Who is The Producer?

Today more and more artists at the local level are empowering themselves, and making/distributing their own records. This is a great development and evolution across the entire spectrum of music. I'm a firm believer that the sincerity, and artistic integrity of music today has a much better chance of being heard through independent releases as opposed to the corporate "bag it and tag it"-"Teen Scene" approach. One thing though that has disturbed me with independent releases is how the term Producer has more and more become such an ambiguous term, and that the true definition of this very rare talent is getting lost. I'd like to take this edition and demonstrate what this title actually is, and in the bigger world of making records what skills are required of you to have your name as Producer on a major release.

First, let's talk about the singular Producer, in other words when a record says "Produced by," and there is only one name listed. This type of producer is a very rare bird. To be a singular/complete producer requires someone who has mastered two separate careers. Very few people ever do this. These guys are usually older, say thirty-five to forty-five range. Of the two careers required for this I want to talk first about the one I see most overlooked and misunderstood....The Recording Career. A Producer is not an Engineer, he is the next and final step up. A producer possesses all the skills of an engineer but has spent many more years creating his own electronic recording techniques, his own complete vocabulary of drum sounds, vocal sounds, bass guitar keyboards, you name it. A producer doesn't require an engineer, they tend to do it all themselves. How you aquire these skills is a lot like learning to fly jets, you have to join the military. In recording what traditionally took place was that you had to go to a city that had studios that were stocked with the top, high end gear and get a job....pushing a broom...that's right, a broom. Here's where you learned one of the most valuable lessons about producing; if you want to move up and loose that broom you're going to have to earn the confidence and the trust of the people around you who can make that happen. If you lasted long enough to go from broom guy, to gofer, to tape duplication guy, assistant to the ass kisser, then ass kisser, and tape operator, eventually you could become a Staff Engineer. (I was lucky I got to start in the tape dupe room) As a Staff Engineer you basically get all the sessions that nobody else wants to do, including recording the poodle singing "How Much Is That Doggie n the Window." When you're done with your work, you stay up all night whenever there's unbooked graveyard time until about 8:30 A.M., experimenting, learning, and developing your skills....for years. As your abilities grow, slowly so does your client list, because more people want the sound you did on so and so's record on theirs! Years more go by and hopefully your name starts to appear on bigger and bigger records.

Producers are paid in part by points (or percentages) of the record sales. In many cases their points are equal to a band members! So why do they earn a "creative/artists" share? The reason for this is that contrary to popular belief that if you take a great band, put them in the most expensive recording studios and start turning on microphones that it sounds awesome.... WRONG.... .Sounds like shit actually. When you listen to a CD that sounds like it's two miles wide across your speakers guess what....it aint. The stereo field is a tiny, dinky little place at best. The illusion you hear is the masterful work of the Producer. He takes the music of great musicians and with his electronic skills he translates it into the medium of a Recording". The "sounds" belong to the Producer.

A producer is chosen to do an album because the artists like/want his sounds on their music....again...his sounds.

The second career a producer must have is music. A producer Almost always is a musician. What makes him different is that he has an overall working knowledge of music. In other words he can listen to your band playing a song and notice that if you slow it down a few BPM's, and drop the key one-half step the lead vocal will work much better. Also the high hat groove should be changed from eighths to a triplet feel to enhance the groove. He'll notice that the fifth string on the bass is not intonating correctly, and that the bass in general is not locked to the kick drum, and that the two part harmony you sing on the chorus, the high part needs to change the third note to a minor third, not a major. Good producers are also known for making some musical contributions like adding or creating new parts in places, sometimes he may even play them himself. One quality that to me really defines a good producer in the musical sense, is knowing how to bring out the best in people, Sometimes that's as simple as just staying out of the way .(Other times a baseball bat might be the proper solution). But, if you posses the musical requirements and do not have "the sounds," your title is "Arranger." Older albums used to list that quite a bit. Today however there are some variations on that theme, and that is a "Production Team." Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are a favorite that come to mind. In these teams one person usually covers more of the recording production duties, and the other covers the more of the musical duties.

Something I see today happening all to often, is the situation where someone with musical production abilities refers to the person handling the recording production duties as an "Engineer." This is very wrong and very common to the point almost of acceptance in more local based recordings. Being a Producer is a job that few people really want to invest that much of their lives to learning. For the few of them that do, the least we can do recognize their efforts. While we're on the subject of local recordings, here's some helpful advice if you're thinking of making a demo or a full record. In any hometown there are recording studios, but studios don't have a sound. If you hear someone else's recording and you like it, there's a person who produced it, even if he/she didn't charge for it, even if they aren't credited for it. That person is who you want to make your recording. It may be an employee of the studio, it may be someone who freelances, if so you need to know who it is. So often I see newer bands making this mistake, and usually they really don't like their first recordings because of it, and end up blaming the studio. This also is unfair. Just like in the Major Label word the sound of your recording comes down to who produces it...learn who's work you like! If you go to a studio and get an actual "Engineer" instead, you will probably have the nicest, cleanest recording that you will ever hate. In small towns it tends to be common for a local producer to own his own studio. Most of the time if you record there, he ends up "silently" producing you for free because you're buying the recording time. This can be a very good thing, but remember it's not a given so do your homework.

One thing that has improved the opportunities for young aspiring producers today is the huge movement of home recording equipment. Though these devices lack the fidelity, and some functionality of there high end counter parts, they are incredible learning tools. With record production, knowledge and experience, are the keys. Home recording gear is an affordable leap forward for those who wish to develop some of their skills at home. Whether you choose to start at home or with the broom, if this is your passion...go for it all out. Any career in Music is a tuff road, but if it's what you eat, sleep, and breathe, then don't worry you'll find your way, and when you get there chances are you'll be surrounded by other talented people who've done the same. I paid my dues one at a time, but have been blessed to be able to get up every day and do what I love, and get paid for it. The price was more than worth it. Good Luck.