Music producer
A music producer works mostly with a digital audio workstation to write and record their own productions for other recording artists, television and for their of release on record labels. Their contribution to a track is the entire creative process of writing beats and melodies along with mixing and mastering the track for release. The mostly work in conjunction with other producers, recording artists and song writers. A music producer works mostly in the pre-production and production stages of the project as the post- production stage is usually the promotion managers job role.
Assistant engineer
An assistant engineer works in a studio making sure all equipment is prepared for the session. They will set up all equipment in the control room such as the mixing desk and digital audio workstation as well as in the recording booth. If a piece of equipment is broken or not functioning as it should, its the assistant engineers job role to fix this. An assistant engineers works mostly in the pre-production of the project and some of the time in production making sure everything is running smoothly throughout the session.
Recording engineer
A recording engineer works similar to a music producer but only recording the music of other artists. Its the recording engineers job to shape and capture the artists sound correctly into a sellable product or album. The work alongside the artist, manager of the artist and the assistant engineer. This job role requires a lot of technical knowledge in order to creatively operate the equipment in order to achieve the desired result. A recording engineer works heavily in the production stage of a track concentrating solely on the product its self. The post-production will be handled by the Artists representation or label promoter.
Promotion manager
A promotion manager works hard to get an artists music sold and released to the right demographic. They direct promotional campaigns for the record labels or artists in order to boost sales and gig bookings. Working heavily with radio DJ'S, radio producers and events managers in order to get the artists out there. A promotion manager works only in the post-production having no input in production but to only promote what has been created.
Radio DJ
A radio DJ's job is to present a radio broadcast and to distribute music over the radio. A radio dj must have the ability to present well and operate the equipment provided in the studio. They work along side the show producer to devise content and choose the tracks which will be played in the show. A radio DJ in terms of creating a track only has a post-production input as they only play and distribute the tack to their audience to gain air play for the artist.
Club DJ
A club DJ is similar but very different from a radio DJ as they must have the ability to use different equipment and read a crowed in a nightclub. The equipment they use consists usually of two turntables and a mixer, however a dj must be able to use all types of equipment to be able to continue to play if a technical fault occurs. A DJ will also give plays to an artist if it fits the crowd. So a DJ will work in the post-production of a track production distributing it to their audience.
http://www.careersinmusic.com/music-careers/ (3/6/2015)
LO1 - Task 2
Production roles in media organisations
In this report I
shall be researching two roles in the music industry which are a part of the
production stage in media. The two roles I have chosen to study is music
producer and mastering engineer. I will target key duties of this role, the
contribution to the final product, key skills required and what equipment is
used to achieve what comes out at the end.
Music
producer
The first
production role I shall be studying is a music producer. The main duties of a
music producer is to coordinate and produce the main musical element of a track
to lay a vocalists component. Also a music producer need to be able to
cooperate and organise the recording of a band who have already written a track
but needs it recording into one playable product to sell. This needs excellent
organisation as it tends to be recorded in one go like a live stage
performance.
The contribution in
which a music producer gives to a track is very significant as they essentially
make the entire product from their creative ideas in the studio. They use a
collection of both hardware and software instruments to create a sound for
either an artist or instrumental which the track evolves from.
The equipment used
by a music producer can vary from studio to studio. However every studio has
key elements which cannot be missing in order from the producer to work. One of
these is a mixing desk which is where all the inputs from microphones, guitars,
and external synthesisers go in. this can then be converted into a signal which
a DAW or digital audio workstation can understand. The daw is then where the
producer essentially “glues” everything together to create the product. A
producer also needs a high quality microphone to record vocals, a pre amp which
increases the microphones output to the mixer.
Mastering
engineer
The second
production role is shall be studying is a mastering engineer. The main duties
of a mastering engineer is coordinate with the producer to get a copy of the
sequinned production. They then has to make sure the production is of a high
standard for use on all types of audio playback devices.
The contribution
the mastering engineer does isn’t normally recognised by the consumer. But the
contribution they make is incredibly important to ensure the quality of the
finally product is high and that it is mixed correctly. The engineer achieves
their contribution by paying close attention to the layers of a track. They
make sure each and every rack within the track is at a level where that part
has correct significance to the overall creation. The engineer also takes care
of the EQ and the balance across the musical spectrum to ensure professional
balance within the product. This ensures clarity of the product.
The equipment used
by a mastering engineer are incredibly sophisticated and hove a level of
accuracy much more than what would be in a common house hold or in a commercial
product. This equipment consists of studio monitors which have a much high
frequency response than regular HIfi speakers and the give a real and correct
image of the sound so it is easy to spot areas of improvement and poor EQ.
Another would be a finely tuned acoustic studio which would have been designed
by an experienced studio designer. This studio design is to increase the sound
accuracy and listening acoustics I which the engineer makes his decision on.
The engineer will also have a range of outboard gear like a mixing desk, tape
machines, FET compressors and EQ's. These are all used to process the signal
correctly in order for the engineer to serve his purpose.
In comparison the two roles have their similarities and their differences towards the audio product. Music producers are the creative aspect of any song taking on responsibilities to crate music and layer all the different parts of a track including vocals of a recording artist. They also work along side artists managers and song writers to shape an album as it is requested. on the other hand an audio engineer takes what the producer has created and polishes it to make it sound professional. They take all the levels an make sure each layer has the correct contribution towards the final product and to ensure it sound great on every sound system possible. An engineer works does not work along side the artist as they don't give any creative input in terms of arrangement, instrument selection and effects used.
Here is an example of his work
In comparison the two roles have their similarities and their differences towards the audio product. Music producers are the creative aspect of any song taking on responsibilities to crate music and layer all the different parts of a track including vocals of a recording artist. They also work along side artists managers and song writers to shape an album as it is requested. on the other hand an audio engineer takes what the producer has created and polishes it to make it sound professional. They take all the levels an make sure each layer has the correct contribution towards the final product and to ensure it sound great on every sound system possible. An engineer works does not work along side the artist as they don't give any creative input in terms of arrangement, instrument selection and effects used.
Here is evidence of me working alongside a professional mix engineer in the renowned red tape studios in Sheffield.
Employer input
I presented my final project output to a current producer who has worked with many successful artists. He is also a keen House dj and has many club nights. From this presentation I gained all positive feedback from him and he was greatly impressed with my work. This since then has developed into a partnership in collaborations and club nights developing my future career. Also from this partnership I have learnt loads in terms of practical tips and an insider into the industry its self. Hopefully this should develop into a successful career and many more links in the industry.
Here is an example of his work
LO2 - Task 3 Understand the skills they will need to carry out a chosen media production role
Written communication
Interaction with label managers and artists is key in oder to make a correct product for the client. In terms of written communication this will be through emails as in this era it is much quicker and efficient to do so. In order to keep a good level of professionalism and literacy they will need to make sure all grammar and spelling is correct when sending off an email. If this area slacks of it will give a bad image to both you and the studio you work for, damaging the reputation for future clients.
Verbal communication
Interaction with both clients and other professionals is key to a successful project. Examples of this will be to organise recording sessions with a band so that they will all turn up for the session, getting a finished track over to the mastering engineer to finish it off and communicating with the artists representation such as the record label or manager. Without this level of communication the project aims will be very vague between the producer and artist therefore significantly lengthening the project time and in some cases the quality will be below standard which is un acceptable.
Creativity
Above anything a producer must be creative in how they must layer and build what they have in mind. Everyone has some kind of vision in their head but its where the real skill comes into play when it is put down into a physical product which has appeal and can be sold. A producer can also have creative input even when recording a track in which some else has written. This can be towards how it is layered, what effects will make it sound better and what equipment to use to achieve the highest standard recording.
Practical Production
In order to be a usefull and skillful producer you must be able to make a recording or get your ideas down onto the DAW software. You must have a broad knowledge of the DAW being used and various VST plugins available on the market to push your product further in quality. You must also have the technical know how on how to wire up a studio and assigning inputs and outputs internally via the DAW. This is essential when it comes to recording things with a microphone. You must also have a good ability to trouble shoot problems quickly so they can be sorted efficiently so the production can continue. If you can't find the source of a problem it will delay the recording for a long time which can lead to a client getting fed up and finding another producer, damaging your reputation and losing your pay for that project.
Areas of further development
Key areas in which I would like to progress a lot more would be in mastering. Even though it was deemed worthy enough for club plays I still wish for my skills in this area to be tighter and more precise. Mastering is a key art with many tricks of the trade in which I wish to learn. Other areas I want to progress would be my overall creativity and ability to experiment with out loosing track of the production in hand. In other words, when I get into experimenting I end up never finishing the track but have loads of 4 bar loops to play with. This isn't any good. In order to progress my skills and fill in these gaps I have chosen to study a degree in music technology at the Leeds Beckett university in September of 2015. Over three years this will fill in any current gaps I have now as well as well as polishing a furthering the ones I currently have. Throughout my time there I will build industry links with other producers and promoters to get my music up in the rankings of my chosen genre. Also This will give me even more drive for what I do and I will have a wide range of other producers to collaborate with and develop both my practical and cooperation skills which I will use in later productions. On top of all this knowledge I will get the luxury to work with new and exciting equipment which I wouldn't be able to afford otherwise. These are state of the art mixing desks, microphones, recording studios and studio monitors. These will all boost my familiarity with industry standard equipment make me a more versatile individual So when my time at university has finished in 2019 I can leave with a reputation for excellence in my craft and possibly set up my own studio or work in an established studio.
Here is my proposed plan of action
LO3 - Task 4 Be able to carry out a specific production role for a chosen media production
My
contribution to a production
Role and
responsibilities
In the production of the audio track "burn" I played both roles as the creative producer and the mastering engineer to get it to its marketable standard. This means that I basically did the entire project alone which saved me a lot of time and money doing both roles of the product production. In these roles i had the responsibility to create a track which wold appeal to my target demographic. This meant sequencing the drums and selecting the correct sounding samples.
Here is my planning and production materials I used for this project
http://mitchmortonunit52.blogspot.co.uk/
Writing the min melodies for the pads, bass and pluck melodies and I also had to choose the suitable samples for the vocal hook and Fx.The on top of this i had to mix the track so it sounded well rounded and "normal" against other tracks. This was getting the certain parts the correct length and with the right elements involved, for example the intro is 16 to 32 bars long with the bare elements in. The also applying required effects to make dry sample for exciting and interesting. Then another responsibility of this production was to master the track. this was the final 5% spice which just makes everything pop and shine. This required a good ear, set of studio monitors and an arsenal of plugin effects.
In the production of the audio track "burn" I played both roles as the creative producer and the mastering engineer to get it to its marketable standard. This means that I basically did the entire project alone which saved me a lot of time and money doing both roles of the product production. In these roles i had the responsibility to create a track which wold appeal to my target demographic. This meant sequencing the drums and selecting the correct sounding samples.
Here is my planning and production materials I used for this project
http://mitchmortonunit52.blogspot.co.uk/
Writing the min melodies for the pads, bass and pluck melodies and I also had to choose the suitable samples for the vocal hook and Fx.The on top of this i had to mix the track so it sounded well rounded and "normal" against other tracks. This was getting the certain parts the correct length and with the right elements involved, for example the intro is 16 to 32 bars long with the bare elements in. The also applying required effects to make dry sample for exciting and interesting. Then another responsibility of this production was to master the track. this was the final 5% spice which just makes everything pop and shine. This required a good ear, set of studio monitors and an arsenal of plugin effects.
Contribution
to media product
My contribution to this product was as I said above, just about everything. I chose every sample to use along with the synth basslines, pad sounds and drum elements. On top of this I then mixed and mastered the track myself, in which it would be set off to an engineer otherwise. I used my own library of VST plugins to achieve the professional level sound which I believe works well along side other tracks in its genre.
My contribution to this product was as I said above, just about everything. I chose every sample to use along with the synth basslines, pad sounds and drum elements. On top of this I then mixed and mastered the track myself, in which it would be set off to an engineer otherwise. I used my own library of VST plugins to achieve the professional level sound which I believe works well along side other tracks in its genre.
Here is my studio set up where I produced my track. I have a set of studio monitors wired to a Macbook pro laptop along with various MIDI controllers.
Interaction
within my team
So because I worked alone on this project interaction wasn't needed. However if I did work with other professionals this would be a mix engineer who I would work along side to get my track to a high standard sound. This would be in a professional mixing studio with a professional engineer. Outside of the project I did have a lot of interaction with those who would play my track in its target environment. DJ's in clubs. I had a lot of interaction with different dj's in different clubs to get my track out there and played to different people. This then allowed me to get an idea of if my mastering was on point and if it was a hit with my target demographic.
So because I worked alone on this project interaction wasn't needed. However if I did work with other professionals this would be a mix engineer who I would work along side to get my track to a high standard sound. This would be in a professional mixing studio with a professional engineer. Outside of the project I did have a lot of interaction with those who would play my track in its target environment. DJ's in clubs. I had a lot of interaction with different dj's in different clubs to get my track out there and played to different people. This then allowed me to get an idea of if my mastering was on point and if it was a hit with my target demographic.
Here is my final example of my work
