arcarsination
03/27/10, 03:41 PM
There's something to be said about music that's well produced. An artist who takes her time carefully planning out the intricacies of her work takes determined, deliberate steps in order to attain that perfect delivery. Studio producers meticulously mix the music, making sure each and every key stroke, snare hit and vocal harmony will influence the listener exactly as the artist intended. In the end, everything sounds flawless.
But does that flawlessness automatically make a listener's jaw drop in utter amazement? Will all that time invested in making sure every note is in its rightful place really make a listener's mind explode?
It can depend on the audience. For someone who's marginally interested in music (i.e., picks up an album once every few months), the production value in that album will be a huge selling point. As production value goes up, marketability is sure to follow.
Note: I'm not inferring here that the quality of the music will plummet as production goes up. But it's a pretty good guess that as the music becomes more accessible, there's probably a high production budget behind it. The higher the production, the more polished it will sound, and the easier it is to get into.
Others couldn't care less about the production behind the music. Some like it rough around the edges.
Although I'm known to indulge in some sugary sweet, highly polished music from time to time, I've found that the most sincere musicians will try to minimize the impact that production has on the music. It might be a matter of taste, but I absolutely love some of that raw, gritty music that makes you want to take a shower after repeated listens.
Now, that may be an exaggeration (I never want to take showers). A good amount of raw music can sound like garbage; due to a lack of focus, a poor budget, or general laziness on the musician's part. You know the sound. The final product invades your eardrums like the band recorded it with paper bags wrapped around the microphones.
But on the other hand, it's equally as sad to see so many artists now using production a crutch, as a substitute for solid musicianship.
It's a balancing act, I'm sure, and many bands are doing it right by keeping their voices away from the autotune. I generally believe, though, that more attention should be given to those trying their damnedest to be organic and unpolished. The gems might be few and far between, but they're worth the time to seek them out.
This is a post from my website http://markdowdell.com. Drop in for a visit for more commentary, music and videos if you liked this thread. Be sure to leave some thoughts on the issue in the comments! Thanks for reading.
But does that flawlessness automatically make a listener's jaw drop in utter amazement? Will all that time invested in making sure every note is in its rightful place really make a listener's mind explode?
It can depend on the audience. For someone who's marginally interested in music (i.e., picks up an album once every few months), the production value in that album will be a huge selling point. As production value goes up, marketability is sure to follow.
Note: I'm not inferring here that the quality of the music will plummet as production goes up. But it's a pretty good guess that as the music becomes more accessible, there's probably a high production budget behind it. The higher the production, the more polished it will sound, and the easier it is to get into.
Others couldn't care less about the production behind the music. Some like it rough around the edges.
Although I'm known to indulge in some sugary sweet, highly polished music from time to time, I've found that the most sincere musicians will try to minimize the impact that production has on the music. It might be a matter of taste, but I absolutely love some of that raw, gritty music that makes you want to take a shower after repeated listens.
Now, that may be an exaggeration (I never want to take showers). A good amount of raw music can sound like garbage; due to a lack of focus, a poor budget, or general laziness on the musician's part. You know the sound. The final product invades your eardrums like the band recorded it with paper bags wrapped around the microphones.
But on the other hand, it's equally as sad to see so many artists now using production a crutch, as a substitute for solid musicianship.
It's a balancing act, I'm sure, and many bands are doing it right by keeping their voices away from the autotune. I generally believe, though, that more attention should be given to those trying their damnedest to be organic and unpolished. The gems might be few and far between, but they're worth the time to seek them out.
This is a post from my website http://markdowdell.com. Drop in for a visit for more commentary, music and videos if you liked this thread. Be sure to leave some thoughts on the issue in the comments! Thanks for reading.