A Product of Your Environment

How your producer and the atmosphere of your recording sessions can affect your music.
By Steve Rubin

Many years ago, before the age of digital recording exploded upon us, musicians were forced to record their art in traditional studios using analog equipment over a multitude of hours, while spending every dollar in their wallet. With the advent of the desktop computer—and more recently, affordable digital audio editing software—musicians have finally been given the option of recording their music on their own time with their own gear and a very modest budget. Suddenly, every band in the world can record a demo using a few microphones, a decent soundcard, audio software, a printer, and a CD burner. Big-time recording studios have started closing down and "desktop musicians" have become the new breed of engineers. Everyone is a producer.

Some of the great benefits of digital recording are that it takes a minimal amount of time to learn, it allows you to actually see your music while recording, listening, and editing it, and, of course, the process can be conducted rather easily by anyone with enough knowledge of their software and a few hundred dollars worth of gear.

So why would an artist choose to have someone else record their music for them, knowing that they could essentially do it themselves in their bedroom? Well, the first and most obvious answers are that most musicians don't own the quality of production equipment needed to make a professional sounding demo, they don't know the art of digital recording, or they simply don't want to be bothered. Also, some artists might prefer to have outside help on a project, or have a producer there to coach them along during the recording process—someone removed enough from their work, yet familiar enough with the artist to offer an honest, objective opinion of the product in order to get the best performance out of the musician(s). Many recording studios offer you an engineer that can push all the buttons for you, but not a producer who can inspire you to create.

One of the most, if not the most, overlooked aspects of creating music is the environment in which you record. I'm not talking about the actual room you are in, though that is extremely important as well. I am talking about the actual, dare I say, "vibe" of the sessions. You can have $2000 microphones, a full-blown Pro Tools system, 250 plug-ins, a 64-channel mixer, the loudest speakers in the world, and a room big enough to fit an orchestra, but if the music is being recorded in a flat, uninspired manner, then there is a good chance that no producer or equipment can bring "life" to your mix.

"It just sounds flat. The bass is very thin. It doesn't sound like the stuff I hear on the radio. When I put our CD on right after my U2 CD, I notice that it doesn't sound anywhere near as good." These are common complaints from musicians after they record a demo in a studio. Unfortunately, there isn't one definitive answer as to why these things happen, but the gist of it is this: U2 is recording with an unlimited budget, in the world's best studios, using the best gear, and greatest producers they can buy. Most unsigned/local bands' budgets for recording are probably equal to what U2 spends on catering. But I will guarantee you one thing: no matter what studio they are in, U2 creates the most amicable environment to suit their need for comfort and creativity.

But it is not only about the amount of money you spend that determines how good your final product is. Plenty of CDs are recorded on modest budgets in unconventional locations, and end up sounding just as good as "professional" recordings. I find that the key factor in recording is the atmosphere you create for the artist. If the musicians in the room feel comfortable with their surroundings, if they feel inspired because they have confidence in the engineer and producer, then more-than-likely, they are going to have a great session. There is nothing worse than spending a month with your band rehearsing the four songs you plan on recording until you can play them backwards, psyching yourself up for the sessions, saving your money to pay for it, only to get into the studio and have the life of your project sucked away due to an unresponsive engineer, an uncomfortable room, or overwhelming costs. Then you get the final mix down and you're even more disappointed because it doesn't sound anywhere close to the quality you had hoped for. Suddenly, the big time studio with tons of gear doesn't sound any better than the 4-track recordings you did in your basement the month before.

A good producer will tell you when it is time to do it again or move on to the next track. They will create an environment that doesn't get tense if there are disagreements about the work, and keep the flow of a session moving by making sure the artist is comfortable and decisions are being made that will best suit the final product (it is not always about everyone playing on every track for every measure). If this means recording in the band's usual practice space, then so be it. If you always wanted to try and record your drums in the bathroom, but knew that the "real studio" wouldn't allow it (or they'd look at you like you were crazy), then a good producer will say "bring it on." If an artist knows that they have the confidence of their producer, if they feel creative and open, then their final product is going to be much more reflective of themselves. It is no secret that the second you hit the record button, no matter how many times you have done it before, you get nervous and lose about 10 percent of your playing ability. The goal of a good producer is to make sure you don't lose 11 percent.

I am extremely adamant about creating good recording atmospheres for my clients. I will meet with them before the sessions to get to know them on a personal level. If you know what turns them on and what turns them off, then you will be a more effective producer. I will go and check them out in a live setting to hear what their sound is like and to see how the musicians interact with each other. I will listen to any old recordings they have done and study what was good and bad about it. I will ask them what they envision their product sounding like, what their goals for the project are, and what some of their favorite sounding CDs are. By doing these things you show the artist that you are more than just some engineer looking to make some quick cash off of them. You show them that you care about them and their music, hence creating an environment that will embellish their talent and creativity. You will find that this goes a lot further than a $2000 microphone.

More Essays:
Knowing When to Play

Photo by Kyle Herchert