Record production is the art and science of creating recorded musical works. Specifically, it refers to the work of artists, producers, and engineers, but in general record production combines the worlds of music, audio production, manufacturing, marketing, and the many other necessary tasks that have to be performed before a record can be released.
The term “record” is a generic term used to describe commercially released, recorded work. Vinyl LPs are still manufactured, but most commercial releases are now on CD or cassette tape. Modern formats currently vying for consumer acceptance, or looming on the audio horizon, include DAT tapes, mini-disks, DCC (digital compact cassette), and DVD (digital video disk…a new format that will carry more than just video information that is being touted as a revolutionary step forward).
Several distinct processes are involved in recording, and releasing a record for the commercial market, but we will concentrate here on the actual audio recording process and preparation of master recordings for eventual commercial release.
There are several jobs involved in record production, and each one is vital to the creation of a successful master recording.
The A&R (artist and repertoire) person is responsible for finding and signing new talent to a record label. The “talent” is a term for those individuals who are actually performing. They fall into a number of categories, such as musicians, vocalists, and voice-over artists. A&R people also act as general guides, helping new acts through the process of recording. A&R executives are assigned a stable of talent, and act as a liaison between the act and the record company. A&R people were originally in-house producers, signing talent and producing their records as well. Modern-day A&R executives do not usually produce, and theoretically are not involved in the process, but in practice they often are. The repertoire, choice of producer, and band image are all important areas under the A&R person’s control.
The producer is directly responsible for the creative, technical, and business processes of record production in the studio. A music producer’s job is analogous to those of the producer and director in the film industry, combining the responsibilities of both. Producers work with the band on arrangements, song selection, and creative methodology. They also collaborate with the recording engineer on the technical process in the studio, and are responsible to the record company for keeping the project within budget. Producers directly supervise the recording process, and are responsible for the completion of the master recording. Some album recordings use different producers for each track, in which case they come under the supervision of an executive producer.
Arrangers are responsible for creating musical arrangements or orchestrations for the material being recorded. This can be the overall style and sound of the piece, or just specific aspects of the recording. For instance, a producer/arranger with limited knowledge in certain areas might call in a specialist to help with a specific recording…for example, a rhythm, vocal, horn, or string arranger. The arranger then takes the musical material and expands on it to create specific parts for individual performers. This process is known as arranging in jazz, pop, or rock music, and is called orchestration in the context of classical music.
The recording or audio engineer has the task of actually recording the material. Working with the producer, engineers mix, process, and shape the sound to create the required result. Some engineers specialise in certain areas of recording. Mix engineers, for example, are adept at mix-down (mixing and blending all the recorded tracks on a multi-track session down to one stereo mix). The assistant engineers/technicians (or A2s) help the tracking or chief engineer set up and repair the equipment, among other things.
The process of producing a studio recording can be broken down into three main stages: pre-production, production/recording, and post-production. Pre-production is the preliminary work that needs to be completed before the actual recording begins… songwriting, song selection, key selection, rehearsals, finalising musical arrangements, budgetary planning, paperwork, and any other details that need to be handled prior to recording.
Production/recording/tracking is the process of recording in the studio. This stage encompasses recording all basic (rhythm or bed) tracks, vocals, and any additional “sweetening” (strings, horns, percussion, etc.). Different styles of recording are used for different effects: live/off-the-floor recording (where all musicians and vocalists perform together and are recorded as they perform); tracking/over-dubbing (where individual instrumental and vocal parts are recorded separately to build into a completed piece); or a combination of the two approaches. The producer usually decides which approach will be used.
In post-production all the earlier phases of the process come together to create the completed master recording. The first step of post-production is mixing the recorded tracks to create a definitive version, known as the mix-down. During mixing the producer must take into account individual and overall volume of various tracks, their placement and balance in the stereo field, and the equalisation or EQ, which means achieving just the right tone on each recorded track and subsequent mix.
The next step is mastering…preparing the mix-down track for manufacture (pressing or duplication). Mastering is usually handled by skilled professionals working in specially designed environments, who add just the right EQ, match the levels of all pre-recorded material, and add any corrective touches. Finally, there may be some remixing. Often a hit tune will be remixed to highlight specific aspects of the recording, and sometimes entirely new versions of a song are created (such as dance/rap remixes). This process also comes into play when reissuing catalogue material.
The modern recording studio is a specially designed environment, generally divided into two areas…the studio (where the music is actually performed) and the control room (where the producer and engineer supervise and direct the recording). Most of the studio equipment is kept in the control room.
All modern recording studios have a recording-machine. Formerly this was a 2-track, 4-track, 8-track, 16-track, or 24-track analog tape-recorder. Now, with the popularisation of various new formats and recording technologies, studios often rely on a tapeless system. New advances in technology have also led to the ability to synchronize machines and record as many as 48 discrete tracks.
The microphones are some of the most important pieces of studio equipment as the first items used to reproduce the source signal. Microphones come in two basic types: dynamic (which accurately record differences in volume), and condensers (which automatically adjust recording levels). Different types of microphone have different frequency response and pickup patterns, and are used in special applications.
The signals picked up by the microphones are processed through a mixing board, also known as the mixer or console. The mixer has control sections for each incoming signal and track, called channels. Each channel has a volume control and an EQ section (allowing for specific shaping of tone).
Special effects units such as reverbs (which simulate reverberation), digital delays, and filters are used to shape, enhance, and change various characteristics of incoming signals. Synthesizers and sequencers simulate sounds or create new ones, and record them for playback. Samplers are similar devices that can digitally record and manipulate short segments of sound.
As recording technology improves, new and exciting processes will continue to change record production. In the past decade, technology has facilitated the home recording boom…computers and inexpensive equipment have put the facilities of large studios in the hands of home enthusiasts. Record production, however, maintains its ties to the fundamental tenets it was built on: creating the best possible version of the song, and recording and reproducing it in the best possible way.
Gregg Juke
SEE ALSO:
PRODUCERS; RECORDING STUDIOS.
FURTHER READING
Burgess Richard James. The Art of Record Production (London: Omnibus Press, 1997);
Chanan, Michael. Repeated Takes: A Short History of Recording and Its Effects on Music (New York: Verso, 1995).