What to Look for Prior to Recording
by Ivan Valles
All of us who have come in contact with creating music have heard the term "producer." But what does it really mean to be a producer? What does a producer do? And how do we know we’ve come across the right producer to work with?
Back in the day, producers didn’t really exist in this business. Recordings used to capture all the musicians playing at the same time, over and over until they got the song right. They would all agree, by themselves or through a musical director, on all the aspects of the song. But along came the 1960s and 1970s, and technology made it easier and more affordable for record labels to have more than just a few shots at recording their albums. It became clear that an extra pair of ears was needed to help create music and record it to its best for posterity. Someone with the ability to listen to the song, suggest necessary changes to make it more appealing for the listeners, and coordinate the project from start to finish. This person became the producer.
The producer’s role in the recording process has become extremely important. In modern day recordings, instruments are typically recorded separately, sometimes even in different parts of the globe and most times on different days and platforms (PCs, Macs, etc.). So a producer acts as a project leader, deciding the right tools for the project, as well as the right people to work with (engineers, musicians, arrangers). Producers also have a choice of what studio or studios to record, edit, mix and master their projects in. Technology has made it more accessible for CDs to be accomplished with considerably lower budgets. When this is the case, producers most times end up accomplishing most of the project with their own skillful hands and studio, only hiring a few professionals to help enhance the music to its best.
A producer is present in all the stages of a recording. The producer will start by listening to and choosing the songs that will be recorded, making the necessary changes in structure, music and lyrics (should it be called for), key, tempo, general feel and all other aspects of the song. At this point a producer should dedicate a considerable amount of time and efforts on the pre-production phase, which is, through preliminary recordings and arrangements, finding the general vibe that will rule throughout the song. I like to think of pre-production as being sort of a scale model of what will be heard when the project is finished. It is then that the actual recordings start, anywhere from drums, bass and any instrumentation that has been chosen for each particular song.
When you are producing, you get a chance to listen to the tracks as if you were putting together the small pieces of the big puzzle called music. Throughout the recording, a producer may choose to re-record and/or edit the music as many times as he or she judges necessary to obtain killer tracks. Special attention has to be given to vocal tracking. I like recording rough vocals several times throughout the project because I believe that it gives the artist a chance to listen to themselves and work on their voice before recording the final vocals. Nearly all artists get extra help from different tools that help with intonation and other problems. Nevertheless, I try to get performances as best as I can.
After mixing and mastering, a producer will present the project to whoever hired his/her services. If the producer decided instead to make a production agreement with the artist, he will now seek the best possible channel to place this artist in the music industry. After all this hard work, producers are now done and they can move on to the next project at hand.
Now that we know more about the daily life of a producer, how do artists know how to pick the right one to work with? Honestly, as with any other relationship you stumble across in life, you never fully know if things are going to work out to your advantage, but at least a few pointers will help you find who’s best for your musical project.
First of all, you should be able to communicate sincerely and speak out when the music that is being recorded does not represent you. Producers get many chances to make it. Artists, however, have only a few opportunities throughout their lives, so they should always present themselves with music that represents them in the best possible way.
It’s important for an artist to work with a producer that knows about their particular style of music, whether they’ve worked on it in the past or not. This is important because different styles of music are like different languages—you will communicate better with someone that speaks your language. I also recommend that artists listen to music the producer has worked on. This will give you a general feel for what your songs will sound like.
Finally, someone who is enthusiastic about the artist’s music and is able to provide constructive criticism is a must. Finding the right producer is key to a successful recording.
Ivan Valles works as an independent producer and mix engineer through his own company (www. ivmmusic.com). He graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music. He is originally from Mexico, but currently resides in Miami, Florida. He has worked on several projects, which have been ranked as Billboard Bestsellers.
