Engineers vs. Hairdressers

by Brian Stephens

What do recording engineers and hairdressers have in common? More than you might imagine. You probably wouldn’t believe the amount of hairdressers that can complain about customers who bring in pictures of celebrity hairstyles and then go on to insist that their own cuts match perfectly. Like any good hairstyle, there are a lot of factors that go into the making of any recording. When it comes to the overall sound of your recording, regardless of whether it is a demo or full-production CD, there are many considerations to be made when preparing to enter the studio.

Keeping this metaphor in mind, you simply cannot go in to a studio with a ‘Strat knock-off’ guitar and a Crate practice amp expecting an engineer to give you a thundering wall-of-rock-n-roll, Marshall-style sound. It won’t happen. That’s not to say that a small amp can’t sound fat, but it is a lot easier to get the sound you are looking for from the appropriate equipment.

That being said, the biggest secret to success in your recording project will not be found once you get to the studio, but can be uncovered in the weeks and months of planning prior to your studio trip. Begin picking out CDs that sport sounds you would like to emulate. The saying that “Good composers borrow and great composers steal” is very fitting in this instance. For example, there really isn’t any crime in matching an acoustic guitar sound from one artist and marrying it with the vocal treatment of another artist.

To go one step further, begin looking in magazines, on television, and on the internet for information that details the recording process for your favorite albums. I keep a running file of print articles that dissect the recording techniques used on albums I am really fond of. I am constantly building a library of information about how different engineers and producers achieve the sounds that are heard on their albums. This library is an invaluable reference as I am going through the preproduction process with a client. I also refer to this stockpile of knowledge as I am seeking out fresh ideas or new approaches for projects I produce. This kind of research doesn’t take a lot of effort, only an inquisitive mind and honest desire to get the sound that may be lurking inside your head.

The other asset that many people overlook is your recording engineer. Good engineers are valuable in helping get sounds recorded, but great engineers can help identify and capture the exact sound you are looking for. This kind of person has an intense love for the recording process and is constantly enhancing his/her knowledge of this process through diligent study and real-world practice. It is surprising to see just how many people forget to consult the engineer for an upcoming recording project until their money is grilling on the face of a raging studio clock. Talk with your engineer weeks in advance of your session time. If you do not own the appropriate gear needed to get your album’s sound, then look at borrowing, renting, or purchasing that gear in the weeks prior to your session time.

And lastly, realize that, in striving to match the sound of your favorite CDs, the degree to which you miss the target may very well become your own signature sound. A sound that may be copied by generations of other musicians that come after you.

Brian Stephens is a professional drummer, engineer, record producer, and music educator. He is also the CEO/Managing Director of Sound Decision Studios in Atlanta, Georgia (www.SoundDecisionStudios.com). He can contacted via email at Brian@BrianStephens.com