I was fortunate to be in a band that had a deal with a major label in the early 90’s, and Andy Wallace produced our record. He got an apartment in our hometown a couple of months before we went into the studio and basically hung out with us to see what we were into musically, and personally, and to get a vibe on what we were all about. We did a few weeks of pre-production in our rehearsal studio where he exposed the weaknesses in our ability as players, and what he felt the songs needed in terms of arrangements. He basically said if the drummer could not improve his timing, he would be forced to hire a studio guy. Looking back on it, I think he was trying to coach a young amateur band to professional status, the pressure he applied worked. He left us to finish another project that he was working on, and to give us time to improve. When we finally got into the studio, our chops were up to par, and our arrangements were already worked out, so we didn’t waste any time in the studio. He engineered and mixed it himself, with the help of an in-studio second who was familiar with the gear at hand. The record turned out very good and it was a great experience. I would imagine the role of the producer would be unique to every project though because not all bands need that coaching and motivational role.
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