Producer roles and responsibilities

Eddie Kramer

Perhaps one of the most talented multi-media producers of all time, Eddie Kramer is an entertainment genius. His gifts have been shared with the world. Kramer was born in South Africa and initially studied classical music (Owsinski, p. 321). From South Africa, Kramer went to London where his interests turned to Jazz and later travelled to the United States where his association with rock and roll is legendary (Owsinski, p. 321). In addition to his musical contributions, Kramer has also made significant impacts in video, photography, recording equipment, and the lecture circuit among other forms of media (Remark Music Ltd., N.p.).

However, it is his extreme talent in producing music that has made the most impact. Kramer has produced a multitude of great talents including Kiss, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix, and many, many more famous and talented artists (Remark Ltd., N.p.). He is a powerhouse in the music industry and his production methods and ideology have been immortalized in vinyl. To understand how he achieves the Kramer sound it is necessary to delve into the techniques and theories behind the sound that he achieves.

Kramer's techniques have generated sounds that the entire world loves to listen to and have been emulated by many. In order to achieve these sounds, Kramer has employed a multitude of methods over the years but he insists that the most important pieces of equipment in the production of music are the ears (Massey, p. 131). Kramer uses technology to try and capture what the musician is hearing in his or her head and putting out in the studio (Owsinski, p. 324). Over the years he has employed a number of methods to achieve this goal.

Among other methods, Kramer employs the use of ambient miking on backing vocals (Massey, p. 133). He does not employ ambient miking on lead vocals because, in his opinion, it is not necessary (Massey, p. 133). In fact, he insists ambient miking of lead vocals does not deliver the desired effect (Massey, p. 133). Kramer wants to hear all the minute sounds coming from the lead singer, including his or her breath (Massey, p. 133).

Kramer employs many different methods to capture the best from the lead singer. If necessary, he will carpet a room, light candles, adjust lighting, and whatever it takes to set the mood for the singer in the studio (Massey, p. 133). Unlike many record producers, Kramer does not experiment with different polar patterns (Massey, p. 133). Instead, he leaves it up to the musicians to get the balance right (Massey, p. 133). This is a technique he learned when recording symphony orchestras (Massey, p. 133). Additionally, when recording vocals, Kramer always records with multiple limiters (Massey, p. 133).

Kramer adds that when recording vocals, he always employs the use of a nylon windscreen to position the microphone where it is most beneficial (Massey, p. 132). According to Kramer, he 'never puts the monitor out of phase because he does not care if there is some leakage' (Massey, p. 132). If necessary, Kramer will provide a dead handheld microphone for the singer to hold although the live microphone is actually stationary (Massey, p. 132). It appears that what Kramer does best is to capture the raw talent of the musicians with whom he works.