What’s a Producer and Do You Really Need One?

One of the first steps that can help ensure the success of a project is to seek the advice and expertise of those who have extensive experience in their chosen fields. This might include seeking legal counsel for help and advice with legal matters or business and record label contacts. Another important “advisor” can come in the form of that all-important title, producer. The producer of a project can fill one of two roles:

■ The first type can be likened to a film director, in that his or her role is to be an artistic, psychological and technical guide that can help the band or artist reach their intended goals of obtaining the best possible song, album, remix, film score, etc. It’s his or her job to stand back and objectively look at the big picture, and to help organize the various production and recording stages. Their role can also be to offer up suggestions as to how to shape and guide the performance, as well as to direct the artist or group in directions that will result in the best possible final product.

■ The second type also encompasses the directorial role, but might have the added responsibilities of being an executive producer. He or she would be charged with many of the business responsibilities of overall session budgeting, making arrangements for all studio and session activities, contracting (should additional musicians and arrangers be needed on the project), etc. This type of producer might join with a music lawyer to help find the best sales avenue for the artist and negotiate contact relations with potential record companies or distributors. If you find such a person that fits with your artistic vision count yourself as being very fortunate!

From this, you can see that a producer’s role can be either limited or broad in scope. This role should be carefully discussed and agreed on long before any record button is pressed. The importance of finding a producer that can work best with your particular personalities, musical style and business/marketing needs can’t be stressed enough, and finding the right match can be a rewarding experience. Here are a few tips to prepare you for the hunt:

■ Check out the liner notes of groups or musicians that you love and admire. You never know—their producer just might be interested in taking you on!

■ Find a local up-and-coming producer that might be right for your music. This could help fast-track your reputation.

■ Talk with other groups, musicians or even label execs (if you can get in touch with one). They might be able to recommend someone.

Here are just a few of the questions to ask when searching for a producer:

■ Does he or she openly discuss ideas and alternate paths that contribute to growth and better artistic expression?

■ Is he or she a team player, or are the rules laid out in a dictator-like fashion?

■ Does the producer know the difference between a creative endeavor and one that wastes time in the studio?

■ Does he or she say “Why?” a lot more often than “Why not give it a try?”

Although many engineers have spent most of their lives with their ears wide open and have gained a great deal of musical, production and in-studio experience, it’s generally not a good idea to always assume that the engineer will or can automatically fill the role of a producer. For starters, he or she will probably be unfamiliar with the group and their sound, or might not even appreciate or like their music (although the studio and engineer was hopefully chosen for their interest in the band/artist’s particular style)! For these and other reasons, it’s always best to seek out a producer that is familiar with you, your goals and your style (or is contacted early enough in the game that he or she has time to become familiar).

Do You Need a Music Lawyer?

It’s important to realize that music in the modern world is a BUSINESS. Once you get into the phase of getting your band or your client’s band out to the buying public, you’ll quickly realize just how true this is. Building and maintaining an audience with an appetite for your product can easily be a full-time business—one where you’ll encounter well-intentioned people as well as those who would think nothing of taking advantage of you and/or your client.

Whether you’re selling your products on the street, at gigs, on iTunes or in the stores through a traditional music label, it’s often wise to “at least” entertain the idea of seeking out the counsel of a trusted music lawyer. The music industry is fraught with its own special legal and financial language, and having someone on your side that has insight into the language, quirks and inner workings of this unique business can be an extremely valuable asset. Before we move on, it should be pointed out that many metropolitan areas have “Lawyers for the Arts” organizations that regularly offer seminars and events, as well as one-on-one consultations with artists who are on a tight budget and have need of legal counsel.

1 Long Before Going into the Studio

As was emphasized earlier in the chapter (and the book), one of the most important steps to take when approaching a project that involves a number of creative and business stages, decisions and risks is preparation. Without a doubt, the best way to avoid pitfalls and to help get you, your client or your band’s project off the ground is to discuss and outline the many factors and decisions that will affect the creation and outcome of that all-important “final product.” Just for starters, here are a number of basic questions that need to be asked long before anyone presses the “REC” button:

■ How are you planning to recoup the production costs?

■ Will others share in the costs or financial arrangements?

■ Do you want to think about pre-sales and/or crowd-funding to help defray the cost?

■ How is it to be distributed to the public? Self-distribution? Digital download? Indy? Record label?

■ Do you need a producer or will you self-produce?

■ How much practice will you need? Where and when? Shall the dates be put on the calendar?

■ Should you record it in a band member’s project studio or at a commercial studio?

■ If a project studio is used and it works out, should you mix it at the commercial studio? Which one and who will do the mix?

■ Who’s going to keep track of the time and budget? Is that the producer’s job or will he or she be strictly in charge of creative and contact decisions?

■ Are you going to need a music lawyer to help with contacts and contracts?

■ Who will be in charge of the artwork and the website?

■ Will it be self- or professionally mastered? Who will do the mastering?

■ When should the artist or group’s artistic and financial goals be discussed and put down on paper? (Of course, it’s always best to discuss budget requirements, possible rewards and written contract stipulations as early as possible in the game!)

These are but “a few” questions that should be asked before tackling a project. Of course, they’ll change from project to project and will depend on the project’s scope and purpose. However, in the final analysis, asking the right questions (or finding someone who can help you ask them) can help keep your project and career on-track.

2 Before Going into the Studio

Now that you’ve at least asked some or all of the above questions, here’s a todo list of tasks that are often wise to tackle well before going into the studio:

■ Create a “mission statement” for yourself/your group and the project. This can help clue your audience into what you are trying to communicate through your art and music (in general and on this project). This can greatly benefit your marketing goals. For example, you might want to answer such questions as these: Who am I/who are we? What am I/are we trying to communicate through our music? How should the finished project sound? What emotions should it evoke?

■ Practice, practice and more practice—and while you’re at it, you might want to record your practices to get used to the process (some of these tracks could be used on your website as bonus tracks, for the “making of” music videos … or they might even make it into the final master takes).

■ Start working on the project’s artwork, packaging and website ASAP. Do you want to tackle this yourself, hire a professional or a qualified friend who wants to help or could use some extra $$$?

■ Copyright your songs. Government forms are readily available for the copyrighting of your music (identification and protection of intellectual property). The Library of Congress Form PA is used for the registration of “published or unpublished works of the performing arts.” This class includes works prepared for the purpose of being “performed” directly before an audience or indirectly “by means of any device or process.” Works of the performing arts include: (1) musical works and any accompanying words; (2) dramatic works, including any accompanying music; (3) pantomimes and choreographic works; and (4) motion pictures and other audiovisual works.” In short, it is used to copyright a work that is intended for public performance or display. Form SR is used for the “registration of published or unpublished sound recordings. This should be used when the copyright claim is limited to the sound recording itself, and may also be used where the same copyright claimant is seeking simultaneous registration of the underlying musical, dramatic, or literary work embodied in the “phonorecord.” In other words, it’s used to copyright the recording itself, while also protecting the underlying performance that is recorded onto the media. These and other forms can be found at www.copyright.gov/forms or by searching the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov. Again, this might be a good time to discuss these matters with a music lawyer.

■ Should you wish to use the services of a professional studio during the recording and/or mixdown phase, it’s ALWAYS wise to take the time to check out several studios and available engineers in your area. Take the time to ask about others’ experiences in that studio, listen to tracks that have come out of it, as well as those that have been recorded by the engineer. Finding out which studio best fits your style, budget and level of professionalism is both musically and financially an important decision—the time taken to find the best match for you and your music could be the difference between a happy or potentially not-so-fun experience.

■ “Now” is the time to decide who’ll be the producer and their duties will be. Will it be a person who is chosen from the outside? Will it be a member of the group? (If there’s to be no producer on the project, it’s often wise to pick (or at least consider picking) a spokesman for the group who has the best production “chops.” He or she could then work closely with the engineer to create the best possible recording and/or mix.) Alternatively, production could be done as a group effort. Lastly, in what way will the producer be paid (as an upfront payment and/or as a percentage of sales)? Answering these questions now can help avoid emotional disagreements in the studio.

3 Going into the Studio

Before beginning a recording session (possibly a week or more before), it’s always good to mentally prepare yourself for what lies ahead by creating a basic checklist that can help answer:

■ What type of instruments and equipment will be needed?

■ What the number and type of musicians/instruments are needed for the session?

■ Will any particular miking technique (if any) be used, and where they’ll be placed?

The best way to do this is for you, your group and the producer (if there is one) to sit down with the engineer and discuss instrumentation, studio layout, musical styles and production techniques. This meeting lets everyone know what to expect during the session and lets everyone become familiar with the engineer, studio and staff. It’s always time well spent, because it will invariably come in handy during the studio setup and will help get the session off to a good start. The following tips can also be immensely valuable:

■ Record your songs during live gigs or rehearsals. It doesn’t matter if you record them professionally or not; however, keep the “always press the record button” adage in mind. If the setup meets basic professional standards, it’s always possible to import all or part of a “magical” take into the final project.

■ You might want to audition the session’s song list before a live audience.

■ If possible, work out all of the musical and vocal parts “before” going into the studio. Unrehearsed music can leave the music standing on shaky ground; however, leave yourself open to exploring new avenues and surprises that can be the lifeblood of a magical session.

■ Try to leave plenty of time for laying down the final vocal tracks. Many a project has been compromised by spending too much time on “tracking” the basic instruments and then running short on time and money when it comes time to lay down the vocals. This almost always leads to increased tensions and a rushed vocal track. Don’t let this happen to you, as vocals are often the central focus of a song.

■ Rehearse more songs than you plan to record. You never know which songs will end up sounding best or will have the strongest impact.

■ Again, meet with the engineer beforehand. Take time for the producer and/or group to get to know him or her, so you’ll both know what to expect on the day of the session.

■ Prepare and edit any sequenced, sampled or pre-recorded material beforehand. In short, be as prepared as possible with your MIDI tools and toys.

■ If it fits the musical style, try working to a metronome (click track) if timing is an issue. Not using a click track is also totally ok, just be aware of any timing shortfalls.

■ Make sure that the instruments are in good working condition (i.e., bring new strings).

■ Create a checklist of all of the small but important details that can make or break a session, for example, extension cords, tuners, extra instrument cords, drum oil, drum tuning lugs, your favorite good luck charm, comfortable jammies—you name it!

■ Take care of your body. Try to relax and get enough sleep before and during the session. Eat the foods that are best for you (you might bring some health foods, fruits and plenty of liquids to keep your energy up). Be aware of your energy levels, so that low- or high-blood sugar problems don’t become a factor (grrrrrrrr …).

■ Don’t fatigue your ears before a session; keep them rested and clear.

In short, it’s always a good idea to plan out the session’s technical and musical arrangement so as to most efficiently budget your time and well-being.

Again, it’s always wise to confer with the producer and/or engineer about the way in which the musicians are to be tracked. Will the tracks be recorded in a traditional multitrack fashion (with the basic rhythm tracks being laid down first, followed by overdub and sweetening tracks and finishing with vocals) or will a different production style work best for your particular group’s taste and organizational way of doing things? Communicating these details to all those involved in the session will help smooth the studio setup process and keep a basic game plan that can help keep the session reasonably on track.

4 Setting Up

Once the musicians have shown up at the studio, it’s extremely important that all of the technical, musical, and emotional preparation be put into practice in order to get the session off to a good start. Here are a few tips that can help:

■ Show up at the studio on time or reasonably early. At some studios, the billing clock starts on time (whether you’re there or not). Ask about their setup policies: Is there another session before yours? Is there adequate setup time to get prepared? Are there any charges for setup? What is the studio’s cancellation policy in case of illness or unforeseen things that could go wrong?

■ Use new strings, chords, drumsticks and heads—and bring spares. It’s also a good idea to know the location, phone number and hours of a local music store, just in case.

■ Tune up before the session starts, and stay in-tune regularly thereafter.

■ Don’t use new or unfamiliar equipment (musical, hardware-wise and especially not software-wise). Taking the time to troubleshoot or become familiar with new equipment and software can cost you time and money. The frustration could even result in a lost vibe, or worse! If you must use a new toy or tool, it’s best to become “very” familiar with it beforehand.

■ Take the time to make the studio a comfortable place in which to work. You might want to adjust the lighting to match your mood ring, lay down a favorite rug and/or bean bag, turn on your lava love light or put your favorite stuffed toys on the furniture. Within reason, the place is yours to have fun with!

5 Session Documentation

There are few things more frustrating than going back to an archived session and finding that no information exists as to what instrument patch, mic type, or outboard effect was used on a session (even one that’s DAW-based). The importance of documenting a session in a separate written document or within your DAW’s notepad apps can’t be overemphasized. The basic documentation that relates to the who, what, where and when of a recording, mixdown, mastering and duplication session should include such information as:

■ Artists, engineers, musical and support staff who were involved with the project (addresses, contracts, check photos or scans, studio invoices— anything of importance)

■ Session calendar dates and locations

■ Individual song tempos, signatures, etc.

■ Mic choice and placement (this might include photos, floor-plan drawings, etc. for future overdub reference)

■ Outboard equipment types and their settings (place these notes within the DAW scratchpads or take photos and place them in the session directory)

■ Plug-in effects and their settings or general descriptions (you never know if they’ll be available at a future time, so a description can help you to duplicate it with another app). If it’s a hard-to-duplicate or specialized effect, you might consider printing the effect onto its own, separate track

■ Again, remember to record and save all MIDI-related tracks. Documenting the instrument, patch and any other info can be really helpful. Printing any MIDI instruments as an audio track will often make things easier, later within the mix

To ease this process, the artist or producer might pull out a camera or camera phone and start snapping pictures to document the event for prosperity as well as for technical reasons. Also, it’s often a wise idea to bring along a high-quality video camera to quietly document the setup or actual session for your fans as extra “behind-the-scenes” online video content.

The more information that can be archived with a session (and its backups), the better the chance that you’ll be able to duplicate the session in greater detail at some point in the future. Just remember that it’s up to us to save and document the music of today for the fans and future playback/mix technologies of tomorrow. Basic session documentation guidelines can be found in the Guidelines & Recommendation section at www­.gr­amm­y.o­rg/­rec­ord­ing­-ac­ade­my/­pro­duc­ers­-an­d-­eng­ine­ers.

6 Recording

It’s obviously a foregone conclusion that no two recording sessions will ever be exactly alike. In fact, in keeping with the “no rules” rule, they’re often radically different from each other. During the recording session, the engineer watches the level indicators and (if necessary) controls the faders to keep from getting overload distortion. It’s also an engineer’s job to act as another set of production ears by listening for both performance and quality factors. If the producer doesn’t notice a mistake in the performance, the engineer just might catch it and point it out. The engineer should always try to be helpful and remember that the producer and/or the band will have the final say, and that their final judgment of the quality of a performance or recording must be accepted.

From both the engineer’s and musician’s standpoint, here are a few additional pointers that can help the session go more smoothly:

■ It’s always best to get the right sound and vibe onto disk or tape during the session. If you need to do another take, do it! If you need to change a mic, change it. Getting the right sound and vibe onto the track will almost always result in less stress and a better final product, rather than trying to “fix in the mix” at a later time.

■ You might want to record “run-throughs,” just in case it’s magical.

■ Know when to quit! If you’re pushing too hard or are tired, it’ll often show.

■ Technology doesn’t always make a good track; feeling, emotion and musicality always does.

■ Beware of adding extra parts or tracks onto a piece that doesn’t need it. Remember, too much can sometimes be simply too much! Musicians and techno-geeks alike often don’t know when to say “it’s done … let’s move on.”

■ Leave plenty of time for the vocal track(s). It’s not uncommon for a group to spend most of their time and budget on getting the perfect drum or guitar sound. It takes time and a clear focus to get the vocals right—be prepared for Murphy’s law.

■ If you mess up on a part, keep going, you might be able to fix the bad part by punching-in. If it’s really that bad, the engineer or producer will hopefully stop you.

In his EQ Magazine article “The Performance Curve: How Do You Know Which Take Is the One?” my buddy Craig Anderton laid out his experiences of how different musicians will deal with the process of delivering a performance over time. Being in front of a mic isn’t always easy, and we all deal with it differently. Here’s a basic outline of his findings:

■ Curves up ahead: With this type of performer, the first couple of takes are pretty good, then start to go downhill before ramping back up again, until they hit their peak before going downhill really fast.

■ The quick starter: This type starts out strong and doesn’t improve over time in later performances. Live performers often fall into this category, because they’re conditioned to get it right the first time.

■ The long ramp-up: These musicians often take a while to warm up to a performance. After they hit their stride, you might get a killer take or a few great ones that can be composited together into the perfect take.

■ Anything goes: This category can vary widely within a performance. Often, snippets can be taken from several takes into a single composite. You want to record everything with this type of performer, because you just never know what gem (or bad take) you’ll end up with.

■ Rock steady: This one represents the consummate pro that is fully practiced and delivers a performance that doesn’t waver from one take to the next; however, you might record several takes to see which one has the most feeling.

From the above examples, we can quickly draw the obvious conclusion that there are all types of performers, and that it takes a qualified and experienced producer and/or engineer to intuit just which type is in front of the mic and to draw the best possible performance from him or her.

7 Mix-Down

Many of the same rules of preparation and taking good care of your ears and yourself apply during the session’s mixdown phase. Here are a few tips:

■ Regarding monitoring, it’s often a good idea to use reference monitors that you trust. As such, it’s common practice for a mix engineer and/or artist to request their favorite speakers or to bring their own into the studio for the final mix.

■ Unlike during the 1970s, when excruciatingly high SPLs tended to be the rule in most studios, recent decades have seen the reduction of monitor levels to a more moderate 75- to 90-dB SPL. A good rule of thumb is that if you have to shout to communicate in a room you’re probably monitoring too loudly. From time to time, you can always jack it up to 11 to check the mix at higher volumes and then turn it back down to a moderate level. Taking occasional breaks isn’t a bad idea either.

■ Listen on several speaker types—at home, in your car, on your iPod/phone. Jot down any thoughts and comments that might come in handy, should you need to go back and make adjustments. Strangely enough, leaving the room and listening to the mix from further away (with the door open) will often give clues as to how a mix will sound.

■ If you have the time (i.e., are working in your own project room), you might want to take a week off, and then go back and listen to the mixes with a fresh perspective. You’d be surprised how much you’ll miss when you’re under pressure.

8 Mastering

Now, comes the question—Do I/we master it ourselves or do we farm it out to a pro?

■ Read Chapter 20 on mastering. There are a lot of issues to think about!

■ Find a mastering engineer that fits your budget and style of music.

■ If you’re going to do your own mastering, I’d urge you not to take the job lightly. It takes serious time, practice and attention to detail to get the job done right. If you’re up to it, this can be a really rewarding and important skill to have (it took me 2–3 years of concerted effort to feel truly comfortable with mastering my own music). No matter how long your learning/experience curve is—I simply urge you not to take this phase lightly.

■ If you don’t have the time, skill or interest to master yourself, then take the time to find a mastering engineer that’s best for you and your music. I’d also urge you to communicate with him or her to find out their needs as to how to best deliver the media to them, so they can do their job without serious compromises.

9 Backup and Archive Strategies

The phrase “nothing lasts forever” is especially true in the digital domain of lost 1’s and 0’s, damaged media and dead hard drives … you know, the “Oh $@#%!” factor. It’s a basic fact that you never quite know what lies around the techno bend, and it’s extremely important that you protect yourself as much as is humanly possible against the inevitable. Of course, the answer to this digital dilemma is to back up your data in the most reliable (and redundant) way possible. Hardware and program software can (usually) be replaced; on the other hand, whenever un-backed, valuable session sound files are lost—they’re lost!

Backing up a session can be done in several ways. Here are a few tips that can help you avoid data loss:

■ As you might expect, the most straightforward backup system is to copy the session data, in its entirety, to the most appropriate media (most commonly onto one or more hard drives).

■ In the longer run (5 or more years), the most ironclad way to back up the track data of a session is to print each track as its own .wav or .aif file. Each track should always be recorded or exported as a contiguous file that flows from the beginning of the session (00:00:00:00 or appropriate beginning point) to the end of that particular track. In this way, the individual track files can be loaded into any type of DAW, at the beginning point, for future processing and mixdown.

■ In the case of a specific processing effect, you might want to save two copies of the track—one that contains the original, unaltered sound and one that contains the effected signal (or simply the effect alone).

■ Those who want additional protection against the degradation of unproven digital media may also want to back each track (or group of tracks) to the individual tracks of a multitrack analog recorder (often major labels will stipulate that this be done in the band’s contract for an important project).

■ For those sessions that contain MIDI tracks, you should always keep these tracks within the session (i.e., don’t delete them). These tracks might come in very handy during a remix or future mixdown.

■ Whenever possible, make multiple backups and store them in separate locations. Having a backup copy in your home (or bank vault) as well as in the studio can save your proverbial butt in case of a fire or any other unforeseen situation. Remember the general backup rule of thumb: Data is never truly backed up unless it’s saved on three drives (I would add— and in two places)!

10 Household Tips

Producers, musicians, audio professionals and engineers spend a great deal of time in the control room and studio. It only makes sense that this environment should be laid out in a manner that’s aesthetically, functionally and acoustically pleasing from a comfort, feng shui and cleanliness point of view. Creating a good working environment that’s conducive to making good music is the goal of every professional and project studio owner. Beyond the basics of creating a well-designed facility from an acoustic and electronic standpoint, a number of basic concepts should be kept in mind when building or designing a recording facility, no matter how grand or humble. Here are a few helpful hints:

■ Given the fact that an engineer spends a huge amount of time sitting on his or her bum, it’s always wise to invest in both your and your clients’ posture and creature comforts by having comfortable, high-quality chairs around for both the production team and the musicians (Figure 22.2a). Of course, a functional workspace desk (Figure 22.2b) is always a big help to those of us who spend huge amounts of time sitting in front of the DAW. Posture, easy access and functionality, baby—it can’t be stressed enough! Even something as simple as having an exercise ball in the room can really help, when you’ve been sitting in a regular chair for too long.

■ Velcro™ or tie-straps can be used to organize studio wiring bundles into groups that can be laid out in ways that reduce clutter, improves organization (by using color-coded straps) and makes the studio look more professional.

■ Most of us are guilty of cluttering up our workspace with unused gear, papers—you know, junk! I know it’s hard, but a clean, uncluttered working environment tells your clients a lot about you, your facility and your work habits.

■ Unused cables, adapters and miscellaneous stuff can be sorted into boxes and stacked for easy storage.

■ Important tools and items that are used every day (such as screwdrivers, masking tape or markers) could be stored in a rack-mounted drawer that can be easily accessed without cluttering up your space—don’t forget to pack a reliable LED flashlight (your phone’s flash or screen display will also work in a pinch).

■ Portable label printers can be used to identify cable runs within the studio, identify patch points, I/O strip instrumentation … you name it.

FIGURE 22.2
Functional and comfortable furniture is a must in the studio. (a) The venerable Herman Miller Aeron® chair. (Courtesy of Herman Miller, Inc., www.hermanmiller.com) (b) The Argosy Halo desk. (Courtesy of Argosy Console, www.argosyconsole.com)

11 Personal Skills and Tools

By now it should be painfully obvious that getting into music production, audio production and all things recording, takes hard work, perseverance, blood, sweat, tears and laughter. For every person who builds a personal career in audio production, a large number won’t make it. There are a lot of people waiting in line to get into what is perceived by many to be a glamorous biz. So, how do you get to the front of the line? Well, folks, just as the best way to get to Carnegie Hall is to practice—here are some key skills that are practically requirements:

■ A ton of self-motivation

■ Good networking skills

■ A good, healthy attitude

■ An ever-present willingness to learn

■ The realization that “showing up is always huge!”

The business of art (the techno-arts of recording and music production being no exception) is one that’s generally reserved for self-starters. Even if you get a degree from XYZ College or recording school, there’s absolutely no guarantee that anyone will be knocking on your door asking you to work for them. More often than not, it takes a large dose of perseverance, talent, personality and luck to make it. In fact, one of the best ways to get into the biz is to get down on your knees and knight yourself on the shoulder with a sword (figuratively or literally—it doesn’t matter) and say: “I am now a ____________!” Whatever it is you want to be, simply become it … Shazammm! Make up a business card, start a business, begin contacting artists to work with and begin making the first steps toward becoming the artist or businessperson that you want to be. Again—this is an industry of self-starters. If they (whomever “they” are) won’t give you a job, one strong option is to get out and create one for yourself.

There are many ways to get to the top of your own personal mountain. You could get a diploma from a school of education or from the school of hard knocks (it usually ends up being from both), but the goals and the paths are up to you. Like a mentor of mine always said: “Failure isn’t a bad thing—not trying is!”

Another huge part of the success equation lies in your ability to network with other people. Like the venerable expression says: “It’s not [only] what you know—it’s who you know.” Maybe you have an uncle or a friend in the business, or a friend who has an uncle—you just never know where help might come from next. This idea of getting to know someone, who knows someone else, who knows someone else, is what makes the business world go around. Don’t be afraid to put your best face forward and start meeting people. If you want to play gigs around your region (or beyond), get to know a promoter or venue manager and hang out without being too much in the way. You never know— the music maven down the street might know someone who can help get your feet in the proverbial door. The longer you stick with it, the more people you’ll meet, thereby making a bigger and stronger network than you thought would be possible.

Like a close buddy of mine always says, “Showing up is huge!” It’s the wise person who realizes that being in the right place at the right time means being at the wrong place hundreds and hundreds of times. You just never know when lightning is going to strike—just try to be prepared and standing under the right tree when it does.

Here are some more practical and immediate tips for musicians:

■ Build a personal and/or band website: Making a great social network presence and/or creating your own personal site helps to keep the world informed of your gigs, projects, bio and general goings-on.

■ Build a relationship with a music lawyer: Many music lawyers are open to building relations that can be kicked into gear at a future time. Take the time to find a solicitor who is right for you. Does he or she understand your personal music style? If you don’t have the bucks, is this person willing to work with you and your budget, as your career grows?

■ The same questions might be asked of a potential manager. This symbiotic relationship should be built with care, honesty and safeguards (which is just one of the many reasons you want to know a music lawyer).

■ Copyright your music: Always protect your music by registering it with the Library of Congress. It’s easy and inexpensive and can give you peace of mind about knowing that the artistic property that you’re sending out into the world is protected. Go to www.copyright.gov for more information (www.copyright.gov/forms). Additional organizations also exist that can help you get paid with on-air and online royalties.

■ On a personal note as a musician, I’ve come to realize that making music is about the journey—not necessarily the goal of being a star, or being the big man/woman on campus. It’s about building friendships, collaborations, having good and bad times at gigs—and, of course, it’s all about making music.

12 Protect Your Investment

When you’ve spent several years amassing your studio through hard-earned sweat-equity and bucks, it’s only natural that you’ll want to take the necessary precautions to protect your investment.

Obviously, the best way to protect your data is through a rigorous and straightforward backup scheme (the general rule is that something isn’t backed up unless it’s saved in three places—preferably with one of the backups being stored off-site). However, you’ll also want to take extra steps to protect your hardware and software investments as well, by making sure that they’re properly insured.

The best way to start the process of properly insuring your studio is to contact your trusted insurance agent or broker. If you don’t have one, now’s the time to get one. You might get some referrals from friends or people in your area and give them a call, set up some appointments and get several quotes.

If you haven’t already done so, sit down and begin listing your equipment, their serial numbers and replacement values. Next, you might consider taking pictures or a home movie of your listed studio assets. These steps will help your agent come up with an adequate replacement plan and will come in handy when filing a claim, should an unfortunate event occur. Being prepared isn’t just for the Boy or Girl Scouts.

13 Protect Your Hardware

One of the best ways to ensure against harmful line voltage fluctuations (both above and below their nominal power levels) is to use a quality power conditioner or an adequately powered uninterruptible power supply (UPS). In short, a quality power conditioner works by providing a regulated power voltage level that works within a specified tolerance that will protect your sensitive studio equipment (such as a computer, bank of effects devices, etc.) with a clean and constant voltage supply. It will also protect against power spikes in the mains line that could damage your system.

14 Update Your Software

Periodic software updates might help to solve some of those annoying problems that you’ve been dealing with in the studio. Often, the software that’s shipped with new pieces of equipment will be quite out-of-date by the time it reaches you. For this reason, it’s good to check the Web regularly to see if there’s a newer version that can be loaded at the outset or periodically over the course of the software’s life.

I will say, however, sometimes it’s wise to research an update (particularly if it’s an important one)—it’s a rare update that will rise up and bite you and your system in the butt—but it does happen (be especially careful of this when traveling or when starting a new and important project).

15 Read Your Manuals

Unfortunately, I really am not a big reader, but taking an occasional glance at my software manuals helps me get a better understanding of the finer points of my studio system. There are always new features, tips and tricks to be learned that you never would have thought of otherwise.

16 A Word on Professionalism

Before we close this chapter, there’s one more subject that I’d like to touch on— perhaps the most important one of all—professional demeanor. Without a doubt, the life and job of a typical engineer, producer or musician isn’t always an easy one. It often involves long hours and extended concentration with people who, more often than not, are new acquaintances. In short, it can be a high-pressure job. On the flip side, it’s one that’s often full of new experiences, with demands that change on almost a daily basis, and often involves you with exciting people who feel passionately about their art and chosen profession.

It’s been my observation (and that of many I’ve known) that the best qualities that can be exhibited by anyone in “The Biz” are:

■ Having an innate willingness to experiment

■ Being open to new ideas (flexibility)

■ Having a sense of humor

■ Having an even temperament (this often translates as patience)

■ Being open to communicating with others

■ Being able to convey and understand the basic nuances of people from all walks of life and with many different temperaments

The best advice I can possibly give is to be open, be patient and above all, BE YOURSELF. Also, be extra patient with yourself. If you don’t know something, ask. If you made a mistake (trust me, you will; we all do), admit it and don’t be hard on yourself. It’s all part of the process of learning and gaining experience.

This last piece of advice might not be as popular as the others, but it might come in handy someday: It’s important to be open to the fact that there are many, many aspects to music and sound production, and you may find that your career calling might be better served in another branch of the biz (other than the one that you’re studying or striving for). That’s totally OK! Change is an important part of any creative process—that and taxes are the only constants you can count on!