Recording Studio Technology and the Producer free essay sample

The goal of getting a good sound Is no deferent now than t was when the first recordings were made, but the Idea of what a good sound Is and how it should be achieved are radically different. Role of the recording producer in popular music is very important; the producer plays a very big part in the realization of a composition by deciding what technology should be used and how to use it. Interplay between the musician, record producer and engineer Is critical to the recording process. However, what is eventually fixed to tape must first be composed around the Limitations of the available technology.Thus the most direct interactions between music and technology occur during composition and realization. There are a number of record producers who have become famous for their distinctive sound and their particular techniques and application of varied developments of studio technology. Some producers take much advantage of the technology available to them, whilst others seem to prefer to employ more classical techniques of record production. Tending to shy away from the Increasing practice of digital studio technology. Robinson, well known for producing Dun-metal bands such as corn,Stoniness, Limp Biz and Soulful, generates his own distinctive sound. Robinson focuses more on capturing the soul and spirit of the music that he produces. He does this by resisting the use of digital technology and continuing to use analogue, stating that C]the dealt realm Is very trendy, and Its not a very permanent sound, Its Just too synthetic, It doesnt come from flesh and blood. (R. Robinson. Quoted by A. Presort. Ross Robinson: The Art of a Record Producer [online]. Available from: here=http:// www. Users. Bighorn. Com/perturbations. Com>http://www. Users. Spoon. Com/ operator/Robinson. Com. [Accessed 02/06/01]. ) Another producer known for his creation of a specific sound is Butch MGM, who became famous for his work on the album Cindering by Nirvana. (1991, Gaffe). Butch Big had a tendency to record everything dry, steering away from the use of effects when recording. He would use quite a lot of compression on Kurt Cabins vocals so that he could control his dynamics, and would also do some double- tracking. would record the guitars In a very different way, with a great emphasis on the use of distortion.On the track breed, Cabin used a Rat distortion pedal which Nas run to the board to create a Fuzzy white-noise kind of sound (Butch Big, from R. Buskin: Butch Big. Talking Garbage. [online] available from: html>http://soups. Co. UK/so/199/ _articles/mark//bitching. HTML. [accessed 29/05/01]). Working with the band Garbage promoted a different take on producing for Dutch Big. Instead of simply producing the band, he was also a member of it. Samplers played a huge part in Figs work in Garbage, unlike with Nirvana, where cording was based primarily on live instruments. 01 got bored spending so many [ears recording really fast, straightforward punk records, so thats why we didnt Ant to approach the Garbage record from the angle of a band playing live. Instead it Nas like We can record 47 guitars on this song, mix it down to a stereo sample, then run it backwards, record another 20 guitars and process them so that they sound like percussion instrument. . (Butch Big, from R. Buskin: Butch Big.Talking Garbage. [online] available from: http://soups. Co. UK/so/199/_articles/mark//bitching. HTML. [accessed 29/05/01]). Like many other producers, Big used studio technology as an add-on to the instruments, and this affected the ways in which the songs were written and laid down. 0 The way that we work is that someone will bring in a loop or a sample, and En might Jam for a couple of hours, find one bar thats kind of cool, load it into our samplers, Jam on top of that. ND then well take that home, come back, Jam on it some more, record some more things, add and subtract. .. . (Butch Big, from R. Buskin: Butch Big. Talking Garbage. [online] available from: co. uk/ sos/199/_articles/mar9//butchvig. html>http://soups. Co. UK/so/199/_articles/mark// Richard D. James, performer and producer, more popularly known as Apex Twin, uses his computer as his primary instrument, an increasingly popular method of production and composition in todays music industry. The technology available to lames plays a great part in the creative process of his compositions. James makes a lot of his own equipment and through this is able to experiment with his own electronic sounds, which he develops to create his tracks, relying greatly on the randomness of the sounds that are produced. This allows him to constantly create new, distinctive sounds, which he brings together in his compositions. l got a little sick of the idea of using the same machines and sounds as other people and meanwhile I have collected so many sounds that I can go on for years. (Passes, R lost De Loser. Richard D. James. [online]. Available from: http://www. Phosphate. Org/reading/ [accessed on 29/05/01]) BRB>Recording trends in todays music industry tend to lean towards the use of digital studio technology. This has meant that many artists are capable of producing their own material, and has resulted in the growth of the home studio, especially since digital technology is much more compact than the old analogue equipment. These days, some of the best studios have desks no bigger than a coffee table and home studios often feature similar desks. Digital mixers have changed the way we Branch, A.Digital Mixing. [online]. Available from: uk/fm_mmusic. asp? D=4089>http://www. Futuristic. Co. UK/ FM_music. Asp? Old=4089. [Accessed 05/06/01]). Despite the continuing growth of the use of digital studio technology by artists and their own production, the role of the record producer still remains vital in the context of both the creative and commercial concerns of todays music industry, Neither the producer is independent or the artist themselves. The Record Producer may be thought of as the Ring Leader of the music production chain.Producers have a lot of control over the entire recording project including creative decision aging based on the experience of the producer. The selection of songs used in a project as well as the responsibility of the final product belongs to the producer. (1999. Record Producers. [online]. Available from: http:// [accessed 29/05/01]) A record producer is able to give an independent view of an artists work and how it should sound. They are also more likely to know what technologies are available and which would be best suited to the style of the artist.Also, many reducers have affiliations with a particular record company, this relationship is vital in ensuring that an artist can obtain a deal with the record company in question and the producer will be able to conceive what kind of sound the record label is looking for. The creative context of the role of the producer, the producer often aids the composition and development of an artists work. Sometimes the artist does very little Nor compared to the producer and there may be times when all the artist has to do IS turn up and sing.The producer helps to decide how tracks should be laid down ND what should be included in each track. Production can sometimes be about arranging or optimizing arrangements. This is about coming up with, and organizing, all the bits that will comprise the finished record. (Burgess, R. D. (1997) The Art of Record Production. Up. 52. Omnibus Press. ) With the introduction of computer software such as Steinberg Scubas VS. Virtual studio technology), many artists are becoming their own producers.Artists are able to produce music single-handedly through these programmer, using them to create multi- track Recordings all through a MIDI keyboard, as well as being able o record and arrange audio, allowing artists to concentrate on the creative process, Nile the computer does the rest of the work. These days, the widespread use of digital technology allows producers to manipulate recorded sound in unprecedented ways. Producers can also sample a perfect note or riff, and insert it into the accompanying music as many times as necessary to create an instrumental back-up thats completely error-free.It is also possible to achieve the perfect pitches on vocals, meaning that anyone lacking all musical talent, could sing and be made to sound as though they have a perfectly need voice. The record producer is able to work with studio technology to help a band or artist to develop a particular style. Producers know what kind of sounds are Producers, along with studio technology, play a significant role in the creative and commercial process within the music industry, allowing bands and artists to develop their individual sounds, as well as helping them to produce a sound which will be appealing to their specific audience.