Ariel Borujow: Secrets of a Record Engineer #2

by Kevin on March 3, 2009

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db2gWSXS0jo

Record engineer and mixer, Ariel Borujow, comes back for part 2 in our Industry Insider series. A lot of people can take some tips from Ariel, as he’s been in the game quite a few years now. There were a lot of questions from you all last time around and Ariel takes the time to answer them here. Keep the questions coming!

Related posts:

Follow: Kevin on Twitter

Posted in Industry Insider

Jigsaw

This may sound a little naive’, but your response will lend itself to the follow-up question; who in the record producing food chain is responsible for what songs are on the album and their order.

Have you ever sat back and felt that better songs were left on the “cutting floor” so to speak and if so can you give an instance/artist/album/etc.?

Also, how often does an artist’s “yes man” adversely impact your job; the idiot who told LL to make “Pink Cookies in Plastic Bags getting Crushed by Buildings” comes to mind?
http://www.myspace.com/remotmusic Deez

Not a question, I won’t be greedy. But I just wanna say once again, that I don’t think people can comprehend how appreciated this is. You have to pay for these kind of tips or attention lol, but I mean, this is real.

Another reason why we are the best blog on the internet..

Peace Ariel.

J Master is a beast too
http://www.myspace.com/remotmusic Deez

oh and word up, you be laughing now about those Diddy piles hahaha
Anon

Rich Keller is also the man!!!
http://kevinnottingham.com Kevin

What? Jigsaw… “Pink cookies” is CLASSIC!

Props to Ariel!
Jigsaw

“Pink Cookies…

1) Lyrical content – garbage
2) Beats – weak
3) concept – ill conceieved & rushed; and I do mean the perjorative of the word “ill”

This album epitomized why you need that one person in your camp who is not beholden to your dollars or association to be your sounding board; unfortunately, many an artist has refuse to heed this lesson.
http://myspace.com/jeffersonjacksonmusic dub.Z (jeff…)

i loved the video version for pink cookies (the one that uses the sample from the aint no half steppin original…i forget the name of the original artist and song but its been used many times)…
randelz

what do you reccomend to artists who do not have enough $ for professional mixing? if they really cannot afford it what sort of options are there?
http://www.myspace.com/quericoproductions QueRico

thank you for responding to my question, Ariel.

-Rico
http://kevinnottingham.com Kevin

Ariel, I can’t thank you enough for hooking us up with this video series! Like Deez said, the information you are giving us here is invaluable. I would love to see you work your magic behind the boards in future blogs. I know you can’t give too many secrets away.. lol.
Ariel

Man honestly its no problem at all man. I really enjoy doing this and willing to help out the music community as much as i can with these videos. Glad you guys enjoy them and look out for the 3rd one.
http://www.myspace.com/mikepsounds Medim

I honestly appreciate this series and it is true that under normal situations people would have to pay for this kind of knowledge. My question for Ariel is just a simple on. How much of a part does compression play in a mix. For example can compression in a sense make a track “suck” or make it into a classic? Thank you again Ariel and Kevin.

-Medium!
Ariel

Hey guys thanks again for the questions…i will get to them all in the next blog this upcoming week…look out for it and some more goodies…
http://www.myspace.com/remotmusic Deez

would love to see a direct session