Endorse This...
From the original Analog Industries archive. Some links and images from that era no longer resolve.
The subject of endorsements, while providing brief turns of comedy here on AI, is a bit sticky. Obviously, Audio Damage gets many requests for freebies (I’d say we average about 5 a week) and I put the funniest ones up here, as you well know. I ignore the ones from nobodies, and I write personal letters to the somebodies explaining why our answer is “no.” I often have to research the nobodies to determine that they are, in fact, nobody, rather than somebody. This isn’t easy as there are almost as many bands as there are music consumers, it seems.
There’s also many artists who we unwillingly endorse, like Josh Douchebag And The Double-Ended Buttplugs, but we’ll leave them out of the conversation for the now. Here’s my question:
Is your buying decision, as a musician consumer, ever affected by the artists that endorse a particular product?
Speaking strictly for myself, the answer is “no,” and this has informed Audio Damage’s policies. Back when I was famous and stuff, I had many endorsements. The only one worth a shit was Korg (which, at the time, was also Vox, Premier, Marshall, and Parker – everything a band needs, basically). Most of the other stuff we got for free we used simply because it was free, not because it got us some sort of signature sound. Perhaps that’s a bit different when you’re at the level where you’ve got Custom Shoppe products you helped design, but very few musicians are at that level, so the point is sort of moot.
In any event, I’m willing to admit I’m wrong if a sizable majority here say “I bought Plug-in X specifically because Producer Y mentioned it in Interview Z.” Now, you have to keep in mind that Producer Y is mentioning Plug-in X because he got it for free, not because he necessarily wanted it. I did the same thing in interviews, a fact I’m not necessarily proud of, but needs must. If you’ve got search skillz, you can no doubt hunt up a Guitar Player interview where I sing the praises of the Parker Fly loud and long, or Keyboard interviews where I describe the Trinity as the best synthesizer ever made.
So, how ’bout it? Currently, if an Audio Damage product is mentioned in an interview, it’s because the person using it bought it, which lends the comment a certain credence. If we changed our policy, that would no longer be the case.
10 comments
I just buy most of them anyway, likely all of the them eventually. Seriously, endorsements don't affect my decision at all. I see an endorsement and I say to myself "there's someone who got it for free and is now saying good things about it based on that" and it is more a negative thing at that point.
Personally, I have always really respected that about AD: that everyone buys the plugs, no exceptions. No freebies.
It is especially relevant that the plugs are so reasonably priced, it would just seem a bit stupid if any were given away. If someone is doing well enough from their music that it is paying all their bills and even resulting in some broad name recognition from it- surely such "fame" can afford $29-$49 for a plugin?
The only time any kind of endorsement bears any weight is if I know the person actually spent their own money on it... which usually means I ignore interviews & ads and only pay attention personal word of mouth. Even then, such personal vouching still only holds a tiny bit of sway. Nothing that will make me run out and buy something right away.
Tough call. Usually my bullshit detector goes off pretty easily with artists endorsing something vocally, but OTOH sometimes when some artist I like talks about some plugin or instrument that I'm actually interested in, it might pique my interest more. Especially if he/she manages to make it sound like "I actually love this because..." instead of "well, I'm just dropping this name since I got it for free" (regardless of what the real reason is...)
So I guess while I definitely won't go out and buy something based on an endorsement or start thinking that I need something because someone else is using it, it occasionally might push me over the edge to go to a store or download a demo to check the product out.
I think the buying because of an endorsement thing is a carry over from guitar players of the 70's and 80's. A lot of guitar players are always looking for that magic "tone" that another player has so I think endorsement were targeted at them. Other musicians have their own particular obsessions that don't require endorsements.
The thing I never understand about that is the price. I get it if a band does an endorsement for thousands worth of gear and they're poor. But with producers, electronic musicians, etc. it's not a matter of "don't you have enough money to buy it" for me as much as "you're willing to endorse something for $100-$1000?"
I guess that's why I often wonder if some of them aren't just doing it because they love the product, who's really going to endorse something for $200 worth of goods? Then again, why do people sign waivers to be on TV looking like assholes for free all the time?
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i wouldn't buy something just because i heard about it in an interview, but if i heard it in a track first and really wanted to know what the sound was - and that information was revealed in the interview - then its logical steps...
My take on endorsements is that its more to evoke interest in a product, and make it more well known about it. I think there are very few people for example will think, oh if jordan rudes plays like that using product X, i'll be able to play like him if i have it. I think its more to just get a product name more out there. thats why roland gear is probably more well known about than some guy somewhere building synths
oddly enough, i only discovered this corner of the internet on account of chad's (beautypill) general praise of audio damage products (and philosophy) quite some years (?) ago over on gearslutz (?).
...but that kind of endorsement actually means something.
Endorsements can be vital for a touring musician - the amount of sticks and skins a drummer goes through on a tour are quite staggering. If you're in a smaller indie outfit then getting that endorsement can mean you actually get paid a little bit also.
I think things have changed slightly over the years tho. A lot of guys I know, who are endorsed, are turning down brands they can't stand behind. They know that going out and publicly say that such and such Piece-of-crappola brand is awesome will most likely backfire badly as google boy will find enough forums that'll dispel that particular scent of snake oil.
Saying that, the music biz as we all know is harder than ever and every bit of income helps so when the Kramers and Maserattis of the world goes all thumbs up & smiling like someone's put a butt plug up their behind I tend to be a tad cynical.
I wouldn't really mind if AD decided to use top producer x,y & z to butter the deal for new customers after all you're in the business of selling things. However I'm pretty sure that you already know that your very good rep comes partly from not doing those kinds of deals.
I always figured that product endorsements were bullshit. Either the musician pimping the thing is pimping it for the free shit, or they're going to be swayed by the fact that the manufacturer is kissing their ass, whether they realize it or not. If they can talk specifically and intelligently about why a particular piece of kit is great, maybe I'd give it some credence. But by and large I just figure the fix is in, one way or another.
There's nothing intrinsic in ANY piece of gear or software that is going to make someone a great musician. That's the fallacy that drives the whole idea of endorsements. You have to be a fool to think that buying something because someone famous uses it is going to make any material difference in how well you play. But then without fools like that, Guitar Center would be out of business.
I'd go so far to say that if a musician is any good at all, you could put the cheapest gear available that meets the minimum requirements for playability, and they'd do OK.
Besides, you've gotten this far without endorsements, why cheapen yourselves now? Why not go the other way? "WE DON'T GIVE OUR SHIT AWAY TO SPOILED ROCK STARS, AND PEOPLE STILL BUY IT, THAT'S HOW GOOD IT IS."
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