Most of my previous recordings have been for myself, but I do have a few singles on various compilations and a full-length commercial discs under my belt. What I really am is a Record Producer.
What is a Record Producer ?
A record producer is like the conductor of a symphony, only he conducts the recording process. He is a bridge between the performer and the engineer; he is a little of both.
A record producer can be a creative contributor to your art, especially if you have only some lyrics, a few chords and an abstract idea for the composition; he is a musician and songwriter.
A record producer is invaluable if you record in a professional studio; an album’s worth of material can cost you thousands of dollars. The time it takes your whole band to come up with solutions to problems that invariably arrive during the session — each member being unconsciously concerned with their own takes over yours — can be significantly reduced by a creative person outside of the band who’s goal is the same as yours: making a record that is alive and dynamic. The studio engineer will tell you if the take sounds great, but most often he means the recording itself, not your performance on that record. While an engineer monitors the recorded signal — catching and fixing the technical mistakes during the process, a record producer listens to the performance of the take, catching the missed cues, slurred words and other factors that can drag an otherwise great recording down.
That’s why you need a record producer. An engineer’s job is to get a great recording; the producer’s job is to make sure that the performance on that record is great.
The Home Studio Needs a Producer too!
The great thing about the PC revolution is that almost anybody can build a great home studio —in fact, that is exactly what The Passion Pit is, but consider this example: your guitar player has a fairly decent home studio, and he can record your band just as well as the professional studios at no cost. And he is partially correct.
But what happens when his guitarist ego takes over? He’ll meticulously work to make his guitars sparkle, but the rest of the band ends up sounding only adequate. I’m not picking on guitarists: he could be the drummer, or even the vocalist. Either way, he’ll often overlook —through no malice or ill-intent— the mistakes that are not his.
Besides the above, there is always that problem: the drums! Drums are the hardest to record well in the home studio, and bad sounding drums can ruin an otherwise great recording —I should know: I am a drummer! I’m obsessed with good, natural sounding drums on my recordings.
how do I separate the musician from the Producer?
Because I am “The Jack!” a multitude of personalities. I am a song writer who knows if a composition has the factors to make it great, e.g., a good rhythm, catchy hook, charismatic vocals and raw talent; I am musician who can’t play the guitar very well, but I know how to make the guitars sparkle; I’m a lyricist who sings like a mono-tone Kermit the Frog, but I know what makes for a great vocal performance; I’m an engineer who doesn’t have a degree, but I’ve learned how to make the most out of any situation using whatever tools I can lay my hands upon; I am a drummer—and I’m actually quite good too—who has always been obsessed with getting the best drum sound; I am an accomplished synth programmer, as I’ve been using machines to make my own music since 1991; I’m easy to work with, patient beyond belief yet strong enough of character to know the difference between right and wrong; when I know what I want to accomplish, I have the wits to make it happen; and I know my equipment, so I can churn out a good recording in record time (pun intended).
Inside the Studio
My “studio” resides in my PC, at my home. I can record 8 audio tracks at a time, and playback as many as 60 tracks in my PC. Vocals are recorded with an AKG condenser mic through a simple preamp (I don’t fall for that “vintage” clap-trap. I’d rather color the sound during the mix down where I can better control it. If the vocals need warming, I’ll use my tape deck instead —again in post production). I’ve also used that same condenser to record the drums (when I want a more open, jazzy sound) and guitar , but I prefer my trusty 57′s and 58′s for the amplifiers. I can mic a 5 piece drum kit using the 57′s with an AKG D-112 kick drum mic and Radio Shack condensers (don’t laugh or snort: I’ve tried some expensive “industry standard” mics, but they just didn’t sound any better!). For programming, I use the Reason and Orion programs, and I can program almost any electronic device.
