Looking back in history, not long ago, one had to spend hundred thousands of dollars to build a professional recording studio.
In the 60s The Beatles were one of the first bands to use the recording studio as a tool of expression instead of just recording their live performance.
In the 70s, the emergence of the multitrack age was only a logical progression, and the pro audio industry soon introduced 8-, 16- and 24-track open real tape-recorders (1972).
Later on, ways were found to sync several 24-track machines into even bigger systems and so grow the mixing desks, too! The music reflected that evolution hence we are still enjoying the big arrangements of an ABBA record. Needless to mention that all this was only available to those who had the backup of major label money.
The 80s brought digital technology and sampling "monsters" like the Fairlight CMI or the Synclavier of New England Digital (NED). The Fairlight CMI Series III costing 76.000 Australian Dollars had a maximum of 14 MB memory, included an onboard sequencer and was the second most popular toy amongst 80s popstars (1st was the legendary Ferrari Testarossa).
So isn't this the place where we should really show off the " bling" recording studios of our producers?
No, cause we are here to tell you that you do not need to spend a lot of money before you can start producing a hit record. Today, anybody with a decent laptop computer, a good recording software, and a few choice pieces of outboard gear owns the physical tools to produce a hit record - at least in theory! The necessary skills to utilize all the right tools at the right time are the result of years of experience, steadily building creative instincts and reflexes.
And even though some of us are quite in love with those "historic" tools of the 60s, 70s and 80s, the majority of work gets done with DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). We use programs like Apple Logic Pro, MOTU Digital Performer, Digidesign Protools or Steinberg Cubase and even some inspiring smaller applications that go for as low as the price of a dinner with a drink (believe it or not - some of the coolest Reggaetón and Hip Hop beats have been made with "Fruity Loops", a popular studio software starting at $49).
However, over time we will start showing you the places where we spend most of the time producing our music. Jens indeed owns a very nice recording studio in the center of beautiful Berlin - a great place for recording drums, guitars and even string ensembles. Bob is building a stunning live room in Dallas. Frankie B. has a great digital facility in Brooklyn/New York. Erik-Peter M. (“EP”) uses a Windows laptop and takes his studio where ever he goes; I work whereever there’s space to setup a mic and a computer - traveling back and forth between Europe and the States.
Being independent from a specific location is a concept we take a step further.
Our team is constantly sending mixes and even complete project data with single tracks back and forth between the producers and writers. We've recently worked on a project where the same piece of music has been worked on in four different countries on the same day! John worked on the basic playback from Berlin/Germany while songwriter Crissy and a session singer were working on lyrics and vocal recording in London.
Boris guided the team through the process from Berlin/Germany and finally the parts were all sent back to him to mix the final master that was then handed over once more to Dave in Hollywood who performed his magic mastering skills on the finished mix.
Not once have we physically sent harddrives or even CDs from studio to studio. It was all done with either Apple iChat (Mac) or AIM Instant Messenger (Windows + Mac), via a .Mac server upload, our own FTP server site uploads, or - in some cases - via one of the many file transfer services such as YouSendIt.
There are no rules anymore. And also, there are now no more excuses, for anyone! You don’t sing on pitch… Auto-Tune it! You ain’t got rhythm… edit, slice, beat-correct, quantize, ‘till it swings. I personally still prefer a real performance, with the soul and spirit that a musician in the moment, here and now, can deliver, versus the overly labored, edited, spliced, diced, corrected sort of approach. Perspective and interpretation are all there is.
It took me all these years to get to this point myself, never thinking years ago that I could get a producer to really realize my own vision, and believing strongly that production is part of the craft, part of the songwriting as integral part of the sonic picture the audio-artist wants to paint, and thus I felt I could not delegate it without giving up complete control over my artistry and career. It took me a few more years than I had foreseen to learn and totally master the computer production approach, with every facet from sound design to vocal editing tricks. But I feel time was on my side, as the digital and computer technology has progressed so fast, that now not only can one do so much for so little, but one can get amazing analog-type major studio sounds out of little plug-ins inside the computer.
The sky’s really the limit now.
