At Echo Studios we are very passionate about producing music to the highest quality. We make every effort with all the projects we produce, ensuring that they are the very best that they can be.
Echo Studios was built to act as both a commercial recording studio and as a production studio – a space where talented artists can develop their music without the usual pressures of time scales and budgets. We welcome any artists who want to improve the quality of their recordings and actively seek out artists whom we believe have great potential. We try to help them develop and encourage them to make great music.
Below, Jamie has outlined what you should expect from a producer and what Echo can offer you:
What a Producer Can Do For You
There is a very fine line between producing music and just recording it, a line which is pretty blurred in most recording studios. Often you’ll see studios advertising ‘Production Services’ or similar, stating that production is included in everything they do. Not so at Echo. To put it simply, I don’t take on the responsibility of producing anyone’s music lightly, and I feel that anyone who does cannot be doing a proper job.
Although this is not a job description (that would be an endless list), it’s what I can offer you as your producer:
1. To Take Responsibility For The Outcome Of The Recording
This means that I’ll use my experience to judge every aspect of the music, and if I’m not happy, then I will not consider it complete. Sounds simple doesn’t it? But I believe this is the main benefit of involving a producer; someone who can set a standard and maintain it. Problems can arise when too many people are making important decisions, or the decisions are left to somebody who doesn’t have the experience to make them, and therefore the set standard and artistic direction get lost along the way.
2. Pre-production
I would suggest that 90% of all problems encountered in the studio can be avoided or reduced if they are spotted before recording starts. Pre-production usually involves the producer attending band rehearsals well ahead of any recording, to work on song arrangements, potential recording methods, and discuss aims for the project. It’s also a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other.
3. Direction
Once you have your aim, artistic or otherwise, you then need someone to help you focus on it throughout the process. One too many cups of coffee and suddenly you're redesigning the current song based on an idea you had last Wednesday...and wasting valuable studio time.
4. Sonic Skills
...or an ear for detail. Your perception of tuning and timing can improve gradually over time, particularly if you spend the majority of your life in recording studios. Some people may be born with golden ears, but for most of us it’s an acquired skill learnt over years of listening.
5. Objectivity
A fresh opinion. Has the middle eight of your best song always been lacking something? Sometimes it takes a non-band member to hear these details, as you can easily become too familiar with your own material. Objectivity is also essential when judging performances, giving musicians feedback without putting pressure on them to critique their own work.
6. An Opinion
I believe that having an opinion is a good thing when recording, as it can help to eliminate endless possibilities or can inspire new ideas. Does this mean the producer is always right? Only when their name begins with a J...
7. Experience
By the time you encounter a problem during recording it’s often too late - you’ve got to re-do some of the work you’ve already done, which can often be very time consuming. Common problems that arise during recording sessions can usually be avoided if your producer has enough experience to spot them early on, which can prevent a lot of time being wasted.
8. A Musical Relationship
Play me music that inspires you, or music that turns you off. Either way, I’ll already have a much better idea of your tastes than I did five minutes ago. This is invaluable when you’re trying to convey ideas about the sound or style of your music. Sometimes, hearing just one reference track can enable me to ‘join the dots’ and understand how you hear yourselves.
9. Organisation
Lets face it, how many musicians do you know that turn up on time?! But seriously, making the best of the time available is crucial to meet budgets etc. In my experience, most recordings suffer to some degree because time is not allocated appropriately to the tasks that need to be completed.
The Way Forward?
I believe that everybody can benefit from working with a producer, and that having a producer involved in your project is not simply for the ‘top end’ of the music industry. Indeed, working with an experienced producer at an early stage in your career can often be more beneficial. Obviously, you need to be realistic about what can be achieved if you are a developing artist, but the sooner you can start acquiring studio skills the closer you’ll be to achieving your musical goals.
Traditionally, hiring a producer for your recording was an extra expense that only artists or labels with a sizeable budget could afford. However, as recording budgets shrink and mid sized studios can realistically be operated by just one person, it’s possible to find affordable studio time with an experienced sound engineer / producer.
We always like hearing from anyone who wants to take their music to the next level. If you are looking for a producer for your next project or are interested to find out more about Echo production, please contact us.
• info@echostudios.org.uk
Jamie Masters earned his first production credits in 2005. Since then he has been establishing himself as a producer by working with a range of artists including:
• The Swamis
• The Red Bullets
• Loz Jones
• Fortune Favours
• Stee Docherty
• The Scallys
• LA5
Click to hear a sample of music produced by Jamie.
We always like hearing from anyone who wants to take their music to the next level. If you are looking for a producer for your next project or are interested to find out more about Echo production, please contact us.
"Jamie is very knowledgeable about his field, both technically and artistically. After attending early rehearsal sessions, he understood very quickly how we worked and where we wanted to go with this album. From recording through to mastering he worked for the good of the project, getting the best performances out of people without adding unnecessary pressure or stifling the creative process. Like all good producers, when we were stuck he had some ideas and when the going was good he was there to capture it."
- Loz Jones
