The Music Producer’s Survival Guide

Since there is a natural tendency to think of holons and systems as only “things out there,” leading Integral
theorist Ken Wilber makes it very clear that each holon includes at least four basic dimensions: interior,
exterior, individual, and group. Through an investigation into language he distilled these perspectives down
to I, We, It, and Its. So anytime we talk about a holon it is from one or more of those perspectives. See
Appendix B, “Integral Theory Primer,” if you are interested in further discussion about holons and each of
their four dimensions.

The Big Four Production Holons

Ultimately, the terms facet, skill, tool, specialization, role, aspect, competence, system, and workflow all refer to holons. As discussed in the
preceding sidebar, a holon is a whole/part with four basic dimensions. The production holon includes at least four distinct and interrelated
holons. I refer to these as the Big Four:
w Music
w Sound design
w Tools/DAW
w Audio engineer
While they are fuzzy sets, lacking definable boundaries, representing them as a Venn diagram enables you to see the various areas of
isolation and overlap (see Figure 4.1). Before I discuss how the holons relate to each other, let’s first consider some definitions. Although I
cover a lot of ground, I am not attempting to be comprehensive.

NOTE: Aesthetic sensibility, which includes artistic facets such as taste and style, is a holon unto itself that permeates all the
production holons.

Figure 4.1 A Venn diagram of the Big Four holons encompassing most of the skills, knowledge, and tools of music
production.
© Brian Jackson. Graphic design by Arnold Steiner. All Rights Reserved.

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Music
Music is a temporal art form communicated with sound, organized with the intent of having an emotional, intellectual, and/or kinesthetic
impact on a listener. Often referred to as “the universal language,” music is as diverse as humanity’s emotional, intellectual, and kinesthetic
experiences. The following list offers key definitions from this holon of interest to music producers.
w Music theory. The formalized language of music. Including, but not limited to, rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, form, structure,
consonance, dissonance, tension, release, point, and counterpoint. Keep in mind that music systems from non-Western cultures
and traditions are also worthy of your attention.
w Composing. The creation of a piece of music, song writing, and scoring.
w Arranging. Finalizing the structure of a piece of music. Sometimes referred to as orchestration.
w Instrumentation. The selection of the instruments that play the various parts in a composition. Timbre is the key word here, so
any sound can be your “instrument.” Also, sometimes referred to as orchestration.
w Musicianship. The skill level of a performing musician, or in applying music theory. For the most part, musicianship assumes
training on a specific instrument, such as piano, vocals, or theremin, although it might also include MIDI sequencing and, at its
best, turntablism.
w Ear training. The perceptual skill developed for listening to music, allowing for the precise identification of specific components
of a composition. It might be simple, such as recognizing popular instruments, key, meter, or single notes in a bass line. More
evolved ears can also indentify complex relationships between multiple instruments’ parts as they evolve throughout a
sophisticated composition.

Sound Design
Sound design has two basic meanings: 1) sound design, the creation and/or manipulation of individual sounds, and/or 2) sound design, the
creation of a cohesive palate of multiple sounds. Both aspects are particularly significant for electronic musicians and those interested in
audio post production for movies, TV, and video games. The following list offers key definitions from this holon of interest to music
producers.
w Synthesis. Refers to synthetic sound creation, as opposed to acoustically generated and/or amplified and recorded sounds. This is
accomplished primarily with either analog electronics and/or digital algorithms. This is a pretty big topic, ranging from subtractive
analog synthesizers to digital granular synthesis and beyond. The basic parameters and components found on most synthesizers
are necessary knowledge, since they are commonly found on many other devices.
w Sampling. The use of recorded snippets of audio, whether from original sources or sourced from existing recordings. Most
samplers share numerous parameters with synths.
w Signal processors. A large category of devices that manipulate audio signals, ranging from the practical to the creative. Generally
speaking, signal processors output just the modified original signal, not a mix of the processed and unprocessed. Examples include
EQ, compressor/limiter, distortion, pitch-shifting, noise reduction, etc.
w Audio effects. A subset of signal processors that range from the practical to the creative. Generally speaking, they output a mix of
the processed and unprocessed signal or are added to the dry signal as part of an effects loop (send/return). Examples include
delay, reverb, chorus, etc.
w Sound theory. Understanding of the science and psychology of sound and audio so that desired results are easily attained. There
are significant overlaps with acoustics and pro audio theory, including digital audio theory.
w Ear training. Specialized perceptual training in recognizing timbral and dynamic characteristics of sounds, especially ones that
were created or modified electronically.

Tools/DAW
Any artifact, including music, is created with tools of some sort. Ideas are abstract and exist only in the mind. The artistic process requires
a tool set to realize ideas, apply theory, and produce music that can be distributed. The capabilities and limitations of specific tools shape
the creative process in obvious and subtle ways. In the past, analog consoles and tapes were the primary audio canvas; today, most
producers rely on a DAW. The following list offers key definitions from this holon of interest to music producers.

w DAW. A digital audio workstation (DAW) is the primary canvas for your creations. It is used to record, compose, mix, master,
design, and more. Most DAWs are applications installed on the personal computer of your choice, but “turn-key” systems do
exist. MIDI sequencing is included here.
w Audio equipment. This category includes a wide variety of hardware tools, analog and digital. Mixers, audio interfaces,
microphones, signal processors, and speakers are common examples.
w Instruments. This refers to traditional musical instruments, but also electronic devices such as synths, samplers, and any other
“playable” sound makers.

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w Plug-ins. Software that extends the capabilities of various applications. They are most commonly virtual instruments and signal
processors, tools found in the audio equipment and instrument categories, but also include a variety of utilities. This is a huge
category; there are many dozens of popular commercial options, and they number in the thousands when taking all of them into
account.
w Controllers. Various hardware/software combos that increase tactile interaction with software, interface limited hardware, and
other devices. Includes MIDI controllers, mixing surfaces, iPads/tablets, motion-tracking cameras, and various sensor-based
systems. This is a quickly evolving area with a fast rate of innovation, both commercial and DIY (circuit benders, Maker
community, etc.). Protocols such as MIDI and OSC, in general, are also included here.
w Computer/OS. Your Mac or PC, your operating system, and data storage systems. In addition to general computer, Internet, and
networking literacy, professionals must constantly also do file management and system optimization. Computers are likely the
foundation of most everything you do. If it dies, you are out of the race.

Audio Engineer
This refers to the technical skills and knowledge needed for working with professional audio equipment and creating quality music
productions. Keep in mind, I am focusing on music production; there are additional considerations for live sound and broadcast audio.
The following list offers key definitions from this holon of interest to music producers.
w Recording. Using various transducers and converters to electronically store sound on an analog or digital medium. The science
involves a deep understanding of microphones, preamps, acoustics, and instruments. The art not only includes a developed
aesthetic sensibility, but also interpersonal and psychological skills for getting the best performances out of artists in a studio
environment.
w Mixing. The art and science of making all the elements of a composition work together to best communicate the intent of the
piece of music. Mixing is ultimately about the whole, not making sure that every part sounds as good as possible in isolation
(which would be considered sound design).
w Mastering. The process of mastering is arguably the most opaque sub-holon in the Big Four production holons, possibly due to
the elite level of audio knowledge and skill required at the professional level. At its most basic, mastering is the final creative step
before manufacturing. Technically speaking, mastering occurs at the manufacturing plant. It is the actual creation of the master
object used to create all of the duplicates. What most people think of as mastering is actually pre-mastering, but for our purposes,
the terms are interchangeable. Traditional pre-mastering emphasizes ensuring consistent volume and frequency balance across
all of the songs on an “album,” in addition to adding the final polish or sheen to each track. (World-class mastering engineer
Greg Calbi, senior engineer at Sterling Sound in NYC, compares this aspect of the process to color correction in photography.)
Pre-mastering also includes all the technical bits related to the final output format so that the songs are in the right order and
with the desired spreads, crossfades, and metadata. In the home and project studio world, mastering commonly refers to the
process of enhancing individual mixes to make them sound as good as possible for digital distribution.
w Audio theory. Includes, but is not limited to, acoustics, psychoacoustics, audio electronics (analog and digital), and signal flow.
This holon is vast.
w Pro audio. This includes the audio equipment category in the tools holon, but adds a layer of professional knowledge about all the
equipment used, such as large-format consoles, mixers, mics, processors, speakers, power amps, cables, connectors, patching/signal
flow, and “how it works.”
w Ear training. Some music ear training, some sound-design ear training, but also specialized perceptual skills related to audio signal
flow, recording problems, minute changes in EQ and dynamics, reverberations, etc.

Consider the Source: Manuals, forums, blogs, magazine tutorials, online video tutorials, and other readily
available sources are great guides for focused practice and experimentation. Just make sure to take into
account the source of the information. Just because someone is good at doing something doesn’t mean that
person is good at explaining it to others. Especially with free tutorials, healthy skepticism of any statements
that are not directly demonstrated or well referenced is advised. The more technical the concept, the more
likely you should fact-check it yourself. Opinions about popular and/or trendy techniques, gear, DAWS,
plug-ins, and such are usually worthless distractions unless you are sure they are coming from a credible
source. As they say, “Opinions are like [rhymes with has-wholes]: Everyone has one.” Learn to filter out the
noise for an optimal signal.

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