If you need expert help in shaping your sound, or guidance in developing your own "signature sound", Allusion Studios can help you realize your vision. Jim Pavett has been in the recording industry for over 20 years, is an established musician and percussionist, and has been credited for his work as a recording engineer on a Grammy nominated project.
Jim's diverse background gives you the advantage of having an experienced professional who speaks your language as a musician, producer, and engineer. From the raw inception of your project, Jim will help you create a sound and a style that is unique to you. Producer fees vary from project to project. If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to ask! Call us at (520) 622-3895.
Many songwriters sing and write on an instrument, but are not necessarily a consummate musician. The writing process can leave an artist stumped by being too close to their music while not being able to see the overall potential. This is where the producer comes in. The producer acts as an objective 3rd party who is ideally inspired by the initial song, but is also able to hear the final version in his head. A producer should have the talent to realize the sound they are envisioning and the means by which to achieve it. A single song could even be swept across different genres, starting out as a country song and ending up as a pop rock song or visa versa. This is why it is in the artist's best interest to hire a producer they think will give them the sound they are looking for.
We had a singer-songwriter who wanted to add a pop adult contemporary edge to her song. She sent in a vocal and piano demo of the song. Being hired on as the producer, I helped arrange the music, hired musicians that I thought would give the appropriate sound, engineered and recorded the project with specific attention to details (like pre amps, amps, instruments, etc.) and had creative freedom in every note that went on the recording. This included vocal performances, harmonies, and effects. On this particular song I went though eight different bass lines before I found the right line to complement the groove of the song.
The Before sample is what the artist dropped off to me. The After sample is the final production on the album, and is what I heard coming from the demo.
"Before" Sample 1 Mb | "After" Sample 4 Mb
We had a metal band that had specific goals they wanted to accomplish – they wanted the overall sound of the album to compete with bands like Pantera, Slayer, and Testament. After hiring me to produce their project, we spent roughly two weeks discussing these bands to see what they did and did not like about them. We found Slayer to be muddy and undefined. Testament was muddy but full and somewhat defined. Pantera was the best executed, defined, but didn't possess a lot of low end; a little thin, but definitely the ultimate recording for their genre. We established that we wanted to aim for a sound similar to Testament. For those not familiar, speed metal is so fast that often it is difficult to achieve musical definition and a good quality mix.
I didn't do much with the arrangements, but spent many hours dictating the type of instruments, drum heads, and amplifiers to use. After the first day of setup, we did a test recording. After being dissapointed, I had them change to specific drum heads, and we then spent a whole day re-setting up the drums. We also spent a whole day going to every store in town testing guitar amps in order to find "the sound". Additionally, I hired a keyboardist to add some intro lines. I was also the final word on whether or not a particular performance was good enough to keep. After all that, and a few weeks mixing, we had completed the project. We spent a total of six straight weeks on this album.
The comparison in these samples is shocking. The Before sample is an actual recording after 12 hours of setup the first day in the studio. The After sample shows that we ultimately surpassed our original expectations. We achieved the definition of Pantera, but with the fullness we wanted on the low end.
"Before" Sample 1 Mb | "After" Sample 1 Mb