The Zengineer Scrolls

By James DuMaine

This series has been derived from the mind of a master recording and mixing engineer and his experiences through learning and application of the recording arts. The title, “Zengineer Scrolls” could have easily been replaced with the name, The Philosophy of Recording”, because it not only provides factual information to guide the reader in recording techniques but also serves as a means to providing a light to the path of how to be a master at the craft. When one begins reading these materials they will almost immediately realize they are looking through the eyes of a master so as to become that master. Instead of being a collection of memorization tools it is a visualization of invaluable experience where every word counts as a step in the “Zen” direction of being. One will not even want to bypass the introduction as the key to this reservoir of knowledge begins there and pours tons of information into the readers view. So the series, beginning with the first collection of four scrolls, is not about “how to” but “how to be” instead. Yet there’s a journey and not a series of tasks. Prepare to dive into an ocean of knowledge between these covers and when you reach the bottom discover the mother of pearl within yourself. Arise as an engineer master; Zengineer!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665557719

James DuMaine

James DuMaine is a Music Producer, Engineer, Composer, Song Writer, Course Writer, Book Writer and Educator originally from Louisiana. He’s had a successful earlier career as a performing musician and producer who worked with several international Grammy award winning bands (GAP Band, George Clinton, Brick, Yarbrough & Peoples, DOC) along with a few great film projects. Keyboards have been in his whole life, the stage his passion, and the recording studio his layer of mastery. The journey in those fields has enabled him to work with such labels as EMI records, Capitol records, Malaco records, and many others. In other capacities James has worked with several famous groups from various genres. He graduated from McNeese State University with a degree in marketing and management, while maintaining his relationship with the music industry. We also got an agree music video business from the artist to. And James as always also been a professor and course writer in the field of recording arts for Mediatech Institute, Colin County community college, and advanced studio learning NYC where he earned a reputation as the great teacher. At the heart of his musical skills is the ability to produce very compelling emotionally intense songs and music. As an educator, he has taught well over 2300 students of which many have gone on to have great successful careers as engineers and producers in the music, television, and film industry. Being the versatile musician that he is, James knows how to deliver contagious melodies, screaming rock solos, and funky rhythms to the stage on a dime.

Book preview

THE

ZENGINEER

SCROLLS

JAMES DUMAINE

© 2022 James DuMaine. All rights reserved.

Graphic Design and Illustrations - Angel Ortega

For Connections Visit: www.unfairrecords.com

For Mentorship Visit: www.fastforwardworkshops.com

For Explanations Visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU5UgKEGN9tgKcbXu22bp5Q

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted

by any means without the written permission of the author.

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ISBN: 978-1-6655-5770-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-5771-9 (e)

Published by AuthorHouse 04/28/2022

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THE AUTHOR

James DuMaine is a Music Producer, Engineer, Composer, Song Writer, Course Writer, Book Writer and Educator originally from Louisiana. He’s had a successful earlier career as a performing musician and producer who worked with several international Grammy award winning bands (GAP Band, George Clinton, Brick, Yarbrough & Peoples, DOC) along with a few great film projects. Keyboards have been in his whole life, the stage his passion, and the recording studio his layer of mastery. The journey in those fields has enabled him to work with such labels as EMI records, Capitol records, Malaco records, and many others. In other capacities James has worked with several famous groups from various genres. At the heart of his musical skills is the ability to produce very compelling emotionally intense songs and music. As an educator, he has taught well over 2300 students of which many have gone on to have great successful careers as engineers and producers in the music, television, and film industry. Being the versatile musician that he is, James knows how to deliver contagious melodies, screaming rock solos, and funky rhythms to the stage on a dime in addition to dreamy ambient textures, heart melting chord structures, and heavenly atmospheres.

James is an accomplished composer, producer, and audio engineer. His journey in those fields have enabled him to work with such labels as EMI records, Capitol records, Malaco records, and many others. In other capacities James has worked with several famous groups from various genres. Many of his students went on to do great things on the planet. In other capacities James has worked with several famous groups from various genres. He graduated from McNeese State University with a degree in marketing and management, while maintaining his relationship with the music industry. He also received a degree in Music Video Business from the Arts Institute of Dallas. James has also been a professor and course writer in the fields of Recording Arts, Music Production, and Music Business for Mediatech Institute, Colin County Community College, and Advanced Studio Learning in NYC where he earned a reputation as the great teacher. Many of his students went on to do great things on the planet.

Now he is the creator of Fast Forward Workshops LLC. ;A company that provides mentorship and education services that range from technical installations of sound, broadcast, and lighting, to educational organization development and UnFair Records LLC. UnFair Records (The United Federation For Artistic Independence And Retail) is a company that provides entertainment industry consulting, guidance, marketing and mentorship services to all artistic beings so that they might realize their true value.

OVERVIEW

Welcome to the Zengineering Experience. Zengineer Scrolls I is the first in its series. Here you’ll be exposed to the information scrolls about studio etiquette, the nature of sound, microphone designs and applications, and studio connections. Each collection is both a history class and a future portal to executable knowledge. Zengineer Scrolls I contains the very essential foundation of how to be a professional recordist. This is an extraordinary new learning model designed for the modern audio engineer. In this product, you will be introduced and given a viewpoint from a certain experience level in which you will adapt as your own. The model is designed to prepare you for the professional environment of your preferred occupation. The Zengineering Experience takes into consideration the seven cognitive intelligences and thus learning styles:

1. Visual

2. Musical

3. Interpersonal

4. Intrapersonal

5. Physical

6. Mathematical

7. Environmental

At first glance it’s easy to ask, Well is this another Pro Tools Book or is this a basic recording book? Our answer is simply this: This is a story about professional recording. You probably know from experience. Woops there is the key word experience. Anything that you’ve ever truly learned has come from some experience that glues the facts together. Anyone can memorize facts and regurgitate them for a test. In the coming collections you will be taken further down the rabbit hole until you have all the ammunition to achieve true mastery.

The problem for many folks is that after the test is over and they haven’t touched the task or system in a while, their condition is usually referred to as rusty. The more experienced person cannot only articulate a solution better but can execute off the cuff. That person is usually referred to as a professional!

We can remember falling down better than walking casually. Depending on how traumatic the experience was, we might be able to remember the exact date or at least day that it happened.

Although I’m not what anyone would consider a Buddhist, as I don’t practice chants, meditation exercises, or religious activities related to Buddhism, I do search for the truth as it applies to what I’m doing. In doing so I ran across several powerful Zen sayings as gathered from Zen masters and presented by a gentleman by the name of Matt Valentine. Many of them seemed relevant to strengthening what I have to tell you concerning your journey into understanding professional audio and the art of being an engineer. It’s all about how to think and how to be.

Perhaps you are wondering why I’ve decided to title this section, ZENgineer Wisdom. First, I looked at the following definitions and contemplated on it!

Zen

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen

/zɛn/

Noun

1. A Japanese school, of 12th-century Chinese origin, teaching that contemplation of one’s essential nature to the exclusion of all else is the only way of achieving pure enlightenment

2. (Modifier) of or relating to this school: Zen Buddhism

ENGINEER

www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=engineer

Noun

1. A person trained and skilled in the design, construction, and use of engines or machines, or in any of various branches of engineering :

A mechanical engineer; a civil engineer.

2. A person who operates or is in charge of an engine.

3. Also called locomotive engineer. Railroads. A person who operates or is in charge of a locomotive.

4. A member of an army, navy, or air force specially trained in engineering work.

5. Digital Technology. A person skilled in the design and programming ofcomputer systems: a software engineer.

A web engineer.

6. A skillful manager:

A political engineer.

Verb (used with object)

7. To plan, construct, or manage as an engineer:

He’s engineered several big industrial projects.

8. To design or create using the techniques or methods of engineering:

The motor has been engineered to run noiselessly.

9. To arrange, manage, or carry through by skillful or artful contrivance:

He certainly engineered the election campaign beautifully.

Then I read about a situation from the Mixing with Your Mind, written by Michael Stavrou, in which a research project involved various people from various professions. In this research their brain waves were scanned while they did what they did. Remarkably the scientific researchers stopped in amazement when they got to the mixing engineer.

They asked him if he meditated regularly at which point, he politely answered, Uh no! The reason for the question was because the Alpha and Beta waves of this person’s brain had completely frozen during his exercise of the mixing process. That wasn’t all. The only time the researchers had ever seen this before was with Tibetan monks who as we know are great practitioners of meditation. It comes from such a great focus on doing one thing that the brain simply freezes all other activities. It made me think about what is really happening. Working with music in this manner is equal to some form of meditation.

The other thing we know about those monks is that they live a certain way of life to successfully get to that point of supreme bliss within.

What does this have to do with the title? Here is a quote from ZEN master Eckhart Tolle that I’d like you to think about.

Then I remembered an extremely close friend of mine who became a book writer. She stated that being a book writer was an incredible task to accomplish and that most people would never ever finish even one. Yet she had written seven books at the time. I remembered the amount of writing that took place as I watched her for a few months on one book. She lived, ate, and breathed any opportunity to write something that belonged in this book every day and night. All night sometimes without sleep. I asked her indirectly how she was doing that. Her reply was, Some people collect items, I collect experiences.

Even more importantly I remembered her history. She wasn’t always this book writer. She was a person with a history of homeless, time in jail, being an alcoholic, and thriving on drugs. At some point it appeared certain that she would never go any further than that. Then a decision was made to change her life from its current state to the desire to become a book writer. She switched most of her habits although some were harder to shake and began writing her first book while going through some incredible challenges. And it was written. She researched how to get the book on the market