Often misunderstood, and at times misrepresented, either by mistake or lack of knowledge, are the various phases that take place in the studio to bring about a completed song. In the old days, an artist would hire a manager. The manager would then arrange studio time and hire a producer who would then oversee the production of the project and work closely alongside the recording engineer and the mix engineer to see that the vision of their clients band was held in highest priority and sounded it’s best. During those times, the roles of the various hands the studio employed were a little more cut and dry, with the lines blurring only as time and availability were of the essence. For the most part, one person did their assigned task, and because of this they knew that job well. They would spend hours honing that one particular talent and learn others only as the situation would necessitate. This was also during a time when huge amounts of money were being thrown at projects, and strides were made so that all parties involved were amply paid for their time and talents. Million dollar records were the norm with bigger names, and studio time was nearly unobtainable due to cost restraints. Fast forward to this day and age, and we have at our fingertips incredibly affordable audio interfaces and microphones. Digital systems with infinite recall, and the ability to record, at our own leisure, superb quality audio. Let's talk a little about what the roles used to look like in a typical studio. The Artist - The role of the artist covers everything from the writer of the songs, to the singer, and the musicians. The Musician - These are the people playing all of the instruments needed to create the songs sounds. The Recording Engineer - The first role of the recording engineer is to capture and record the music that is being played by the musicians. The engineer is responsible for all the recording devices in the studio, as well as the computer programs to manipulate the sound. The engineer decides where the microphones will be placed in the recording booth, sets up all the recording levels, pre-amp settings, compressors, EQs, and all the other technical settings, all to ensure the best possible take every time. Finally, the recording engineer uses their skills and expertise to mix all of the sounds to create the best audio version of the recording. The Assistant Engineer - In a commercial recording studio, the assistant engineer is the right-hand helper to the lead engineer. They usually take care of the more mundane set up and jobs during the recording session. The Producer - The main job of a music producer is to work with the artist and musicians in the studio, and to help them in the creative process of recording their music. They’ll often assist with arrangements of tracks and instrumentation of songs as well. Now days, the artist has become an amalgamation of every role. It is typical to see an artist write, produce, record, mix, and master their own work. So, how does understanding the roles of yester-year help you today? Let's say you're asked to produce an album for a client. Understanding your role as a Producer can alleviate much of the mundane and allow you to focus on creativity. Likewise, with the proper understanding of studio roles, you can stand your ground when asked to do things outside of your current job description. Although it's not quite as important as it used to be, the roles were defined for various reasons and understanding them can also help you to separate your workflow into chunks of time allotted tasks. For instance, if you're tackling a big project, break it down into the smaller roles and save yourself the overwhelm. This week, I am the recording engineer, next week I will be the Producer, etc. In fact what I've noticed is that by breaking down my large tasks into smaller more manageable ones, I make decisions with more clarity and tend to focus on the present instead of trying to develop all my ideas in one session.