How Flexible Are you?

I feel like too many studios, producers, mixers, and engineers have a system they simply run each project through. It doesn’t matter what the songs sound like, the outcome is the same. Like an input/output formula. I understand that,for some, it's necessary to have a system like this. However it’s equally as important to have people that are willing to take each artist as they come.

If you were to give 10 bands a chart with just the chords, and tell them each to write a song, you will have 10 different songs. Every artist in unique! Everyone views life with a different perspective. Art is a chance for the artist to say, “Here is life through my eyes.” And as I said in last week’s blog, it’s the producer’s job to make sure the artist’s vision is clear. So, my question to you is how flexible are you? Are you willing to try different mics or mic placements, experiment with cloth or blankets on the drums, or even track main vocals with a 58?

I was working on a record a while ago with a group called The Steelwells. The song we were tracking had a very tom heavy “jungle” type of sound, which stayed pretty consistent for the majority of the track. I knew the sound of the toms needed to be intriguing because the drums were the hook of the song. So, I tried two things I had never done before. Tracked the cymbals separately from the rest of the kit, and placed an extra set of mics under the toms. The mics under gave me some extra power, and without the cymbal bleed in the overheads was able to apply unusual compression and EQ settings.

I’ve had singers get too nervous or don’t perform well in the booth. I just gave them a 58, turned the music up, and had them sing their hearts out. This gives them something they are use to. I’ve had groups that were going for a retro 50’s or 60’s sound. I knew the drums needed to sound tight and thuddy, so I used various cloths or sheets, and even full blankets over the drum sets to create the sound. I had an artist tell me one time, “hey man, for the intro…it needs to sound like rocks…rocks that are taking over your brain.” I looked at him, smiled, and said, “I think I can handle that.” I simply took the guitar riff in the intro, ran it through a few delays and verbs, planned it all over the place and asked him what he thought. “Ahhhhh. It’s perfect!” He was right, the intro now sounded awesome.

We have to be flexible in order to capture the unique gems that each artist has. This is not an easy task because it places us outside of our comfort zone. But it’s a huge component for making great timeless records. Imagine what Darkside would have like without a team flexible enough to handle their vision.

My purpose in writing these blogs is twofold: to share and discuss information, but more importantly, to evoke thought and the philosophy of music as an art. We should always be questioning, always improving, and always striving to be a true servant of our work.

Now let’s go out and do something that matters.

-Barrett