Most important tools?

As a producer, I don't think knowledge of how to use compression is essential. It is really helpful to know though. When producing, I have found that knowing how to arrange different parts of music, sound design, music theory, and basic mixing skills are helpful.
 
Adrian-MarQ said:
As a producer, I don't think knowledge of how to use compression is essential. It is really helpful to know though. When producing, I have found that knowing how to arrange different parts of music, sound design, music theory, and basic mixing skills are helpful.
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Understanding how a compressor works is an important factor in "basic mixing skills" from my perspective.

-Ki
Salem Beats
 
rather say, "Understanding when to use a compressor is an important basic mixing skill" i.e. it is never "I must use a compressor" but "Do I need to use a compressor? Why do I need to use a compressor? What am I fixing by using the compressor?"

this particular personal debate/inquiry cycle is hardly ever mentioned to beginners learning about mixing and what tools to use and when to use them just put a compressor and a limiter (a limiter is a specialised type of compressor any way you look at it) on everything (whether they are needed or not)
 
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Important for me would be EQ and different basic filters, compression, gating, reverb and delay.
Even if you don't mix your own music it's still very helpful to get a grasp on what the different knobs do on these.
And another thing that's not really a tool but people often mention this method alongside the most essential mixing tools and such - automation.
 
you should know how to mix... like eq compression. reverb / delay etc.. and how to format a beat in generall. hook here.. verse here outro etc
 
Adrian-MarQ said:
As a producer, I don't think knowledge of how to use compression is essential. It is really helpful to know though. When producing, I have found that knowing how to arrange different parts of music, sound design, music theory, and basic mixing skills are helpful.
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Knowledge is power
 
Well what's a producer.

I wouldn't call myself a producer. I wouldn't call most people on here producers. I'd consider them talented, but a producer is sort of an ambiguous term. A producer can wear many hats: Arranging, Mixing, Recording, etc. They may contact other musicians to supplement a project. Some producers are there to help the artist realize his vision, so they will talk through it with them.

You have 4 important tools.

Ears - For Obvious reasons. Note: Do. Not. Cut. Ears. Off.

Music - Because you should constantly be listening to new music if you want to spark creativity.

People - Because even the people that say they do it alone have had many people in the past help them and many people probably helping in the background.

*Most Importantly* Time - Because no amount of books you read or tutorials you watch could replace just making songs. Keep recording and you will get better at recording. Meet other people who are trying to make music themselves. Intern at a studio, or get lessons at a studio and THEN intern there. Keep listening to music, because there is an absurd amount of it that is fantastic, but will never reach you unless you look for it.
 
Compression is a lot important! You should search more about the working and the use of them. I like to use parallel compression in mixing and mastering, because you can still have the dynamics
 
All tools are useful when you need them.

With that said, the only tool that, to this day, I've yet to find a suitable use for is the "Fruity Mute 2" plugin. I mean, please, someone enlighten me.
 
By a producer, do you mean Calvin Harris style producer or like Quincy Jones? A producer can take very different roles.
 
local meaning of producer means guy who uses a daw to make music whether it be beats or full-blown symphonies not much more to say on that really other than that it also means the guy needs to know about audio engineering and mixing as well as about how to make music
 
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