Some interesting thoughts from mastering engineer Bob Katz

[Daverz]

Bob K is a deeply experienced mastering engineer respected around the world. With a professionally built studio and world class gear. So cast doubt if you like... that's your bidness.

I am not at all impressed with mastering "engineers".

 

[DRMLFL]

End of friendship. Good riddance.

You don't want to have people like that as your enemy!

Could it possibly be tinnitus?

Although it's not funny, I had to lol while reading this.

 

[egellings]

Should be followed by “you punctured my illusion”.

Weird thing to end a friendship over.

He still refused to believe it was an illusion, even after he himself unequivocally proved to himself that he could hear no difference. I don't understand how that works in people--must be some sort of a mental block. Either that, or admitting failure could threaten a potential revenue stream for him, I dunno.

 

[bachatero]

I am not at all impressed with mastering "engineers".

Actually illegal in some/many places if you haven't taken the PE (Professional Engineering) exam

 

[Dialectic]

Actually illegal in some/many places if you haven't taken the PE (Professional Engineering) exam

There's a professional licensing exam for mastering engineers?

 

[bachatero]

There's a professional licensing exam for mastering engineers?

Note that I never actually claimed there was such a test. Therefore, the job title "mastering engineer" is actually illegal because it's impossible to become one due to professional engineering licensing boards lacking the prerequisite exam.

 

[Dialectic]

Note that I never actually claimed there was such a test. Therefore, the job title "mastering engineer" is actually illegal because it's impossible to become one due to professional engineering licensing boards lacking the prerequisite exam.

Unless you're referring to the widely known idiocy regarding this issue in Texas (and maybe some other non-U.S. jurisdictions but not where Bob Katz works), your post is worthy of the Bad Legal Takes feed on Twitter.

I'm glad we have ASR members helpfully policing this important issue.

 

[dasdoing]

he means that the title can't be used, not that they must take exams.
I know for example that in Germany they are called "mastering technicians".

 

[Dialectic]

he means that the title can't be used, not that they must take exams.
I know for example that in Germany they are called "mastering technicians".

I understand, and I'm not impressed. This crowd on ASR is like the people in my profession who put "Esq." after their names.

 

[DRMLFL]

he means that the title can't be used, not that they must take exams.
I know for example that in Germany they are called "mastering technicians".

Who told you that? We also call them mastering engineers here.

 

[dasdoing]

Who told you that? We also call them mastering engineers here.

Ingenieurgesetz IngG: Wann ist man Ingenieur?

Die Ingenieurgesetze regeln den Schutz der Berufsbezeichnung Ingenieur. Das bedeutet, es gibt deutschlandweit 16 verschiedene Ingenieurgesetze. Wir klären auf.

www.ingenieur.de

 

[DRMLFL]

@dasdoing aaah, ok I know what you mean. They circumvent that law by using the english term mastering engineer and not the german word "Mastering Ingenieur", which sounds a bit strange to my ears. In Germany it is allowed to use the words "Tontechniker" (sound technician) and the word mastering engineer which stands for "Tonmeister", those job titles are not legally protected.

 

[egellings]

Note that I never actually claimed there was such a test. Therefore, the job title "mastering engineer" is actually illegal because it's impossible to become one due to professional engineering licensing boards lacking the prerequisite exam.

Are there college degrees in that type of engineering, as there are in say, electrical or mechanical?

 

[bachatero]

Are there college degrees in that type of engineering, as there are in say, electrical or mechanical?

In the university I'm going to they drill it into all engineering students that in order to call yourself an "engineer" you need to first take the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam optimally when you're a senior, and then if you pass, take the PE exam once you graduate. They also say that most US states have rules just like this in order to keep "engineer" a protected title. Unfortunately, I'm doing what seems to be the only non-software engineering major that doesn't have an associated PE exam, so I don't know what I'll do then.

Therefore, it almost sounds hilarious to hear the titles "software engineer" and "mastering engineer" because they are basically made up to convey clout without completing the same steps as most other "engineers" out there.

 

[teched58]

A buddy of mine was into RCA interconnect cables and thought they were a significant contributor to S.Q. He had no electrical engineering knowledge whatsoever (did not even finish high school), and I'd best describe him as a self-anointed, true believer guru. Well, he decided that he could design an interconnect (RCA cable) that would take the 'skew' out of the sound, whatever that was, and, they would mercilessly trounce any other price-no-object cable out there. So, he cobbled some together and took them to audio stores & acquaintances and gooped on the snake oil sales pitches. I visited him a few times, and he demoed the cables relentlessly to me, rhapsodizing over the sound quality and complete absence of 'skew'. They worked, doing the same job any reasonable cable would do. Welp, I decided to test him. I brought along some cheapie gray cables that came free with a cheap CD player (You know where this is going!). He had music playing on his system. There was a pizza place just a few doors away from where he lived, and we ordered a pie. He went out to pick it up. I did the unthinkable; I swapped my cheapies for his fancy cables between the preamp and power amp and hid the fancy ones behind the equipment rack. He came back with the pie and continued to rhapsodize of the sound, not knowing of my nefarious trick. I left for the night and a couple of days later I got a phone call on my message recorder: Earl, you sunnuvabitch! End of friendship. Good riddance.

Today, your friend is CEO of a successful b̶o̶u̶t̶i̶q̶u̶e̶ ̶ snake-oil audiophile company.

He advertises in Stereophile and is good friends with JVS and the other SP writers (except for Kal and JA1).

Finally, he wants me to tell you that you're just jealous he has "a lot of money" (according to him) and he also wonders what good was your fancy EE education?

Your friend concludes: "Measurements don't matter to me because I can't understand them anyway. Oh and did I mention you're jealous of my money?"

 

[egellings]

Today, your friend is CEO of a successful b̶o̶u̶t̶i̶q̶u̶e̶ ̶ snake-oil audiophile company.

He advertises in Stereophile and is good friends with JVS and the other SP writers (except for Kal and JA1).

Finally, he wants me to tell you that you're just jealous he has "a lot of money" (according to him) and he also wonders what good was your fancy EE education?

Your friend concludes: "Measurements don't matter to me because I can't understand them anyway. Oh and did I mention you're jealous of my money?"

I believe if we're talking about someone in the Milwaukee, WI (USA) area, who runs a store called Tritium Electronics, then that's the person. I am not jealous at all and wish him success. As for me, I am a BSEE degreed engineer working for a company with a world-wide presence that offers good wages, benefits and retirement plan. The company makes lines of no-BS electronic components that are highly regarded and offered in catalogs of major electronic component suppliers as well as being sold to major companies for use in their products. So, I'm happy, and I hope this other person is, too. As for "a lot of money", I have more than I need for a comfortable life. Big thing is that companies I have worked for do not offer 'snake oil' products because the problem with that sort of product is that their popularity has the shelf life of potato salad.