british/american styles

[dobro]

Long about last year, me and somebody else wondered out loud what differences there might be between British and American recording styles. We got no nibbles, but I found this in 'Behind the Glass' by Howard Massey (what a good book):

Q: Do you think there's a "British sound" versus an "American sound"? If so, what accounts for it?

Alan Parsons (he did Dark Side of the Moon, for example): 'I think American engineers are more into the sound of an individual piece of gear than British engineers are. The British will go for more of an overall feel or an overall atmosphere in their sound, whereas an American might be much more analytical. But why spend hours of grief possibly losing the spontaneity of the artist in order just to establish what sounds best? American engineers are just more into their equipment and less reliant on the performance and the performer's ability to get a good sound.'

I don't completely buy this, but what do I know? I think *everybody's* into gear these days, and recording's moving in a control freak direction. Pitch shifters - poo - gimme a break. Are we all having a 'perfect' contest?

 

[lazyboy]

Those comments play very nicely into the debate about overproducing, dontcha think? Kinda like Parsons' definition of overproduction?

 

[Wallycleaver]

There used to be diffences between them but as our music now shows, there are not many pureists any more.

 

[sjoko2]

Very interesting - and having worked on both sides of the water - Alen's observation is 100% right.

British engineers / producers are much more inclined to hold foremost the "feel", the atmosphere, an artist is trying to convey, while their US counterparts are much more "gear oriented" and anal. Of cause this is a generalisation, but.....

As far as I'm concerned, what an artist is trying to convey should come first.

 

[dobro]

That's interesting, and to the extent you're right (and I see no reason why you're not) I'd steer myself towards a British studio, given the chance (which will probably never happen ). Here's another interesting bit from Parsons that goes along with the quote at the top of this thread, plus what you say:

"But so much of the job is personality. Provided you're a likeable person and you're determined enough, you can do it. I'm convinced that a great deal of my success is through my ability to communicate with people, not through any particular skill with knobs and buttons. Somehow I have the means to communicate the wishes of a musician or a producer through understanding them, not necessarily from understanding the technical aspects - just knowing what they're looking for."

In other words, the techie side of things is something a lot of people can get on top of, but it's the interpersonal and communication skills that get things really happening in the best studios.

 

[sjoko2]

*grin* again so right. One of the reasons I don't like to "just produce" or "just engineer" is because I think you have to feel your job, and translate this feel into a mood, a sound. You have to get into an artist's soul without being obstrusive, as an inviseable observer, and use your production and engineering skills to translate this feeling into an audible medium.

At least, that is what I try and do. When it goes well I often find I will do things an artist might want to hear - before they ask. That is an ideal working relationship where the borders between producer / engineer / artist / technology no longer exist, all that remains is a creative flow.

I used to work in studios all over the place, and as many of them are complexes with multiple studios, I have seen a lot of producers and engineers at work. Some I really admire, and I don't like talking bad about collegues but.......... I see so many producers whom just use their position to, basically, just order people about, tell them what to do and play. I also see many engineers who just do a job, and basically, that's all, no interest in achievement.

Well, I think I could write a book about this stuff, but in the end its all about human relations, a desire to do your best, and being fearless about creativity.

Now you might just appreciate why I am selective in deciding who to work with.