WHAT IS A MUSIC PRODUCER?
Any
person who participates in one or more of the following is acting as a
producer.
1. Deciding on the type and purpose of the recording.
2.
Choosing what songs will be on it.
3. Revising songs you want to use, which may not be totally right for
the recording.
4. Arranging. For example, what instruments will be used, and what they'll
play.
5. Hiring and rehearsing other artists..
6. Selecting a recording studio and/or engineer.
7. Critiquing the performances.
8. Communicating with the engineer and other artists.
9. Generally overseeing all phases of the project.
Some producers do all of these things. Others only a few
Every album has a producer.
The question is, should the
producer be you, or someone else?
In my experience working with artists in the early stages of their career,
only a handful have done a good job of producing themselves.
If you don't know or can't afford a full-fledged producer, at least have a
trusted, knowledgeable
friend or colleague critiquing the project as it
progresses. In some cases that person can be the engineer, but
remember
that engineering itself requires their full attention.
To encourage you to have some sort of outside producer, here's what often
happens without one:
* The recording lacks direction and focus, and fails to bring out the
artist's strengths.
* The musical elements don't go together well, making for difficult, if
not impossible, mixes.
* A lot of time is wasted on superfluous takes because no one is there to
tell the artist
"Great! That's it!" Artists themselves are never satisfied.
* Weak songs get recorded because no one is there to tell the artist
which songs are better than others. Artists typically feel their songs are like their children, and are
incapable of rejecting any.
* The other musicians haven't been adequately rehearsed before they come
to the studio.
What to Look for in a Producer At a minimum a producer should be:
* Reasonably knowledgeable musically.
* Someone who likes and respects your music and talent.
* Someone you generally see eye-to-eye with, but who will be honest with
you and not
afraid to disagree.
For your early recordings you'll probably only be able to afford people
who meet the
minimum requirements.
After that, you may be able to afford increasingly experienced, talented and even famous
producers. But they
still must fulfill the three minimum requirements.
Los Angeles recording studios Van Nuys music producer audio cd mastering