Winterwood Recording Studios
Full Multi Track Recording Services | Studio Mixing of Outside Projects | Studio Editing of Outside Projects | Recording Studio Audio Restoration
“There seem to be a lot of Artists out there who can cover songs so well
that they sound like the real thing. When it comes to recording their own
material, it’s too bad they can’t seem to get it together. I think they need
a producer… I can’t imagine them getting a record deal any other way.”
Production Services
The term “Record Producer” is confusing even to veterans of the music industry. Exactly what a Producer does seems to be a mystery.
In the strictest sense, a producer is one who takes charge of a Recording Session. Little or nothing is done by the Recording Engineer or the Artist without the Producer's ok. (Although the Producer also may be the engineer, it is not a prerequisite.)
With most Major Record Deals, a Producer is assigned to the Artist for a given CD project. One of his or her first jobs is to help the Artist sort through the Songs and pick the ones best suited for the project. In the Studio, the Producer usually has the final say as to which performance of a given Song has the “magic” and which ones should be trashed. All artistic renderings are scrutinized by the Producer and ultimately need his or her blessing before being turned into the label as a finished product.
At the same time the Producer is arm wrestling with the Artist, he or she is also dealing with the Recording Engineer to make sure things are going down in the desired manner. In many respects, the Producer is the person in between the Artist, the Engineer and the Record Label. To say the least, the Producer is also a bit of a psychologist who takes the heat from all sides and makes everybody feel that they are “getting their own way.”
Producers are very beneficial to a project. They hear Songs objectively for the first time that the Artist may have been playing live for years. In a delicate manner, they also keep the pressure on the Artist to do their best and often make suggestions when things aren’t working. In short, the producer can be thought of as a “performance coach and musical referee.”
At Winterwood Recording Studios, we are very sensitive to the feelings of Artists. We never jump in and take over a session nor do we expect an Artist to do things our way. On the other hand, we have been making recordings for a very long time and have quite a few hits under our belt.
When beginning a relationship with an Artist, one of the first things we try to establish is the degree of involvement the Artist wants us to have in their project. Usually we ask something like this: “On a scale of one to ten, how involved do you want us to be in your project?” (One equals: butt out. Ten equals: I need all the help I can get.) Usually the answer falls around six or seven where the Artist maintains the final say.
We believe it’s good business to establish boundaries upfront. Depending on how involved with their recording project an Artist might want us to be, there usually is no fee for our Production Service. If an Artist would rather not use our production team, there’s no problem.
Please go to www.winterwoodstudios.com for an in depth view of their credits, services, and facilities. Also, check out Winterwood Lakeside Cottage for overnight accommodations while recording.
“A Record Producer who can give great record production advice
and insight
is
as import to the final record deal as the hole
in the middle of the CD.” |
