Producers/Engineers
Posted by: u5227470736789524 on 14 June 2009
Often times I will check out an artist simply because of who has produced and/or engineered the release. These producers/engineers, just like an artist, can build a resume of quality that is often a path to new artist discoveries.
(note, Wikipedia is a useful tool for gathering these resumes)
Do you have any favorite producers/engineers ?
Several personal favorites:
Glyn Johns
Ethan Johns (Glyn's son) who works with numerous wonderful artists as both producer and musician
Bill Szymczyk (Eagles, Joe Walsh/James Gang, Brian Vander Ark and some guy named Michael Stanley)
Jeff A
(note, Wikipedia is a useful tool for gathering these resumes)
Do you have any favorite producers/engineers ?
Several personal favorites:
Glyn Johns
Ethan Johns (Glyn's son) who works with numerous wonderful artists as both producer and musician
Bill Szymczyk (Eagles, Joe Walsh/James Gang, Brian Vander Ark and some guy named Michael Stanley)
Jeff A
quote:Originally posted by Jeff Anderson:
Do you have any favorite producers/engineers ?
Jeff A
Jack Frost (Dylan)
Rick Rubin (his work with Cash & Diamond is great, Metallica...
)Mike Clink (G & R)
Dave Stewart
Daniel Lanois
Quincy Jones in the old days
and Phil Spector on good days
to name a few.
An everyday tale of how a record can be ruined (& salvaged) ...
I'm really pleased this is coming out again.
It's called Don't Stand Me Down (Director's Cut) because this is the third time it's been released ('85, '97 and now).
Of the two previous releases, '85 was the original release and '97 was the Creation CD release.
Unfortunately, at the time of mastering the '97 effort, an awful sonic mistake was made.
During the mastering sessions, we had made sure the tapes sounded good and tweaked it so that the natural dynamics that were intended to be there when the music was written, shone through.
Then the engineer said to me right at the end of the whole process:
"Kevin, my final suggestion is to put a bit of this stereo enhancer on to finish it off."
"What's a stereo enhancer?" I asked.
"Oh, its just something that makes it louder, nothing else."
"Well, let me hear it" I said.
On listening to it, I suspected that the music had been subtly altered, and said so to the engineer "No."
He said "Trust me on this one Kevin. All it will do is make your record louder.
Every modern record has this on it now.
In fact, if you don't have it, your record will sound quieter than everyone else's."
I trusted him. But even when I got the test copy home and suspected strongly that the stereo enhancer had affected the music unfavourably, I put it down to my own sometimes obsessive over-pickiness. I lived to regret not speaking up. It gently gnawed away at me and I continued to doubt my own judgement until a few weeks after it had been released. Pete Schwier (the sound genius behind My Beauty and the man who mixed DSMD) phoned me up and said: "I've just heard it - is that a stereo enhancer on there?"
I was so disappointed, after going to a lot of trouble to get the record from Mercury and then getting Creation to put it out, etc, etc, etc. That effect had ruined the dynamics. It sounded OK, but not nearly as effective as it should have done, no where near as good as the record we made, and I felt bad about that. Stereo enhancers create a wash of sound but destroy subtlety. If your aim is to hit the listener over the head then a stereo enhancer is the thing. Groups such as Oasis use them to better effect, but such treatment is very wrong for my Famous Dixons. So here is the Director's cut. It now sounds to me as it was intended to sound.
Kevin Rowland talking about 'Don't Stand Me Down' from Dexy's Midnight Runners Discography.
I believe what is referred to as a "stereo enhancer" in this piece is more commonly known as a compressor.
I have the DSMD '97 & Director's Cut CDs in my collection & the sonic difference is staggering.
I'm really pleased this is coming out again.
It's called Don't Stand Me Down (Director's Cut) because this is the third time it's been released ('85, '97 and now).
Of the two previous releases, '85 was the original release and '97 was the Creation CD release.
Unfortunately, at the time of mastering the '97 effort, an awful sonic mistake was made.
During the mastering sessions, we had made sure the tapes sounded good and tweaked it so that the natural dynamics that were intended to be there when the music was written, shone through.
Then the engineer said to me right at the end of the whole process:
"Kevin, my final suggestion is to put a bit of this stereo enhancer on to finish it off."
"What's a stereo enhancer?" I asked.
"Oh, its just something that makes it louder, nothing else."
"Well, let me hear it" I said.
On listening to it, I suspected that the music had been subtly altered, and said so to the engineer "No."
He said "Trust me on this one Kevin. All it will do is make your record louder.
Every modern record has this on it now.
In fact, if you don't have it, your record will sound quieter than everyone else's."
I trusted him. But even when I got the test copy home and suspected strongly that the stereo enhancer had affected the music unfavourably, I put it down to my own sometimes obsessive over-pickiness. I lived to regret not speaking up. It gently gnawed away at me and I continued to doubt my own judgement until a few weeks after it had been released. Pete Schwier (the sound genius behind My Beauty and the man who mixed DSMD) phoned me up and said: "I've just heard it - is that a stereo enhancer on there?"
I was so disappointed, after going to a lot of trouble to get the record from Mercury and then getting Creation to put it out, etc, etc, etc. That effect had ruined the dynamics. It sounded OK, but not nearly as effective as it should have done, no where near as good as the record we made, and I felt bad about that. Stereo enhancers create a wash of sound but destroy subtlety. If your aim is to hit the listener over the head then a stereo enhancer is the thing. Groups such as Oasis use them to better effect, but such treatment is very wrong for my Famous Dixons. So here is the Director's cut. It now sounds to me as it was intended to sound.
Kevin Rowland talking about 'Don't Stand Me Down' from Dexy's Midnight Runners Discography.
I believe what is referred to as a "stereo enhancer" in this piece is more commonly known as a compressor.
I have the DSMD '97 & Director's Cut CDs in my collection & the sonic difference is staggering.
Many great names. 