I've been a Barista for a while now, worked from shop to shop, machine to machine, WEGA; Synesso; San Marino. Yet something occurred to me the other day and I don't have the answer for it, nor the right direction to turn to.

Espresso vs. Milky espresso concoctions - tuning the grinder for either one.

In a more simpler way, I've been under the impression that I could have one grinder dialed for just espresso shots (ristretto, cortado, macchiato) and another dialed for the base of milk (cappuccino, latte, flat white).

My questions are:
Confirmation?
If I want to max out the potential of serving great coffee in the cup, would this be the way to go?
What am I looking for compared to an espresso base for milky coffee?
Is the espresso dialed grinder just like permanently keeping tight settings for short shots?

I'm not sure why you would want longer shots for milk drinks. Shorter shots emphasize the bitter flavors, and these usually punch through milk better. So for some blends, at least, a looser grind for straight shots and a tighter one for milk may work better.