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The Beat Strangler
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Organization, dedication, and overall hard work are what makes Dr. Rick Boswell tick. He mentions that it's really important to have a good workflow in your studio, and also to surround yourself with talented people because it will help improve your music. Let's see what else he has to say:
Name: Dr. Rick Boswell Location: Newport News, Virginia
What is your studio setup like?
A custom built tower, a 36 inch Insignia monitor, M-Audio interfaces, M-Audio Monitors, Akai keyboard and drum pad, an assortment of different headphones, FL Studio 5-11, Pro Tools, and Ableton.
What is the one software or hardware that you can't live without?
Honestly I'd have to say Native Instruments. It has everything for every genre. I use its plug-ins in about 90% of my beats. It was one of the first major investments I made towards music production and beat making.
What is a typical day for you?
Wake up, wash up, then I give myself 30 mins to make a beat before I have to go to work. I go to work and try to network and gain some new fans and clients. Then I'll come home, work on recent projects, if I like what I started earlier try to finish that, reply to unanswered emails and inquiries, do some promotion and networking. Then about 2 AM lay back and watch Adult Swim and listen to music.
What is the best advice that you've ever received?
Never get discouraged! Not everyone is going to be able to vibe to your music. There will always be people in this world who will try to slow you down or even stop you. You just need to know that you can do whatever you want as long as you have the dedication and drive.
Do you have any tips for other producers?
If you really are about your craft you must dedicate yourself to the fullest. I see a lot of talented artist and producers fail because they lack the dedication and drive to take them to the next level. Just be honest with yourself and know what direction you want to go and do everything you can to get there. Also be prepared for rejection; it doesn't mean your music is bad, just not suited for the project. Surround yourself with talented like minded people. Even if they aren't into music, those are sometimes the best people to have listen to your music. Also try to work with different genres to gain some versatility.
How long does it take to make a full beat?
A fully mixed and mastered beat can take about 3 days at most. I literally will do about 7 different mixes. I also like to get different opinions because there is no such thing as a perfect mix and finding that medium (compromise) can be a challenge in itself. I honestly work better with deadlines and sometimes the pressure of a time limit can help force creativity.
Do you have any studio tricks that help you work better and faster?
Organization is the most helpful thing and I push this on everyone. I've seen sloppy setups and it irritates me but you have to do what you got to do. I keep everything in an appropriate folder, certain things color coded; everything has to have a date even if it's something as simple as a beat concept. Even when I make beats every instrument has its own color and every track. You'd be surprised how much time you save when you know exactly where everything is located on your computer.
What's in your near future?
I have a couple projects coming up with a couple of very talented rappers and powerful vocalist. Hopefully I can be discovered by a major label. I've already reached some minor goals (getting 1000 views on my website in a month, reaching number 1 locally for my area on Reverbnation, and getting 15,000 plays). At the rate I'm going, it's only a matter of time. I have an abstract sound that is very incomparable and people are always looking for something different.
More Information
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