Tracking with Processing and Coloring as You Go

During the tracking process, professional music producers will use signal processing devices to color audio material and impart unique sonic signatures. This chapter investigates how coloration and various forms of distortion are introduced to audio signals and through a series of interviews, explores how producers exploit these processes in their work. The discussion has a particular focus on the use of microphone preamplifiers, mixing consoles, compressors and other signal processing devices. Also, the chapter illuminates how decisions made during tracking can affect the overall production aesthetic.