Forgive the ignorance...

[crew355]

what exactly does the producer do? does a band really need a producer for musical inspiration/guidence/input? can't they do it on their own? how does the producer's influence affect the music - i saw the Mark Batson/DMB dvd; I saw Batson's contribution - but I assumed Batson was just a musical guy - are all producers musical? Thanks

[TomtheRevelator]

It varies from producer to producer. A hip hop/R&B/dance music producer makes beats and finds samples. A Classical producer might select repertoire, but it's probably more about getting the right sounds. A rock producer hires engineers and techs, books the studio, communicates with the label, etc. The list goes on and on. In an online interview, Rob Cavallo says he's like a movie producer AND the director - in charge of the logistics of production (producer) and the creative focus of the project.

As far as inspiration goes, it is a producer's job to be frank with the act - tell them which songs to pick, how to change them, etc. Are all producers musical? Most are. A lot of producers are more comfortable playing instruments on their recordings (Batson, Ballard). Some are in charge of composition and arrangements (Brian Wilson, Phil Spector). Some are just financiers or promoters (Andy Warhol).

Do bands need producers? No. Do writers need editors? No. But I would hate to see most artists' creative output if it hasn't passed through at least a few other people's hands before public consumption. The producer is in charge of how the album comes off as a whole, whether that's overall sound, song selection, arrangement style, or the simple logistics of keeping the group on track or communicating with suits. Does DMB need a producer at this point in their career? I would say definitely.

[Northerntube]

Generally speaking, you can think of the musicians as a team and a producer as the coach. Left to their own devices, the team may make some bad moves, they need guidance.

From a musical level, you can only imagine the amount of debates, disputes, decisions, etc that go into recording a song. Should the chorus go here? Do we want to include that fill? Some guys say it works, others don't. What's the right decision? A band needs an independent voice, someone removed from their world, to add perspective.

Technically too, producers bring certain skills from project to project. Technical problems of: how to mic the instruments? how to organize recording sessions?

A producer will be hired for his or her abilities to assess these problems and - just as important - to identify strengths where others cannot see them, and weaknesses that are perceived as strengths. A good producer will work intimately with the musicians through every phase of recording and often becomes the final decision maker.

[crew355]

Thank you for the incredibly informed and relevant responses. The importance of producer selection is now clear to me; the upheaval over the selection Cavello now makes sense.

It seems that when a producer is selected and works with the band in the studio, his/her fingerprint will always be attached to the whichever songs the band puts together with the producer. This is important when considering the band's legacy and catalogue.