Sample Production Summary
Never Now
Production of an ambient hip hop track titled “Never Now” by artist Kyle Ruhe
Personnel
- Producer: Taylor Neal
(Creating beat, editing tracks and overseeing production)
- Assistant Producer: Isabella Martinez
(Coaching artist in studio, providing a comfortable environment for artist and assisting producer)
- Recording Engineer: Isabella Martinez
(Over studio setup for artist and tracking vocals)
- Assistant Recording Engineer: Kameron
(Providing assistance to any position of the production, being available and attentive at every session)
- Mixing Engineer: Aaron Jennings
(Mixing final takes, making sure the track fits together in the mix and conveys the energy captured by the artist.)
- Mastering Engineer: Steven J Roe
(Mastering the final product to meet industry standard of loudness and providing a clear and clean master to be presented through the classroom speakers)
Studio Time/Cost
- Studio Name: Dolphinium Recording Studios
- Location: Jacksonville Florida
- Time/Cost Per Hour: 5 hours a day/$75 per hour w/engineer
Travel and Lodging
- N/A- Musicians live on campus at Jacksonville University
Equipment Needed
Microphones:
-Neumann Tube M147
Motu Interface
Macbook Air with Logic Pro X
1TB External Hard drive
Schedule
| Recording and Process | Duration | Dates |
| Pre-production | 5 days | 2/12/2018 |
| Recording | 4 days | 2/17/2018 |
| Overdubbing | 1 day | 2/20/2018 |
| Mixing
Mastering |
3 days
1 day |
2/21/2018
2/24/2018 |
11 Aspects
-Melody
The melody comes in in the chorus, which repeats a total of three times. The saxophone mirrors this melody throughout the song.
-Harmony
The electric piano ostinato has a heavy delay that melts each note together creating a blanket of harmony through the duration of the song. The saxophone adds a different harmonic and tonal color to the song and is used to transition to the key change and back to the original key for the final chorus.
-Rhythm
The 808 is keeping a laid back side chained beat that rests in the mix.
-Lyrics
The lyrics were heavily inspired by recent events in Kyle’s life, such as personal relationships as well as family ties.
-Density
Never Now has multiple layers to it that provides density throughout the track. The rain/noise in the background that is side chain compressed by the kick pulses creates a sense of breathing in the song. The constant electric piano groove provides an underlying harmonic blanket, as the saxophone provides soul and genuine human emotion to compliment the lyrics.
-Song Structure
The song takes on a simple form, much like most pop songs it begins with an intro that presents the idea and different pieces that fade in, followed by the first and second verse. Next the chorus is introduced as the texture thins out for a sense of change, and back into another verse, chorus, than a bridge in a different key. Finally, the chorus is brought back with a tighter, more lofi sound to conclude the track.
-Instrumentation
The lofi ambience in the delayed electric piano, 808, and bass give the song the classic hip hop sound, while the saxophone provides a more human like emotion harmonically to compliment the melody and lyrics.
-Performance
The performance was meant to feel free flowing, almost like a freestyle.
-Equipment/quality of recording
Very high quality gear was used to produce this track.
-Mix
The mix is a blended collection of all the different colors and emotions between the rain, saxophone, and vocals.
