Making music today is both easier and harder than it has ever been. Technology provides tools for musicians to make superb quality recordings without leaving home; many traditional recording studios are seeing a severe drop in rental bookings. Technology allows for the rapid distribution of music. But the hard part is getting your music heard among the seemingly endless options.
Joachim Garraud has collaborated with artists such as David Guetta, Jean-Michel Jarre, David Bowie, Beyoncé and Kylie Minogue. Garraud has a new album coming out on January 22, but he is also undertaking a massive and innovative project called “Producer
Producer Box is a large trophy-like collection of all the tutorials and tools in one package. Garraud was searching for a way to share the passion of his new music beyond the usual release pattern, where the lifespan of a new work is one day or a few hours. “I wanted to create something beyond the virtual, digital release,” Garraud told me.
He will make his new album “96/24” available via now-traditional digital means. (The title refers to a high fidelity audio format involving 24 bits and 96 kHz). But on Black Friday, he will launch his Kickstarter campaign and take orders for only 1000 units of the Producer Box.
Each unit will be individually numbered and loaded with “absolutely everything someone needs to make music,” including all the project files to every track on the album, video tutorials explaining his production techniques (recorded in multiple languages), and several audio plugins, sounds from his personal sound bank and other top tier developers. A detachable keyboard (with 25 full size keys) is the most eye-catching element of the Producer Box.
According to Garraud, this is the first time an artist has made all the elements that were used in the design of an album available to the public.
Garraud is adamant there will be no more than 1000 units built, if his Kickstarter campaign funds. “I am a big buyer on Kickstarter, and saw the platform as perfect for what I wanted to accomplish,” he said. The campaign starts on Black Friday (November 27) and lasts one month. He plans to ship the Producer Box four months later.
Initially the tutorials Garraud included were too expert, so he is making them available in beginner and intermediate levels as well. There are twenty tutorials, with over eight hours of video instruction.
He had numerous discussions with the multiple vendors represented in the Producer Box in order to keep the price down ($499 for the first 100 units, $599 for the remaining 900), and now he is in the happy yet ironic position of other vendors wanting to be included. But Garraud is firm, “there will be no Producer Box 2.” He will keep the community of 1000 vibrant by posting more tutorials.
He sees this as an open source way to share his knowledge and passion, “something to help the next generation” as he puts it.
We know that technology will not itself create new art.
But with 3 solo albums, numerous productions and remixes (more than 2 million records sold) and a Grammy nomination for best remix, Garraud is commendably stepping outside the box with his initiative.
More about Producer Box here.
