In many ways engineering for a music producer is no different that any other recording session. The engineer quickly figures out what the producer expects of them. That is, do they want the engineer’s opinion and help in the production, or do they want them to simply “shut-up and push the buttons”. In either case, in addition to making sure that everything is properly recorded, most good engineers try to add some value to the session. It might be a suggestion of another way to accomplish what the producer wants, or pointing out something that the engineer heard during a take.
Producers also have various ways of working with performers. Some music producers will have the performers do multiple takes before they even start to give any direction. Then they will direct many more, so that a great performance can be edited from the many available takes. Being able to keep all takes is perhaps the biggest advantages of non-linear systems over previous tape-based recorders.
Other producers prefer to have performers do fewer takes, so that they sound fresh and spontaneous. When I worked with Gnarls Barkley, producer Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) told me that Cee Lo always does one take only. Using a pen a legal pad, Cee Lo sat at the console and composed the lyrics to “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”. He then walked into the studio and we recorded his vocal in just one take. It was the easiest session ever!
Production needs a great manpower.Since there are lots of work to do like takes etc.So one need to give his soul to become a producer
ReplyDeleteYes, producing can require a team effort. The producer is in charge, but will often rely on the engineer to keep track of the best takes. Often knowing how to piece together a great performance, so that it sounds “natural” as well as technically correct, can make all the difference. Grammy award-winning producer David Foster once said that the difference between a good and a great performance is only about 5%. However, that last 5% is often the hardest to achieve.
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