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ALAN SCOTT PLOTKIN |
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"A
Producer's role is to get to the very heart and message of what the
artist is trying to convey." |
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Alan
Scott Plotkin |
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Virgo
Studios |
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ALAN SCOTT PLOTKIN -
PRODUCER WITH A VISION
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producer - engineer -
composer - musician |
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owner of Virgo Digital
Recording Studios in New York |
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website: www.VirgoStudios.com |
email: alan@virgostudios.com |
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interview by Voytek Sporek
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Alan has so much energy and
child-like devotion that he can turn an exhausting through-the-night recording session
into one of the best parties you've ever been to. He'll make you
feel like you've known him forever after about 5 minutes. 10 minutes
later you'll think of him as one of your best friends. Once you
get to work - you're bound to start thanking your lucky stars. Alan is not only one of the quickest
and most efficient producers and engineers I've ever seen at work, he's
also a visionary genius with the ability to see what you want
to sound like without forcing you to accept his own style or
ideas. At the same time he is extremely demanding and he'll make
you work harder than you think. He'll push your limits and maybe even
piss you off - but all in good faith and only in order to exploit your
own talent and potential to the maximum. |
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If he decides to work with
you, he also decides to share with you everything and anything that may
help your project sound its best (including the contents
of countless candy jars sitting all over the place, as well as the beer and soda
filled refridgerator) Alan is all about sharing - so I asked him
to share a piece of himself with the visitors of talentbox.com. |
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download
& play Alan's 2002 demo reel - mp3 |
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> About
Alan: work, experience & a list of some of his clients
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>
Interview: exclusively for TalentBox.com
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>
Alan's Tips: what to look for in a
producer & engineer
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| ABOUT
ALAN |
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Born the son of post-production
engineer/studio manager Mitchell Plotkin on his father's... first day in
the music business! At only 7 years old, Alan was razor-blade editing
audio tapes on his dad's Wollensack mono machine in a makeshift basement
studio. |
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In 1981, at the age of 16 and fresh out of
high school, Alan joined the staff of Mediasound Recording Studios where he
assisted on sessions with great music legends such as Luther Vandross,
Miles Davis, Peter Frampton, The Romantics, Bob
Weir & The Midnights, Soft Cell, Bee Gees, Irena Cara, Earl Klugh, and
others. |
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His other jobs included Dimensional Sound in
New York (mastering and editing re-mixes of Jimi Hendrix, The Yardbirds,
etc.), and NYC's legendary Record Plant Studios where he assisted on many
great projects including Aerosmith, AC/DC, Scandal, Hanoi Rocks, Twisted
Sister, The Smithereens, and many others. |
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His engineering credits include Public Enemy's
"Fear of a Black Planet", Vanessa Williams' debut "The
Right Stuff", and many other great albums. |
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In 1999 he started Virgo
Digital Recording Studios as his
private project facility. Soon however, responding to overwhelming
requests, he opened to the public and became the Owner / Chief Engineer of
one of the most successful recording / mastering / production studios in
the area.
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| iNTERVIEW |
| Voytek: |
Why do you... love music...? |
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| Alan: |
Because music is the language of the heart. Great music breaks through all barriers and the great artists last forever. I also love music because it comes so naturally to
me - I am self taught on every instrument I play. |
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| V: |
You produce and engineer various styles of music. Which ones do you feel
most comfortable with and what are your strongest musical influences? |
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| A: |
I love all styles of music and enjoy producing them all.
Lately, I seem to favor pop / heavy rock. My big influences, groups, are: The Beatles, Foreigner, Whitesnake, Steely Dan, Rainbow, Billy Joel.
My musical influences are: John Lennon, Cozy Powell, Joe Perry, David
Coverdale, etc.. |
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| V: |
Have you ever played with bands or
performed solo? |
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| A: |
Yes, I have played drums, bass, guitar and keyboards in various
groups - most notably JJ/Scott, The Project, The Pink... And I usually wind up getting on stage with most of the new groups I work with as well... |
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| V: |
Some consider you to be one of the best drum programmers in the industry. What do you attribute this to? |
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| A: |
Two things: A - I am a drummer.
B - I almost NEVER program what a human couldn't physically play. |
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| V: |
In other words, being both an artist and a
producer allows you to place yourself on both sides of the creative process.
How would you describe the role of a producer in that creative
partnership with an artist? |
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| A: |
A producer's role is to get to the
very heart and message of what the artist is trying to
convey. I find that most producers today are looking to put
their "sound" on an artist. I let the artist's
music, vibe and feel dictate the "Sonic Picture" - then
I go from there. As Joe Perry sang: "Let The Music
Do The Talkin'" I also find that it helps if you
can speak the same "language" as the musicians you
record. There are times when you need to show the artist
what you mean, instead of describing it. I play drums, bass,
guitar, and keyboards and it really helps me relate to the
musicians I produce... |
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| V: |
... and engineer... |
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| A: |
... right! An engineer also needs
to have a thorough understanding of how the instruments he records
function so he can properly get them on tape or hard disc. |
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| V: |
But that's not enough to make a GOOD
engineer... |
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| A: |
There's so much more to recording
and mixing than just putting it down and adding effects. You
always have to try to print your music as clean and clear as
possible. This enables you the flexibility when mixing, to
place it wherever and however you want. I almost never print
with EQ - it just limits the possibilities. |
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| V: |
Before we get too technical - what
simple advice do you have for bands and aspiring singers looking
to record their demo... What do your think record labels want
to hear? |
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| A: |
The record labels are in a serious
position with the "MP3 war". They are now looking
for finished "release-ready" material and there doesn't
appear to be much "artist - development" going on.
With the advent of decent quality and affordable "home"
digital technology, the labels are getting flooded with thousands
of submissions per month. An artist is going to need the
BEST representation of their material they could possibly have in
order to have even a remote shot at a deal. IF you can get
someone to listen - you have 15 seconds to "knock them
out". Make sure your arrangements are tight and
dynamic, the hooks are killer and the sound is perfect for the
genre of music. And make sure you hire a great producer. |
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| V: |
How would you produce / create a
demo for a singer who does not write his/her own music? |
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| A: |
I ask the artists many
questions: Who are your favorite artists? What are
your favorite songs? Who are your favorite musicians?
What are your favorite albums? Then I look for the common
thread and the work begins! Either I write with or for the
artists, and/or we look for material that would "fit the
bill". I then create arrangements - by either
programming and playing the music myself or hiring musicians
(Drums, Bass, etc.) and start cutting the tracks. |
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| V: |
Does it generally pay to record full-length CD's before getting signed? |
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| A: |
Depends what your intentions
are. If it's to market and sell your product at shows and
online, the answer is "yes". If your intention is to shop
for a deal - then the answer is "maybe". You only want to send
a label 3 or 4 songs at the most so if you are going to record and
produce an album's worth of material - don't send the label the
entire album. |
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| V: |
In the TIPS
section you mention the importance of a producer's ability to act as
a
"musical therapist" to an artist.... How would you
encourage all those artists who are at least twice as talented as some of
today's "superstars", but have a hard time breaking through? |
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| A: |
You have to decide what you want to
be when you grow up. You also have to decide what your
"art" really is. If you are going to make music
that you like, but is not marketable - don't complain that noone
is "getting it" and you're upset at not getting
signed. If your goal is to get into the mainstream, listen
to what is out there and try to make it better. ...And don't
ever quit. If it was so easy, everyone would do it.
Set your goals and achieve them one at a time. |
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| V: |
One last thing... What do you think
about TalentBox.com? |
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| A: |
I love what you've done with the
place! Just kidding!! I think it's great! I love
the diversity of talent you showcase. |
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| V: |
Thank you! - and thanks so much for this
interview. |
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| A: |
Thank you - It was awesome!
Let's do this again some time. |
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TIPS
FROM ALAN |
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¤ TYPES OF PRODUCERS: |
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Producer / Engineer / Musician /
Composer / Artist |
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Producer / Engineer / Musician /
Composer |
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Producer / Engineer / Musician |
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Producer / Engineer |
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Producer |
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¤ ELEMENTS OF A GOOD PRODUCER: |
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Visionary - has a clear image of what
the final product should sound like, keeping in mind the artist's
"Vision" during the recording process ... Listening with a
view. |
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Elicits the very best from the
artist. Coaching the artist and sometimes being the
"musical - therapist" |
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Arranger / Composer / Songwriter /
Musician / Engineer |
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Aware of trends in the music business. |
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Knowledge of the music business. |
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Crucial contacts with the industry. |
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Relationships with Management and
Record Label. |
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List of clients and references. |
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Experience and history in the
industry. |
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Effective communication skills. |
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Maintains integrity - with the music
and the client. |
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¤ WHEN LOOKING FOR A PRODUCER: |
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Listen to past projects. |
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Look at client list, experience
and history. |
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Feel - is the personality blend
right for you and your musical style? |
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¤ ELEMENTS OF A GOOD
ENGINEER: |
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Understanding of sonic clarity. |
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Understanding of sonic treatment with
a solid technical background (spatial placement, effects placement,
EQ, compression, etc.) |
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Musical knowledge is a plus! - If not
a musician, then knowing how to communicate ideas to the engineer /
musician / artist is essential. |
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click
here to visit VirgoStudios.com |
| e-mail
Alan:
alan@virgostudios.com |
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