Mixing and Scratching!!!! Everybody Learns!!!
- Thread starter terry1982
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Hosey
Guest
The terminology has become confused over the years. Traditionally, a producer is as bandcoach says: the person in charge of delivering a marketable record to the label on or under budget and on time. A producer might double as the engineer, or s/he might just be "a vision" person, who is in charge of the overall production without dealing with nitty gritty details like microphone selection and tracking and mixing. He knows the best session players, or is the guy who knows which engineer to hire for tracking and who to get on board for mixing. He may not even be a musician at all.
In my experience, the producers who are the most effective and get the most work are the ones who focus primarily on getting the best, most emotionally charged performances out of the musicians. This might encompass being a cheerleader for a singer, or providing the right vibe for the musicians, or maybe dishing out a bit of tough love to a struggling player. It's a job of dealing with psychological aspects of the musicians, and recognizing and playing to individual strengths; which may not be apparent to the players themselves because they're too close to the music.
This is why some people say that it's a really bad idea to produce your own music. You have no perspective on it. The producer's job is to guide the musicians, and guess what happens when the guitarist is operating in the position of "producer by default?" You get a record dominated by guitars that are mixed way too loud. I say he's a producer by default because someone is always the producer during a recording. If an outside person isn't hired, then it will end up being driven by whichever musician forces the vision the most. Which might not be the best idea. It might end up being the most obnoxious guy because he's a jerk who always gets his own way.
Now, in the hip hop and electronic world, "producer" is often used to denote the guy who makes the instrumental track. But the gist is still somewhat the same: getting the best performance out of the "musicians," which in this case might be samples. It's still the same principle as above. It's about a vision and getting the best track possible recorded. Knowing which beats will play to the strengths of a singer. Recognizing what key works with a certain voice, being aware of commercial trends, etc.
A DJ plays records for crowds. His job is to supply the vibe and keep the listener engaged, or dancing, or whatever. If he makes his own tracks, he's a producer while he's doing that. When he's in the club and spinning his own tracks, he's a DJ. If he starts scratching and beat juggling, he's being a turntablist, which can be described as the hellspawn of a DJ who was molested by an angry video game nerd and Phil Spector.
In my experience, the producers who are the most effective and get the most work are the ones who focus primarily on getting the best, most emotionally charged performances out of the musicians. This might encompass being a cheerleader for a singer, or providing the right vibe for the musicians, or maybe dishing out a bit of tough love to a struggling player. It's a job of dealing with psychological aspects of the musicians, and recognizing and playing to individual strengths; which may not be apparent to the players themselves because they're too close to the music.
This is why some people say that it's a really bad idea to produce your own music. You have no perspective on it. The producer's job is to guide the musicians, and guess what happens when the guitarist is operating in the position of "producer by default?" You get a record dominated by guitars that are mixed way too loud. I say he's a producer by default because someone is always the producer during a recording. If an outside person isn't hired, then it will end up being driven by whichever musician forces the vision the most. Which might not be the best idea. It might end up being the most obnoxious guy because he's a jerk who always gets his own way.
Now, in the hip hop and electronic world, "producer" is often used to denote the guy who makes the instrumental track. But the gist is still somewhat the same: getting the best performance out of the "musicians," which in this case might be samples. It's still the same principle as above. It's about a vision and getting the best track possible recorded. Knowing which beats will play to the strengths of a singer. Recognizing what key works with a certain voice, being aware of commercial trends, etc.
A DJ plays records for crowds. His job is to supply the vibe and keep the listener engaged, or dancing, or whatever. If he makes his own tracks, he's a producer while he's doing that. When he's in the club and spinning his own tracks, he's a DJ. If he starts scratching and beat juggling, he's being a turntablist, which can be described as the hellspawn of a DJ who was molested by an angry video game nerd and Phil Spector.
bandcoach
Zukatoku - Mod Scientist
The appellation DJ in stage/artists name is an indicator that they are primarily spinning discs
MC - Microphone Controller or Mix Controller depending on who you ask; or the much older Master of Ceremonies, hence, Grand Master Flash (although there are also overtones of the Masonic Lodge ranks in that title).
MC - Microphone Controller or Mix Controller depending on who you ask; or the much older Master of Ceremonies, hence, Grand Master Flash (although there are also overtones of the Masonic Lodge ranks in that title).