James Majors: What making Records taught me about writing code

Transcript

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   “So, Who Are You?”

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   Father Husband Georgia Native Yes, this is my natural hair

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   “So, What Have You Done?” • Making records since 1989

   • Freelance Audio Engineer for 20 years • Worked on Grammy winning and Multi-Platinum albums • Owned an Equipment Rental company for over a decade • First digital workstation available for rent in the South East • Produced Rock, Jazz, and Celtic albums
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   • Partner in several studios • Mixed live concert for

   20,000 spectators • Recorded/Mixed Live & Episodic TV and Films • Adjunct Professor at an Audio School • Events from Ted Turner to Make-A-Wish • Designed/Built/Operated 85,000 ft/sq, $40 Million PAC • Never been to Prison
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   Athens - 2004 Beijing - 2008

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   “So, What Would You Say You Do Here?” • iOS

   Developer at POSSIBLE Mobile • Give Talks & Teach about Swift and programming • Chase my daughter around (she’s 4)
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   Lessons Learned 1. Fundamentals matter 2. You can’t polish a

   turd 3. It’s not the gear, it’s the ear 4. Listeners don’t care about your religious debates 5. No one buys the album because of the mic the singer used 6. Nothing is sacred 7. Some shiny things are just shiny 8. You can’t ‘Fix it in the Mix’ 9. Architecture Matters
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   What does a Programmer Do?

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   What does a Programmer Do? • Understand a Problem

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    What does a Programmer Do? • Understand a Problem •

    Reason a Solution
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    What does a Programmer Do? • Understand a Problem •

    Reason a Solution • Implement that Solution
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    What does an Audio Engineer Do? •Make things Louder

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    What does an Audio Engineer Do? • Understand a Problem

    • Reason a Solution • Implement that Solution • Make things Louder
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    Why Give This Talk?

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    “Things are only obvious when they are stated. Otherwise, they

    remain a mystery.” - Me
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    “If this stuff is so obvious, why does no one

    do it?”
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    $250,000 $1,000,000

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    $3,995 6 @ $3,995 = $23,970 $999 1992 1991

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    > $100,000 1984

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    1988 $1,999 1970’s

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    $12.99 $199 macOS iOS

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    Fundamentals Matter #1

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    • Pitch • Time • Tempo • Song Structure •

    Frequency Range • Dynamic Range • Acoustics • Basic Electronics • Boolean Logic • Sequential Logic • Abstraction • Looping • Assignment • Syntax • Simple Algebra • Basic Electronics Audio Software
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    “Can you make it sound more purple ?” purple “Get

    me in at the ‘and of 4’ going into the bridge” “Take it from the turn-around thru the vamp” “I can’t hear the ghost strokes”
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    “Can you make that button feel more friendly?” “Refactor that

    ViewController using MVVM” “These classes are too tightly coupled” “Singletons are the tool of the devil”
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    How Do You Improve Your Skills?

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    The same way you get to Carnegie Hall Practice <Insert

    Rim Shot Here>
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    You Can’t Polish a Turd* *Unless you freeze it first…

    #2
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    Audio Software If the song sucks, no amount of polish

    will make it a ‘good’ song If the idea for your app sucks, no language or framework will make it a ‘good’ app
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    It’s not the gear, it’s the ear #3

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    $1,200 $99 Shure SM-57 Tascam 144

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    Listeners Don’t Care About Your Religious* Debates *Not the ‘Good

    Book’ kind #4
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    No One Buys an Album Because of the Mic the

    Singer Used #5
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    $99 $350

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    Nothing is Sacred #6

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    Some Shiny Things are Just Shiny #7

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    You Can’t ‘Fix it in the Mix’ #8

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    Architecture* Matters *The real estate kind too! #9

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    Lessons Learned? 1. Fundamentals matter 2. You can’t polish a

    turd 3. It’s not the gear, it’s the ear 4. Listeners don’t care about your religious debates 5. No one buys the album because of the mic the singer used 6. Nothing is sacred 7. Some shiny things are just shiny 8. You can’t ‘Fix it in the Mix’ 9. Architecture Matters
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    Thanks for coming!

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    This presentation doesn't contain any confidential information and isn’t intended

    only for anyone who knows anything. Any other distribution, re-transmission, copying or disclosure of this message is highly encouraged. If you have received this transmission in error, just take a few deep breaths and relax, it’s really not a big deal. If you like it, pass it on, if you don’t like it, pass it on. Thanks! What Making Records Taught Me About Writing Code ALTCONF - 2017 Presentation Created For Anyone Who Will Listen! Created By James Majors, iOS Developer