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Marc Barnacle's avatar

Brilliant post. My most enjoyable recording experiences have been with a proper producer. Like you've outlined so brilliantly in this article... someone who is involved in so much of the process. Particularly pre-production! Initially, I naively overlooked how important this stage was. The amount of fine tuning, new ideas and overall craft that was applied during this process, was incredible. And it saved so much time once we actually came to recording.

Get onboard with a producer that understands your needs, tastes... and can also introduce to a whole host of fresh ideas, approaches and creative suggestions. It's a game changer.

Dave Johnston, DMA's avatar

Thanks Marc, cheers for reading!

Marc Barnacle's avatar

All good! Really enjoyed it.

Jeff “H” Harrington's avatar

Great post! I've been lucky to work with a couple of producers on my own music over the years, and it definitely can upgrade the music. Mainly, I've learned so much from both of them. I've done some producing myself now as well.

Dave Johnston, DMA's avatar

I think that's an underrated reason to get someone involved - you do learn so much through the process!

Contemplating Music with JHM's avatar

Nice article, really supports the concept of a producer serving as composer and conductor, and of the critical importance of overall sound quality defined in the many ways you lay out here.

Dave Johnston, DMA's avatar

Thanks for reading!

AJDeiboldt-The High Notes's avatar

Lot of on-target stuff here. It's funny that most other industries that have "producers" there's a generally agreed-upom definition of what that is. Only in music is it that nebulous lol.

As a producer myself one of the most important things I learned was they every artist needs something different. Some people want more of a Rick Rubin guru type of thing, some need someone to tell them what they need to hear when it matters but otherwise just let them do their thing, some want/need to be micromanaged, etc. It can be a difficult thing to suss out especially in the beginning.

Dave Johnston, DMA's avatar

Absolutely, good point! Thanks for reading :)