Errmmm ... hopefully they'll be hearing what the musicians wanted them to hear!! .... pesky recording engineers getting ideas above their station!! 😁
K
Yes, one would hope the engineer actually talks to the band about what they want. I remember on the Dark Side of the Moon documentary, it was openly acknowledged by the members of Pink Floyd that the engineering of Alan Parsons was key to getting the right sound on the album.
Some musicians are less aware than others, of course. I did have one guy say to me "Oh, is that what I sound like?" in a slightly disappointed voice when he heard the raw cut. Then, once I'd rebalanced stuff, added a bit of reverb to the voice and compression to his guitar, said "Ah, that's better!"
What I hear in my head as a performer is not the same as that which comes out of the stage monitor, nor what the audience hear sat listening to the PA, I rely on the sound guy to get something that sounds decent in the environment. The same is pretty much true of the engineer's job, translating the artist's intent to the final product.
