Questions/Comments Music Production

[Troy]

1. The job of Producer/Engineer was way more important in the analog days. "Sounds" were real, Stax/Volt was not Motown, which was not Apple which was not you name it. Even if you don't know the song you might be able to pick the label out by listening.

I disagree. Production is as important today as it ever was. Perhaps you can't pick out the label by listening, but I can still pick out the sound of a band or producer.

Some will argue that being able to pick out a label or producer by hearing the song is a bad thing. Sort of like music in a film, you shouldn't notice it. I'm not one of those people.

2. Production is way more homogenized today. Levels don't vary, everythings sounds way too similar.

Yeah, I kinda get this. Just because staggeringly sophisticated and easy to use music recording software has come built into every Mac since 2004, and that there's millions around the world now experiencing home recording for the first time, doesn't mean they are all good at it or understand the principals. Everyone seems to be using the presets and defaults and that may be what you're hearing.

3. Everything today is mixed way loud. Perhaps for the Ipod generation I don't know.

Compression. It sucks. There was a couple of links and rants on this site about it a few years ago.

4. Even professionally mixed albums of the 80's and 90's reveal "bad mixes". Vocals too high in the mix as to call way too much attention to it. Or vocals so low as to make the lyrics nigh unintelligble.

No argument, there have always been bad recordings, but the 80s was especially so because it was the beginning of the digital revolution in instrument and recording and no one really understood how to use this new technology. So much '80s music sounds brittle and harsh.

5. Making your own music is still the one of the greatest thrills I know. It's wonderful to be humming a tune and realize that it's one of yours.

Fuk'n-a Bubba.

In 2004 I became obsessed with Apple's Garageband, gave myself a crash course in music theory, and wrote, programmed, recorded and produced about 150 songs. All without any musical experience. I had never even played an instrument before. It was a total blast.

Suburban Tiki is still my favorite.

[BradH]

No argument, there have always been bad recordings, but the 80s was especially so because it was the beginning of the digital revolution in instrument and recording and no one really understood how to use this new technology. So much '80s music sounds brittle and harsh.

I think it was because a lot of producers were trying to sound like Hugh Padgham and failed, I don't think it was necessarily because of digital recording. Most of the 80's was recorded in analog anyway.

Regarding compression: It usually happens in the disc mastering process but if it's in the mixdown then you're stuck with it. I've heard some really good music trashed because of high compression lately. Robert Randolph's Unclassified should be called Unlistenable. That's a real shame. I hope it's not in the original mix because I'd like to hear that one from an lp or maybe MoFi will redo it.