BOB CUTARELLA
Imagine All Music
http://imagineallcorp.com
Bob Cutarella has been in the music industry for over 30 years and has worked with every major label. Currently, he’s working with John DeGrazio (an artist discovered by Lady Gaga’s producer RedOne) on a song titled “More Than Beautiful.” Cutarella began his career working with acts like Joe Williams and Bruce Springsteen, and eventually became an industry executive, producer and founder of his own publishing/management company with a talent roster that reads like a “who’s who” in music: Celine Dion, Alice Cooper, Lynryd Skynyrd, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Joss Stone, Sting, Billy Gibbons, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Metallica, Vanessa Williams, Allison Krauss, Joe Perry, Keith Richards and many more. Cutarella also won two Grammys and solicits music for American Idol, X Factor and The Voice. He is a co-owner of Imagine All Music.
CHOOSING A STUDIO
It depends on what I’m recording and what kind of budget I’m working with. Those two factors will narrow my search. Then, I’ll check out the rooms at several studios to see what kind of sound they have. Every studio is different, and you have to be sure you’re going to get the sound you want. For example, you get that “big drum sound” with big rooms and wooden floors. I also like studios that have a cool vibe. It picks up everyone’s game. No one likes to work in a sterile environment.
DO YOU PREFER NEW OR OLD GEAR; DIGITAL OR ANALOG
I mix it up and use both. But, I definitely like to go with analog for some things––vintage microphones, outboard gear, pre-amps and Neve consoles (they give you a lot of headroom). Analog just gives you a warmer sound. With a digital workstation, no matter what kind of plug-in you use, it does not sound the same. Once I’m working in the digital realm, though, I tend to stay there.
GREATEST CHALLENGE IN THE STUDIO
Often, it’s getting the vocals just right. For most styles of music, the vocals drive the song. But, nearly every singer has insecurities. They don’t like the way they sound––it could be their tone, their pitch or their expression.
A producer’s job is to make them feel comfortable enough to go for it and embrace the emotional content of a song. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of adjusting their headphones––one ear on one ear off––so they get a more natural sound.
HOW SHOULD AN ARTIST CHOOSE A PRODUCER
Artists should look for a producer who gets their vision and enhances it. They should do research and find a producer who knows how to record their style of music and can define their sound in a contemporary and current way. If a producer truly understands the genre as well as the artist and knows how to capture them, you could end up with a very marketable product.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT BEING A PRODUCER
I love the creativity, the artistry and working with artists. I like producing different styles of music and learning about them. It gives me a sense of freedom that I don’t get from anything else. Good producers don’t get stuck in the past and do the same productions over and over again. We evolve with the times so our productions are relevant today.
