Getting down ‘n dirty: the reality of the producer in the recording studio

I’m veering away briefly from the normal Artist’s Way theme of the blog this morning to address a few questions which have recently come my way about the technicalities of the recording biz. I’ll do this in a three-part series throughout the week. Today’s post will focus on what to look for when hiring a producer and an engineer for your recording, and why they make invaluable members of the team when you pick the right ones. Thursday’s post will be all about money, royalties, advances, and the talk of the industry. This weekend’s post is on a more sensitive topic: what it takes to go from amateur to professional musician these days.

So on to today’s questions…

Q: What’s a producer, and why do I need one?

A record producer is a multi-purpose organism who, all in all, is responsible for maintaining the sanity, artistic quality, and financial stability of the recording session, among other things. Your producer, if he or she is a good one, alternates from being your best friend to your hardest critic, often several times an hour. It’s the producer’s job to take you as an artist, and deliver you as a CD or MP3 to your eagerly awaiting fans. We’re the liaisons between the artist and the engineer, the label, the editors, the agents, and everyone else affiliated with a particular musical project. Consequently, a producer is akin to the ref in a game. You can play ball without a ref in the park, but to hit the big leagues, you need someone who knows the rules, and knows just when and how to push them, re-negotiate them, or in some cases, break them completely, all for the sake of the bottom line. This means that yes, at least once, I guarantee you’ll hate your producer’s guts, and once, you’ll love her enough to drop on your knees and propose. Okay, it’s not that bad. But sometimes, a producer may have to tell you that something isn’t working, or you’ve got to change part of the recording you were in love with. Your producer must be someone you trust implicitly with your artistic vision, your music, your career.

Q: How do I pick the right producer for my music?

A few things to consider: Pick a producer who has plenty of experience in your genre, and with your instrument. Never skimp on experience. That having been said, how do you find out what experience a candidate has that applies to you?

It’s often very hard to check up on a producer’s credentials. The best way to do this is by word of mouth, talking to people who have worked with that producer before, or seeing that producer in action in the studio for yourself. A word to the wise: someone may be a great musician, but that does not make them a great producer. When you choose a producer for your project, make sure they understand your ideas, your musical influences, and the direction you want the album to take. If not, you could be working from opposite sides of the wall, going nowhere fast. Also, make sure that you are comfortable with that producer’s style. If they’re a hard critic and don’t mince words, it might make you very uncomfortable in the studio, and you’ll find you’re nerves eating you alive. Make sure that the two of you develop a good emotional rapport before you hit the studio.

If you do not know the producer personally, check online at allmusic.com or on a similar site to find their credits. Some may not have credits there, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t legit. You can ask the producer for a resume and a demo of their work, but keep in mind that it’s often next to impossible to verify that kind of info in the music industry, especially for indie producers. Another way to verify your producer’s credentials is through their union. Most producers are affiliated with aSCAP, BMI, SESAK or one of the other music unions. AFM or most indie and major labels know who is affiliated with which union, and can guide you there.

If you are independently hiring your producer, treat it like hiring an employee, and find out as much info as you can from sources close to them. If you’re label puts you with a producer, do everything you can to ensure that he or she knows where you are coming from, and where you want to go with the album. A good producer will listen, advise, and learn from you, not push you or pull you into something that doesn’t feel right to you.

If you do find yourself with a producer that doesn’t feel right to you, there are several legal steps you can take, depending on contracts you signed before the project (hopefully you signed them, and read them carefully). Before you hire a producer, or allow a producer to work with you, read the fine print, know your rights under your union, and/or seek legal advice from a qualified music attorney. Always, always get things in writing! I can’t stress this one enough. A good, honest producer will most often insist upon it before yu ever begin work on a project. Without that contract, your legal recourse should things turn sour, is very limited, so be smart, and know what’s going down on paper.

Q: So what goes on behind that mysteriously sound-proofed door for the producer?

If you’re one of the huge twenty year vets with a dozen platinum records and grammies to your name, then I can’t speak to what your day looks like. But if you’re starting out, trying your hand at production or engineering, here’s a glimpse of an average day for me.

I’ve been producing and engineering for seven years, and I’m a mid-level producer right now. I don’t have a huge hit to my name yet, but I’ve worked with enough well-known artists and in enough studios to get a good resume going. I can often choose which contracts and musicians to work with, and I no longer do demos and EPs as a rule. I specialize in acoustic music, full-length studio albums, and working with artists who generally do most of their own songwriting and have a pretty focused idea of the sound they want.

Nope. Definitely not the glitz and glam you see on Entertainment Tonight… or at least, not in my line of work. Engineers and producers work long hard hours. Most of what we do involves listening to minute snippets of songs over, and over, and over again to get things just right. Other things we find ourselves doing include, but are not limited to:

setting up microphones
crawling into tight dusty holes in the wall for equipment that hasn’t been used for years
climbing through mazes of cabling to reach the switch that’s short-circuited
going toe-to-toe with musicians when you re-direct/get-in-the-way-of their dreams
getting electrocuted by the malfunctioning piece of gear you were so excited about using
giving massages, a shoulder to cry on, and comfort or encouragement to tense, freaked-out new artists
slave-driving yourself and others until all hours to beat deadlines
maintaining the patience of a saint
feeding musicians, and/or sending someone else to do it
placating ruffled feathers at least 2 or 3 times a session
keeping a choke-hold on the purstrings and the hands of the clock
Negotiating contracts and financial affairs for the project
Selecting and booking musicians, studios and venues
For recording
Answering questions an astrophysicist couldn’t answer
Keeping morale high and smiles on everyone’s faces as much as humanly possible
Make a little music
and generally run, and/or referee everything else going on in the studio. You often get frustrated, often get to see the rougher side of everyone involved, and it’s not uncommon to get dirty, or tear your clothing in the process of lugging around equipment.

So while the diva may walk in, sing, and swagger out, the rest of us, believe it or not, aren’t driving jags or Mercedes, and we certainly aren’t walking the red carpets. Yet.

A producer and engineer are there to take the pressure off of the performing artist. The engineer is responsible for setting up equipment, keeping everything running without glitches, running the computer or console, and monitoring the recording process. The producer does many of the same things, but generally directs the engineer, guides the artist, and makes sure that the product being recorded with match the requirements of the label/artist. The engineer and producer determine which mics to use, how to place them, which take to keep or discard, and generally, how to acquire the best possible sound for each musician.

Q: I want to produce. What do I need to do?

I may get dirty, spend all day doing paperwork and negotiating financial dealings and calming down musicians, but when all is said and done, I love every aspect of my work. I get a chance to compose, perform, engineer, and boss people around all at once. I get to do business, work closely with people, be a support, and friend, and watch dreams coming true every day of my life. It’s a high stress, very hard job, but in it’s own way, it’s infinitely rewarding. I’ve tried other jobs, and would rather be doing this than anything else on Earth. I love to perform, and I love to engineer, but producing is where I put my heart and my life’s work.

Many musicians enjoy producing as a side career, but it’s very rare for someone to do production full-time. Being a producer requires a good head for business, and excellent people and leadership skills. Patience and strength of will are a must. You have to have a good understanding of just how far you can push before people, things, music and deals are just right--push but don’t break them. A producer must have a good working knowledge of music theory and most of the instruments in the studio, as well as skills as an engineer, to a certain extent. Every producer has their own trademark sound, and to gain yourself a reputation (and clients), you must know what defines your sound, and how to achieve that sound with whatever comes into your studio. Flexibility and adaptability are a must, since no two musicians are the same. Finally, a good working knowledge of the music biz is essential. College can teach you a lot of these skills, but real life in the studio will be your trial by fire.

If you’re looking for your chance to produce, do the schooling first, then get into as many studios as you can. Get down and dirty—don’t be afraid to crawl back there to adjust the mic, or lean over the engineer’s shoulder to see how they just eqed the guitar. Experience is your best friend.

Hope this helps answer your questions. I’m off to another day of music production and dream-making, just another work day, thank God.

Blessings!

-Sassy