Audio Production Roles and Workflows

To run a recording session (and produce music, spoken word and audio for picture) requires many different skills, techniques and responsibilities. These are often performed by ONE person, who simultaneously servers as Producer, Artist, Audio Engineer, Pro Tools Operator including File Management and Metadata Documentation duties. When budget permits, it is SO nice having a team who work together to help make a recording session, and media production project, go smooth!

Everyone involved in a recording session needs to maintain constant communication with all people involved. For example, if a microphone has changed, this needs to be checked at every stage of the signal path from sound source to microphones, preamps, converters, Pro Tools, speakers and headphones. Any weak link could stop the session.

Hospitality

In addition to the artist and technical aspects of working at a recording studio, there is a hospitality aspect

1. Drinks for the artists and staff
2. etc.

Songwriter Composer

1. Capture ideas
2. Lyrics
3. Melody, Chords, Beats

Arranger - Music Director

1. Confirm song structure
   • Intro, Verse, Chorus, Outro etc.
2. Create charts for musicians
   • Even players that can play by ear often appreciate having a road map of the song

Preproduction

1. Have a vision
2. Have a plan
3. Record a demo
4. Create Pro Tools Sessions

Input List

Everything starts with the Input List. The Input List is the 'Master Roadmap' document of what's going on in the recording session. Responsible for creating the Input List and keeping it up-to-date. The Input List documents all instruments, sound sources, microphones and preamps. To help things go smoothly and facilitate communication on both sides of the glass, we need (at least) two Input Lists. One on the Main Floor with the microphones and other in the Control Room with Pro Tools and Preamps. It's ideal if the Input Lists are created and managed with Google Sheets on laptops or iPads. But, it's also fine to simply use two clipboards, pencil and paper.

1. One Input List Team on the Main Studio Floor
   • Responsible for communicating with the Audio Engineer who will tell you what mics they want to use
   • Remaining aware of any changes as the recording session proceeds
   • Make sure the Input List remains up-to-date
2. Input List Team in the Control Room
   • Maintain perfect mirror image replica of the Main Studio Input List
   • Stay in close visual and verbal communication with the Input List Team on the Main Studio Floor
   • Provide Input List to Pro Tools Operator
   • Help Assistant Audio Engineer label preamps with console tape and sharpies

The Input List will ultimately be saved with the documents and metadata in the Pro Tools Session Folder.

Audio Engineers

Responsible for confirming what Microphones the producer wants to use, and setting up the Microphones. All members of the Team need to communicate with the producer(s) and artists to help decide and confirm microphones and signal paths.

1. Communicate microphone selection to Input List Team
2. Communicate mic preamp selection to Input List Team

Assistant Audio Engineers

Responsible for labeling all the outboard gear in the Control Room with Artist Tape and Sharpies. Also responsible for managing the Patchbay.

1. Communicate to Input List Team
2. Label Mic Preamps and Outboard Gear with Artist Tape and Sharpies
3. Communicate with Pro Tools Team and confirm all Pro Tools Tracks are named and configured properly
4. Your MAIN responsibility is to set the GAIN on the Microphone Preamps

Headphone Communication

To help dissolve the barrier of communication between the Control Room wall and Main Studio, it's common to set up large diaphragm condenser microphones on both sides of the glass:

1. Condenser Mic in Control Room
   • Routed to an Aux Track in Pro Tools
     • Or even an Audio Track if there is a 1% chance of using it to record something
   • This mic is not routed to the speakers (to prevent feedback)
2. Condenser Mic on the Main Studio Floor
   • Plugged into an Audio Audio Track in Pro Tools
   • Never hurts to RECORD this too

Pro Tools Operators

The Pro Tools Operator has a big responsibility, especially at a professional recording studio where the hardware and software configurations can get complicated.

It's absolutely best for the Pro Tools Sessions to be created on an External SSD (Solid State Drive) BEFORE the recording session. There are sometimes templates available from the recording studio to help prepare the Pro Tools I/O Settings in the Session Folder. It's best practice to record on your external SSD and NOT record directly to a Foothill Community College Classroom Mac Pro Computer Internal Hard Drive. File Management is ultimately the responsibility of the Pro Tools Operator. Communicate and confirm with the File Management Team!

1. Create Audio Tracks in Pro Tools
   • Try to keep Track Names 6 characters or less
     • So they are not truncated too much on the Avid S6 Control Surface
2. View Comments in the Mix and Edit Window
   • Enter Microphone Names and Preamp Names in Comments for each Track
3. Confirm Inputs configured on each Audio Track
   • Correspond to associated Preamps
4. Determine if Click Track Metronome is needed
   • Tempo(s) of Song
   • How To Create Tempo Changes In Pro Tools
5. Responsible for Control Room Volume
6. Responsible for Fader Levels on every Audio Track
   • Rough Mix for Speakers and Headphones
   • If time permits, setup reverb and delay
7. Responsible for confirming what DRIVE was used for every Audio Track
   • Check Full Path Name in Clips List!
8. Print Rough Mixes of all songs at the end of the recording session
   • If time permits, use some stereo bus processing
   • Post Rough Mixes (Versions) in Mixup

Documentation (Metadata)

Everyone involved, and contributing, to this recording session deserves proper credits - especially if the music is ultimately released to the world. The Documentation Team is responsible for keeping track of all the people, their contact info, and how they want their name and title to read on the credits and artwork. All of this information, also known as metadata, is saved in the Pro Tools Session Folder. This may seem like a premature hassle. But, it's a huge bummer if a record is released, and the people that helped record it do not receive proper credit! Since we never know where a recording will go, and how it might evolve over time, NOW is the time to start gathering this information.

Google Docs, Google Sheets, Apple Notes, or any digital note taking app, are good for initial capture and drafting. Eventually, text, PDF and XLS files should be saved into the Parent Pro Tools Session Folder as local files. (not only in the cloud). It's important that all of this metadata is ultimately saved, and archived in one central place: the Pro Tools Session Folder.

1. Document Names and Roles of all people involved
   1. Song Name
   2. Writer of Song and Lyrics
   3. Artists
   4. Musicians and Singers
   5. Producer
   6. Dates of Recording Sessions
   7. Names of all Team Members and entire Crew!
2. Technical Information
   1. Sample Rate
   2. Bit Depth
   3. Tempo
   4. Key
3. Photos
   1. Microphones Setup
   2. Artists, Musicians and Teams in Action
   3. Outboard Gear Used
      • Measurement of all mic positions
4. Input Lists
   • Make sure these are (eventually) saved in the Pro Tools Session Folder
5. Lyrics and Sheet Music
   • Make sure these are (eventually) saved in the Pro Tools Session Folder

Metadata Resources

1. Metadata for Musicians: What It Is and Why It’s Vital
2. How Metadata Affects the Music Industry
3. What is music metadata and why is important to digital music
4. Gracenote
5. METAlliance

File Management

Responsible for organizing and safely backing up all the files. The 3-2-1 Rule in full effect. Make sure that all the audio files are properly named and all files are organized in correct Subfolders in Pro Tools Session Folder.

Post Production

Responsible for reviewing the recorded audio tracks.

1. Editing and cleaning up tracks as needed
   • Comp Playlists as needed
   • Check all Clip Boundaries for pops and clicks
   • Consolidate Selections as needed
2. Color Code Tracks and Clips
3. Create Markers for Song Structure
4. If recorded with no click track (metronome)
   • Create a Tempo Map
5. Prepare the project for the next step of Production
   • Prep for cross DAW platform collaboration
6. If additional mixes are made, update as Versions in Mixup