What makes a producer have a "Sound"?

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TheAquired

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Hi everyone,
Sorry if this isn't in the right forum, I wasn't too sure.

So I have always wondered, what is it that gives each producer a 'sound' that is recognizable as theirs? Doesn't a producer simply direct the mixing of the tracks? For example, there are bands that I listen to that had a different producer for earlier albums than a producer that came in for a later two albums. And the difference in sound is phenomenal.

Is it simply that one producer knows how to mix better than another?

Thanks for any responses. I was just curious :)
 
Some producers let the band be the band, and some force their ego all over everything. Producers have way too much power these days. I think bands should not use them at all.
 
The producer's role in the process can be anything from "guidance" to "just about everything except the actual songwriting" --

One rather typical version of the latter --

Songwriter's version: Sarah McLachlan- Possession (piano version) - YouTube

Pierre Marchand's (Album) version: Sarah Mclachlan - 01 Possession - YouTube

Now you can argue back and forth forever which one is arguably better --- But one was an emotional, intimate (actually written out of fear if I recall) solo piece from an obviously talented songstress and the other launched that songstress into international fame and fortune on T40 radio.

Other times, it's a guy who says "let's drop that line" or "let's do that part twice then go into the bridge" or "let's add a wash of female BGVox to those chords" (DSOTM for example). "Let's make it sound very dry" - "Let's make it sound very live" -- The point of the producer is to pull the best out of the band, hopefully in a way that makes it commercially viable at the same time.

Keep in mind that if not a majority, a HUGE amount of what's out there isn't done by "bands" -- It's done by particular performers. If a band comes up with a tune, the band can record that tune. If a label has a big financial investment, you can bet they're going to send in a trusted producer to keep things from turning to crap and guide things along. Rick Rubin or Bob Rock with Metallica. But an absolutely gigantic percentage of commercial tracks out there are written by someone who probably never even meets the performer that makes those songs famous -- In those cases, the producer is basically responsible for everything except the songwriting itself.
 
I avoid using the term because it's synonymous with 'beginner' in online forums, but I suppose I do consider myself a producer as much as anything else.
The reason for that, though, is that I generally work with people who have a voice, and instrument and a song.
The rest has to come from somewhere.

I will give the kind of input massive describes. How about shortening that verse, opening with a chorus, maybe changing the rhythm here so that I can add X,Y or Z to work with it.....that kind of thing.

It's rare than I work with a full band, but if I do I almost always take a back seat. I'm an engineer in those cases.
I think if there's a well rehearsed band, you'd need to have some damn good ideas to call yourself a producer. :p

There are albums out there where the producer was absolutely integral to the final sound and importance of the record, but equally there are bands who just are what they are and the production values are almost irrelevant.

I don't know for sure, but I guess in Greg's go-to genre, perhaps production techniques and tools weren't paramount?
Maybe that's bull..idk.

To answer the question, I guess a lot of a producer's sound comes from the environment and tools, and sometimes trademark techniques.
That's not to take away from skill or knowledge, of course.

I mean, taking it to the extreme, there's a reason you can spot a motown record a mile off.

If you take a band like the Chilis, I don't know what went on behind the scenes but I always felt like Rubin must have had a lot to say..
That record just sounds fantastic to this day, and anything before it kinda sounds ok or whatever.
 
Producer = ear to the ground, ear to the music, psychologist with business acumen. Good job Massive BTW.
 
Many projects benefit from an objective party saying "that sucked, do it again" when nobody else in the band will.
 
Wow guys, thanks for all the informative replies! The music industry is a complicated place. :confused:

By the sounds of it, a producer has to pretty much be a better artist than the artist he is recording :p
As far as I have heard, producers mostly make a band better. But I can totally see where Greg is coming from, a producer who wants his way could seriously mess with the artists sound.

Thank you again :)
 
A good example of what a producer does is in this film, NOTE! the producer turns up at 7.49.

 
What an awesome series that was. Jez's crazy mum and dad and their nutcase manager made me lol.

I'll have to dig it out and watch it again.
 
The reason a good producer can make a bands album better is because he is (usually) the only one in the room that has a technical understanding of what makes a song work or not. He is not in love with the awkward sounding middle part, because he didn't write it...so it goes away or changes.

The reason specific producers have a recognizable sound is the same reason everyone else has a style: They will tend to have the same answer to the same question/problem/situation every time it comes up. Sometimes it also has to do with the guys favorite place to work. If you've seen the sound city movie, towards the beginning there is a point where they play clips of the famous albums recorded there. You will notice that they all have a similar sound, even though they go from Tom Petty to Dio to Rick Springfield to Fleetwood Mac.
 
Greg_L said:
Some producers let the band be the band, and some force their ego all over everything. Producers have way too much power these days. I think bands should not use them at all.
Click to expand...

One of the most famous producers I know of is Rick Rubin. What he did with Johnny Cash was simply amazing. From asking Tom Petty to back him on Unchained, to Getting Johnny just to record with his guitar and microphone. To picking out the tune, Hurt.

Now, same producer was working with Crosby, Stills and Nash. They walked out on him.

There are some really good producers that really can shape a band's sound. Some are just hacks, but a good one can bring out a sound the band may never know it has. But sometimes a producer can be a negative.
 
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