Am I need to become a DOG TRAINER to create…

No, you dont, but maybe you should. My friend Andy McBeth made his hobby a second profession. He is a certified dog trainer, nature lover and my canadian connection from Edmonton! I love Andy’s Imaging Philosophy you can discover below and his spirit! Check his production and read more about his transitioning from AC to a CHR

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So, my buddy Andy at Benztown asked me to jot down a few notes to go with the demo about transitioning from a AC to a CHR.

The thing you need to know about me is I don’t play by any rules when I’m producing imaging. Ok, maybe I have a few personal rules I bind myself to. Those being levels, and audience (the demo I’m producing for), either than that I leave the audio canvas wide open.

Going from AC to a CHR format totally got me stoked! By no means did it stress me out, since previously I was going back and forth between rock and AC on the daily. With the new format all I was thinking about is my approach. Obviously I’m going to come at CHR totally different than an AC station.

I want to take you on a little journey into my so called mind, for an inside look at how I produce… if that’s even possible!

I like my imaging to move, honestly I loathe slow imaging, but that’s just my opinion. To me slow imaging doesn’t seem natural, if that makes sense? When I’m churning out the goods I’m looking for solid movement and flow, but not too fast a listener can’t pick up what’s being said in the imaging. Another thing I’m thinking about during the approach is the music the station plays, because I want my imaging to mirror the sound of the tunes. To do this I’m always listening to CHR with intent—how is the music produced, are there any patters in the music? Are many songs utilizing the same effects? YES, almost all top 40 songs are doing something similar. I’ll then add similar effects into my imaging.

At this point I’m still looking at a script and a blank Adobe 3.0.

Now my mind has usually formed what I want to produce –this is weird and hard to explain. Basically, I can already see the end product in my head before I even start. From here I’m looking for the pieces to the puzzle. I’ll usually find these pieces @ the Benztown site (Andy’s stuff only gets BETTER, AND BETTER), I’ll steal from movie trailers, or make it myself. AND whatever my soundscape is doing, I like the voice I’m working with to mesh with it—that’s how I achieve flow.

Obviously we are all going to approach imaging differently no matter what the format is. This is only a glimpse into my little world. I should add, no matter what I produce, it usually evolves while I’m actually producing it.

Let me leave you with an extremely important piece of info if you’re looking to produce multiple formats. Know the music; dissect the sound of it—your imaging should be an extension of the music with your own personal touch. Don’t hold yourself to a bunch of rules. Instead, be inventive! Think up new ways of making your stuff sound different, no matter what the format. And always have FUN!