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[Dan Atom]

In recording credits all albums have a producer... what EXACTLY does the producer do in the studio? I have a pretty good idea but a very accurate explanation would be much appreciated. cheers.

(obviously production isn't the same as the engineering/mixing or mastering)

dude!!

I have talked to you about this time and again...its always something i have paid attention to altho most people find it boring i always check and you know this Dan....

They have different roles depending on the band....too many people think that they are mainly concerned with the sound...not strictly true....they are almost like another member in the band in the studio...they ususally help with arrangements and are there to encourage and bring the best out in a band/musician....the engineer is usually the one mainly responsible for the sounds! Alot of producers will use the same engibneer and wont work without them...Like Bob Rock will not work without Randy Staub pushing the record button and splicing tape etc...!!

Understand??

[Dan Atom]

but in a lot of cases the band produce their own stuff. What do they have to do to get credit for doing so?

well basically....ok take the latest strung out album yeah?

The credits say: prduced by Strung Out and tracked by Donnell Cameron.

Ok, so for the first time strung out obviously felt confident enough to produce themselves yeah? The reason they used Donnell is that they did their very first album with him and like him...but all he did (very well) is be the technical whizz that did what they asked...so like when weapon go in to the mill again...we have agreed that you are pretty much producing it...neil will be engineering it...you may ask "put more click on that kick drum" then he will turn the knob until you say stop...therefore you are producing and he is engineering....you dig??

You still need a great engineer!!

I tell u what i find FUCKED UP? When the album is produced by one producer and then mixed by another...that seem fucked up to me but can work...i.e. the new 36cfs album is AWESOME and sounds AWESOME...its produced by a great producer called James Wisner...i love his style...then mixed by one of your faves dan..Andy Sneap...weird huh?? The mixing process can almost totally undo what the producer has done in a way!!

[Dan Atom]

cool. It's just I don't want to credit myself for something I didn't do. A lot of these ace sounding metal bands get someone to produce it and then get Andy Sneap/Colin Richardson to mix it, basically because those guys are awesome! devin Townsend is also a pretty nifty producer...

Look at the Deftones....I doubt they will ever use anyone else other than Terry Date...the sixth deftone they call him!

No dude....everyone will have input on their sound but at the end of the day someone has to be appointed to have the final word!

I think what it will say is produced by Dan Goldsworthy, engineered and recorded by Niall whatever his name is....(ooppsss)

[spellchecker]

Yeah, I'd say a producer's role is actually quite pinnacle. You have to put a lot of trust in a producer and you need to get on with them otherwise chances are few will be happy with the end-result

I'd say a producer's job is to decide what gets put through for the mix, i.e. a producer may say, "i don't like that little twiddly guitar bit, i think we should lose it", or "i really like the rustling of cutlery on the silver tray, let's keep it". then the person/people doing the mix are responsible for getting the best sound out of all the recorded parts to give a balanced well-eq'd mix.

of course, these two things can be done by just one person, or in more than two stages by loads of people. i suppose it just depends on your circumstances. in our experience the producer was also responsible for mixing, but the producing really was like having another band member, and at times was really hard because compromising on something you have written and feel protective over is difficult.

[iain44s]

alot of the time a separate mixing engineer is essential...the producer has been working on the stuff so long already and knows it so well that it is hard to get decent perspective on the mix...the fresh ears of a mix engineer can really breathe new life into a recording. also a good producer doesnt always make a good mix engineer...mixing is an art unto itself i suppose.

[Tav]

Producers even help out with things such as choosing amps, effects and other things. For example Bob created the amp tent which Metallica used on the Black Album to get that amazing crunch...he also did the wall of foam for Jasons bass and gave Lars a table of weird percussion to play with.