given how hard I’d been working lately to keep the mag rolling whilst also negotiating to get people like Geoff Emerick over from the US for the Integrate trade show. Last I’d heard I was ‘getting a bonus’ for all the hard work I’d put in but instead of that happening, I was fired. I was given no real reason why, though I have my thoughts on the matter, but I cannot state them here publically, I’m sorry.

Put simply, I am now working full time again as a mix and mastering engineer at The Mill and feeling like AT is a million miles behind me in most respects. I feel sad that I haven’t been able to conclude my work at the mag or even bow out gracefully but that was all out of my control. It remains deeply frustrating to feel like I have been swept aside with little more than a throwaway line that I’ve “left”, and thanking me for my work over the years, but like I said, that has been all out of my control. I am currently looking at several other interesting prospects in terms of the writing and editing side of things, and it’s likely – though not certain – that I’ll be putting my weight behind another publication in the future, unless a miracle occurs.

The fact is, AT mag isn’t an institution, it’s made up of people: most of them – as Rick has mentioned earlier in this thread – audio professionals who have shown a desire to contribute to the audio community and put something back into the mix, so to speak. Working as the editor of AT, I always tried to remain open to anyone who wanted to be involved as writers, provided they were honest, knowledgeable and impartial, and I must say it’s been a hilarious, fascinating and gruelling ride so far. Many of the writers I know have now left as a consequence of all this, but writers and editors can be replaced… but with what, who knows.

The fact is the audio community is alive and well in this country, and I will always remain a committed part of it, and happy to encourage anyone who seeks to improve his or her skills, no matter how experienced or otherwise they may be. Funnily enough, I have heard on the grapevine that someone has been spreading the nonsense that I was fired because I had ‘nothing left to say’. Ha! On the contrary, I have never felt more full of ideas or things to say, so I guess I will simply be voicing my thoughts elsewhere in 2012.

I spoke at Face the Music at the Melbourne Arts centre last month with Pauly McKercher, David Briggs and Mark Opitz and between us I reckon we could have talked for 9 hours, not the 1 hour that was set aside for our forum discussion. I reckon this year one of the things I’ll be doing is organising a quarterly or half-yearly conference where people in the audio community – or anyone who’s interested frankly – get together in a few cities over say three nights in a row, to share ideas, war stories, techniques and party pies over a sudsy beverage of some kind. I reckon more is learnt at get-togethers like that than any other context. I guess it’s all part of my desire to make the pro audio community feel more like a community of friends rather than names on a credit list.

Anyway, shut up now. I’m appreciative of all the kind emails people have sent to me (before my email address was torn out of my grasp) and if anyone wants to ask some more detailed questions here on the Turtlerock Forum about what is happening, I’ll endeavour to answer them. There’s no point trying to inform anyone of the facts on the AT Forum… Rick has already tried to state his intentions there and the post lasted about 10 minutes. Oh, and just so everyone knows, my new email address is: andy@themill.net.au[/color]

[Lee]

Well, I reckon this year one of the things I’ll be doing is organising a quarterly or half-yearly conference where people in the audio community – or anyone who’s interested frankly – get together in a few cities over say three nights in a row, to share ideas, war stories, techniques and party pies over a sudsy beverage of some kind. I reckon more is learnt at get-togethers like that than any other context. I guess it’s all part of my desire to make the pro audio community feel more like a community of friends rather than names on a credit list.

You had me at sudsy beverage .

[rick]

So the fine owners of that mag waited untill you had finished the incredable job you did at integrate by getting geoff emerick and richard lush to show us there private bag of tricks ( and like the other guests from previous years ..massenburg and jackson.. all classic andy stewart )

and they Got you to finish one last mag and then sacked you on the morning it was finished ?
even though that mag ran sneaky unseen adds for a new editor ?

Without any prior knowledge and you were thinking you were getting a bonus for your efforts !
and instead you were fired and offered an embarrassing low amount of Money that would not have even covered your current months bills
all that ..Just prior to christmas !

You then head straight of to unfair dismissal lawyers and reach a walk up settlement
With them because the law in australia is pretty clear !

And the rest of us have one by one walked off .. Some slower then others
As those remaining guys try and make sure they get what is owed and promised to them ?
We all have our own wheels to spin bills to pay money to collect
I understand
These things take time to wash through

we will all be replaced .. no question really
but with who and what ?

But it still Sounds like a silent shitfight to me.

I am not so silent about it
You just dont take my friends for granted and treat them like commercial
Equity .. After they have given nearly a decade of their life to making your mag the finest of its kind as a matter
of personal pride .. not for the meager wages on offer

I dont care what the excuses are or where, how much money they do or dont have in the bank
what direction they will or wont head off to in the future or where planning to before the deluge

People should talk and treat great people , like great people ...not as finacial assets and liabilities
this is not thatchers old england !

If times are tough and they surely are for all of us
You dont leave your people out in the wind without notice and try to cover it over so you dont get caught out !

you sit down and talk like men

so Without explanations without fair compensation without warning
Its just not .. Well its just not ...for me or my kind

Obviously Andy has limits to what he can say brad too for that matter -
but we all know them to be men
Of the highest integrity
As are all of the good guys in this business

Thoughts .. Comments ?
Keep em coming !

[HA_DA_JA]

Thats why I never understand when people tell you "It's not personal, it's just business".
It just does not make sense.
So when I have had to take someone to court (more then once) doesn't that show that this is personal.
Which reminds me of when I took the Govt to court and won ...but that is another story for another time.

[Wiz]

I have been shit on many times....and it blows chunks. Particularly when you have given your absolute best to the enterprise.....

An old man once said to me...

"you wanna know how much you mean to this company, really?. Put your hand in a bucket full of water, pull it out and the hole that remains, is exactly how much you matter in the end.

His other shakespearian like quote was...

"Life is a giant shit sandwich, the trick is to get as much bread as you can" (perhaps that should have been the line in Forrest Gump)

Now I don't like to view the world quite that cynically, but he has something of a valid point.

I remember one particular audio visual company where i worked, put me on staff....(no overtime)....they said at the beginning of my employment that there was one weekend of overtime, once a year, that was it.

They told me everyone else was on staff as well.

Of course, six months later, I am flying from melbourne to sydney every monday morning at 6am, working 12-16 hour days, and flying home friday afternoon, to do 3 gigs, then repeat. I did this for 3 months solid. Towards the end of the 3 month stint...I went out on the piss with the other guys, we gets to talking, all of them are on penalty rates but me!!

Start to do the math, its a god damn fortune, and the worst part, I was doing these guys jobs and all the programming of the systems as well, I wasn't in charge of them, but I had damn more responsibility and in theory a higher paid position (again a lie)

I approached the manager who hired me...there was lots of err...umm....shuffle feet...clear throat..

I resigned immediately. Of course they asked me to stay whilst they found a replacement. I (integrity dude that I am) of course did...It took them a couple of months, in the end they had to get a guy out from the USA who they had to relocate, and of course paid him a shitload more than me. The programming side of things was a little tricky at the time.

If they had just been honest, I probably still would be there...that was 16 years ago.

But, the good side of it as it was the catalyst of me going "full time" in music. I had enough of the corporate world (previous to that I was a mainframe hardware systems engineer for Digital Equipment Corporation and had done zillions of hours overtime there as well, before that a fax technician, and prior to that a calibration technician in the RAAF.) In the end it was the best thing...or is that just how we rationalise it to ourselves?

In the 80's and 90's the corporate world (computer and electronics industries) was very, give your soul to the company type deal. Don't know if it is like that anymore.

I truly loved each of my jobs, loved doing the right thing by clients, was very conscientious and diligent and basically got screwed each time.

All you have control of in this world, is how you behave. I made a choice when I was about 19 years old (now 47) that I would be as honest as is possible. Always act in the most integral way possible. I hope that things like Karma exist, its the only thing that keeps me from climbing a clock tower...8).

I got a reference from my last boss in the RAAF. Its one of the most beautiful things I ever had anyone say about me...I
have it committed to memory...and love it to bits.

"Peter is a forthright though tactful person. His integrity is above reproach"

I want that on my tombstone....that and..." I wish I had gone Neve!"

take solice Andy, Brad and Rick(and anyone else I missed) in the fact the you have acted honourably and with integrity.

Also that your writings, musings and ilk, have brought me great enjoyment in the many hours I have spent on the crapper with an Audio Technology perched on my lap....8)

Also if things don't work out...you can join me in the clock tower...I will bring the iced vovo's

viva le integrity

Peter

[Sammas]

Kudos to you gents! The world needs more people like you.

A similar thing happened to my father... 25 years with a company, 10 years of it running the national branch, only to be escorted from the building without even being able to say goodbye to colleagues... all because you were defending the bonuses they had rightfully earned.

It is some heartbreaking stuff to witness.

[The Tasmanian]

The greatest of luck to you Andy - you really made the mag what it is.
I'm sure everyone else working there had other things going on, so it wont be such a massive loss to their time and income.
Like Rick said - surely they could of sat down like men and chatted about going to a new editor and a new direction (in advance) and all would have been OK.
Behind the scenes unloyal dishonesty...reminds me of a business partner I once had.....
Good luck to all who gave it everything.
I wont be reading it

[The Mill]

Thanks Chris.
Yeah, things certainly could have been handled differently, for sure.
This year I’m looking forward to organising some stuff that will allow ‘us’ – the audio industry – to have some interesting get-togethers independent of standard big unwieldy business models that always put profit first.
To me the two things that writing for AT was always about were ‘community’ and ‘learning’, but there are definitely other ways to keep those concepts alive.

[The Tasmanian]

Go for it Andy - and hang around here a bit - its a great crew here - everyone is relaxed and very helpful with sharing their knowledge and wisdom and very community minded.
No ads or corporate bullshit seem to make a big difference (thanks Rick for not hocking your balls!).

[rick]

Not hocking my balls any time soon

But i did just prune this thread up to remove two pages of
Beer drinking suggestions and a couple of extra jokes

It is important to me that for a while people
Read this thread so there is balance out in the world
On the other reasons you may all hear for

The reasons we have all left audiotechnology

Things are only starting to get interesting now

[DOMC]

I liked ricks article in the kids room for the studio. I'm still trying to work out how do that one properly. A ten month old and cable don't mix. Pity I won read about ricks follow up child minding build techniques.

[Manning]

Well here's the other thread where we discuss how to get something new off the ground. May not go anywhere, but at least its being discussed.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5950

[The Mill]

Cheers guys for all the kind and positive words...

Looking forward to a big year of audio production and writing for a couple of other magazines besides AT. I didn't read the last issue of AudioTechnology actually... I threw it straight in the bin. Did anyone notice any change in the vibe or tone of it?

[waitup]

Yes... The tone was distinctly boring

[Ender]

I agree, very flat overall. Of course they can fill some gaps, but it certainly seems to have lost the vibe.

[Lee]

It went from being awesome one issue to being lifeless the next, which is disappointing. My subscription ran out with that issue so it must be time to move on.

[rick]

Well the list of writers that i would consider as people of
Integrity that will be missing from the mag as the issues roll on
And people forfill their commitments is actually pretty long
It cannot happen immediately , everything in time i guess

Maybe we are all replaceable in word count , who knows ?

But its not all about word count to the guys that
Get it .. If you understand What i am saying

I cannot print a list of ex writers because every body has their own
Wheels to spin - i would not ask anybody to down tools
Thats not what i am about ..
But the list is long and
What i can say is none of my friends we be writing anymore
none of us need the $300 as much as the feeling community of like minds

[Mazystar]

Seemed to be more advertising then usual, just my 2c. Such a shame! I didn't realise all this cahoo-ha had taken place at first but clicked pretty quick when Andy wasn't the editor and there was no Last Word from Rick!! had i spent 5 minutes to skim through before purchase, lets say there wouldn't of been a purchase as i could of gleamed the whole mag from start to finish whilst standing there!
Definitely not the same vibe!!!!

[DaleRoyce]

Oh BUM.

I take a little time off the the World Wide Waste of time and Bang things change for good.. (the good).

Hell, Just last night i was just enjoying the very first The Last word (Sound Off!) in the very first issue of the very first volume
of SOUND Australia in 1996.
The headline was (THE WORLDS GREATEST LIAR!) and that pic of you Rick in that red shirt black vest and eyes rolled back...

I've enjoyed them all, but i do have a few favs...
But nothing gives me a bigger or unstoppable belly laugh than your "You know were saving up for a paggolla.." story. It should be written in the bible somewhere. Classic.

I think only the Ladyboy scene from the hangover 2, Chevy chase in the first vacation film, and my good friend Yuri
squaring off against a vengeful butcher bird (its said they have some sort of painful venom at the end of those little sharp beaks.. apparently) well thats what he told me after explaining the small but deep wound at the tip of his nose have had the same response from my tear ducts during those fits of uncontrollable laughter.

Damn Shame (on them).

[rick]

its ok dale their loss
they dont seem to give a toss as i dont think they even know who all the writers were or how we connect , and the point is we do connect

I am just clearing a backload of undone stuff , it looks like my new studio WILL actually open pretty soon, although not as big or as marvelous as i would have liked , but the space is there i can grow it when i can

but i am well into a divorce
everything in my world now has to be laid out differently with different focuses ,
include who I do business with ..
if your not my kind of person , I am severing all ties ..
becoming mr tell it to my bank account for those guys

I just need the ease of ease going forward
nobody gets to use me or my friends without paying back in full in a short memory account

I dont think i will or could change too much , but the things i will do for no reward are to be refocused
Turtlerock is going to be more focused on the bottom line it just has to be ,
I am to be more focused on what I need , not what everybody else needs
I just wont have time for dicks

There will be more war stories have no fear , we are dancing around some ideas right now
but what and where .. is still out to the wind

[tunetown]

it looks like my new studio WILL actually open pretty soon,

I can smell a TR BBQ in the near future.
Glad to see you're battling on. I look forward to seeing your new room.

[Wiz]

Divorce is a very painful thing.

Been through it myself.....I came out of it with a wine table I made when I was a french polisher apprentice when I was seventeen, a TV I bought when I was eighteen, and my PA gear for my duo at the time...and a shit load of debt.

The thing I found most disappointing and hurtful, was how the person who I had spent 12 years with, acted at the end.

I spent the first six months ( I was 29 then) sleeping on the floor of my South Yarra flat, with a foldback wedge as my pillow. I worked 60 hours a week at my day job then (computer hardware systems engineer) and did 3 gigs a week, just to have enough money to eat whilst I cleared the debt.

I hard some dark times and it took me a good year to get back on my feet.

Nearly 20 years on, and I own my own home and studio, have a 14 year old daughter, and I am happily married (to the singer I might add....8)......)

Rick, we aint ever met, and most likely won't, we have spoken a couple of times on the phone (when you graciously gave me some free advice...which was worth much more than I paid for it......) I wish you all the best in your personal and professional struggles.

Its a shit fight, its horrible, but (I won't say you get over it...thats being a bit familiar and I didn't have children then) but, In my case, things got easier and easier, slowly.


I came to the conclusion, you can just kiss a year of your life goodbye....then you start to pick up the pieces.

take care

[rick]

Thanks Peter
Look this thread is certainly not about divorce

Well a divorce from audiotech and it's owners maybe

I guess I just raised my personal stuff on this very public
Space to make sure it's understood
The easy to get at Rick .. The guy that would stand outside
In the rain all night to help a friend ..
Well that guy is still here

I just have a few of my own moves to make

[DaleRoyce]

Just eye spyed the new AT at my local..

The LAST WORD was always my first page, It was by a local fella named Rick that had a tonne of
Good Bad and Ugly experiences that he spat at you, in a "yer i know what you mean" or on a adventurous tech side "I did NOT know that" sort of way, And all rapt up in a "I'm happy to impart this info, but don't push it "vibe ;-)

So back to some new bloke with a Old title that wasted his first Last Page on selling his Bio
.. I LOL'd........................... then shook my head.

[Drumstruck]

I just received the email from AT advising about Integrate 2012 which made me think of this thread.

Am I right to guess you fine gents and the mastering forum won't be a feature at Integrate this year? If so, that's a real shame as it was the highlight of Integrate (for me)..... to the extent that I may give it a miss this year

[rick]

well i wont be doing it nor will my .. ..

but that leaves the door open for umm .. well ..?

i am sure they will get some bums on seats everybody wants to work for free for days on end
for nothing and no reward

except you have to lug out and pay for your parking yourself
which was always so very classy and not what was promised .. and yet

[rick]

Actually i went to the at website the news for the day is focurites lastest mic pre .. !

all very interesting stuff except the headline that claims focusrite is 40 years old

small typos sure..

but if a company started by rupurt in 1985 is fourty years old or even close i will eat my shorts !

but of course how could anybody know about that pesky audio stuff and be able to think about what you cut & copy unless you cared about it ?

sure its not Anybody at ATs job to check the facts ..
it never was ,
the good guys just did previously because it was how they are
(sigh..)

[Drumstruck]

haha - 27 years in audio = 40 years in the regular world. There's a new conversion factor

Now we need an exclusive, private event - perhaps called "Dis-integrate"

[rick]

nah no need to be destructive .. that ship will take its own coarse .. this is my forum and nobody reads it (sic)

but we are all talking and thinkng and timing

[saggsy]

WOW, really interesting thread. I had been a reader/subscriber of AT since issue 1 and had read every issue back to back up until about a year and a bit ago.

Glad to know that I was privy to some well written articles during the 'hey day' of that magazine.

Just as I was thinking that gearslutz is getting way too crowded and full of crap - and the pending demise of the Aussie section - I am now officially going to spend a whole lot more of my time reading and posting on Turtlerock.

Makes me feel way closer to home, especially seeing the names of you guys that I already (weirdly) feel so familiar.

Here's to the future of Turtlerock Forum

saggsy