Producing for a noob?

[bexsmall]

Hi Butch, and everybody else here on Gearslutz, since I've literally joined 5 minutes ago!

I think that this is such an awesome thing to be doing Butch, giving back to the fans. Well, my name's Bex Small, from a little tiny town in England called Stourport... somewhere where the word "opportunity" seems to be a complete myth. Anyway's, I've been a fan of Garbage for as long as I can remember... I remember dancing to "Temptation Waits" from my dad's Version 2.0 album when I was 5, and at the time always looking up to Shirley, which I still do, don't get me wrong. But anyway's...

I've alway's wanted a career in music, since it's run in the family, and my family told me to go for a more reliable music career than just being a performer like my dad, since it was so hard for him to do so. So I looked at producing, and realized that you had actually produced a lot of my favorite albums (Nevermind, Siamese Dreams, all of the Garbage albums, All or Nothing), so yeah, that's when I realized that I wanted to do this instead, and I've started looking up to you as a main producing influence.

So yeah, I just have one thing to ask, and one thing to say:
Firstly, thank you for helping me realize that this is what I want to do with my life, even if you did it unknowingly, but you really are an inspiration for aspiring producers.

And I would just like to ask you what do you recommend equipment-wise for complete noobs like myself, because I'm taking Music Tech as a course in September for Sixth Form, along with Music Performance simply to improve my guitar and drum playing. And do you have any advice for aspiring producers, like "the things you MUST know or be good at" for producing?

Sorry for what it seems to be a letter, but this is almost like a dream come true just being able to ask you these questions. And I also really don't know very much about music production at all, but it's something that I know I could dedicate myself to.

Hope you can read this, and I hope it makes sense!
If it doesn't, then I'll try and go into (even more) depth!

Thanks again
Bex Small

[ButchVig]

Originally Posted by bexsmall

Hi Butch, and everybody else here on Gearslutz, since I've literally joined 5 minutes ago!

I think that this is such an awesome thing to be doing Butch, giving back to the fans. Well, my name's Bex Small, from a little tiny town in England called Stourport... somewhere where the word "opportunity" seems to be a complete myth. Anyway's, I've been a fan of Garbage for as long as I can remember... I remember dancing to "Temptation Waits" from my dad's Version 2.0 album when I was 5, and at the time always looking up to Shirley, which I still do, don't get me wrong. But anyway's...

I've alway's wanted a career in music, since it's run in the family, and my family told me to go for a more reliable music career than just being a performer like my dad, since it was so hard for him to do so. So I looked at producing, and realized that you had actually produced a lot of my favorite albums (Nevermind, Siamese Dreams, all of the Garbage albums, All or Nothing), so yeah, that's when I realized that I wanted to do this instead, and I've started looking up to you as a main producing influence.

So yeah, I just have one thing to ask, and one thing to say:
Firstly, thank you for helping me realize that this is what I want to do with my life, even if you did it unknowingly, but you really are an inspiration for aspiring producers.

And I would just like to ask you what do you recommend equipment-wise for complete noobs like myself, because I'm taking Music Tech as a course in September for Sixth Form, along with Music Performance simply to improve my guitar and drum playing. And do you have any advice for aspiring producers, like "the things you MUST know or be good at" for producing?

Sorry for what it seems to be a letter, but this is almost like a dream come true just being able to ask you these questions. And I also really don't know very much about music production at all, but it's something that I know I could dedicate myself to.

Hope you can read this, and I hope it makes sense!
If it doesn't, then I'll try and go into (even more) depth!

Thanks again
Bex Small

Bex...I get asked questions like that all the time. There's not a quick, easy answer as to what you must learn to be a producer.

Take your classes, ask questions, absorb everything, then you have to

JUST DO IT!

There's no amount of reading or classes that can prepare you as much as going into a room with a group of people and making a recording...even if you don't know what your doing! I didn't when I started...I made a lot of mistakes, but I learned along the way. I never took any classes, I found an old warehouse space, bought a cheap 8 track with my buddy Steve (from Garbage), and we went to local punk clubs and offered bands to come and record for free, just to get them into the studio.

We were broke, with no idea how to run a business, but man oh man I didn't want to do anything else. I poured myself into it, sometimes working over 80 hours a week...and slowly, very slowly, I learned how to record and how to work with bands.

I'm still learning!

Good luck, and have fun!