I asked Steely Dan's engineer what makes a recording sound good

Summary

The video features an interview with Bill Schnee, a highly accomplished recording engineer and producer who has worked with numerous renowned artists. It explores his initial discovery of his passion for audio production, his unique creative process in the studio, his philosophy of serving the music, and his emphasis on establishing an emotional connection in the recordings. The discussion also covers evolving music technologies over Bill's long career, the current state of the industry, and how he still finds exciting new talent to work with, like his favorite modern artist Bruno Mars carrying on the old school R&B tradition that Bill loves.

Takeaways

• 😊 Bill fell in love with producing when he heard how a studio's sound system emotionally affected him
• 🎹 Bill sees himself as serving the artists and their music when producing
• 🌟 Bill approaches each song like a painter - adding only what's needed
• 🎤 Capturing vocals and lyrics that spark imagination and visuals is key
• 👂 Bill still mixes by feel, guided by the right brain
• 💻 New technology like automation forced Bill to change his process
• 🥁 Drums have unique human feels based on how drummers' brains work
• 🤖 Drum machines don't have the human feel that Bill loves
• 😕 Too much technical info makes production about technology, not music
• 🙂 Bruno Mars' old school R&B excites Bill today

Q & A

How did Bill first get interested in music production?

Bill first fell in love with music production when he heard the emotional impact that a studio's sound system could have on a playback. He was struck by how the sound could enhance the feeling of the music.

What is Bill's approach to serving the artists he works with?

Bill sees his roles as engineer and producer as servant roles - he is there to serve the artist and their music. He gives his opinions but tries to shape the sound to deliver what the song and artist intend emotionally.

Why does Bill think imagery is important in music?

Bill believes imagery in lyrics and production helps create a visual aspect and world that draws in the listener. This imagery and world building enhances the feeling and impact of the music.

What is Bill's mixing process like?

Bill likes to mix as a performance from start to finish, guided by feel and his right brain instincts. He marks mixer levels statically then tweaks dynamically as the song plays to enhance the emotion.

How did the advent of 8-track recording change studios?

8-track recording enabled more isolation for better control in mixing, but led studios to become very dead-sounding by eliminating sound bleeding between mics. The goal became perfect separation.

Why was working with multiple drummers challenging when recording Steely Dan's Gaucho?

Using different drummers gave different feels, forcing Bill to get distinct drum sounds for each one. This showed the importance of drummer feel, lost with rigid drum machines.

Why does spill and isolation matter more now than in older productions?

Pop recordings today often use very close miking versus an overall sound. This means spill and isolation matter more than when aiming for a overall natural room sound.

How can today's abundance of tech information overwhelm new engineers?

With endless videos and guides on technical details, new engineers can get overwhelmed with tech minutiae versus focusing on musicality and expression.

What does Bill see as the main drawback of reduced labels today?

Fewer labels provide less mentorship for developing artists over time. Most artists need support improving over multiple albums as they hone their voice.

What kind of music still excites Bill today?

Bill loves Bruno Mars' music because it embodies the old-school R&B sound that is Bill's favorite genre. He blends vintage sounds with modern production.