How to get started in music production?

[Mint Invader]

Ah... I missed that one. Well in getting involved with others... I dont really know.

[evaodland]

Start with a big unlimited sack of money....

Hang out in clubs and find a techno jock that makes up stuff on the fly...

Look for a hot chick that can sing okay...

Hire a audio engineer, image consultant, lyricist, contract with a music PR firm...

Imagine what you want in your head what would sound good. Make the people do what you want by paying them.

Sleep with, throw parties and throw money at everyone to sell your little group.

You are now a producer.

[pulsoc]

Make sure you have a piece of gear with 2 big knobs. Label with tape and magic marker - "Beefy" and "Fat". Adjust according to clients taste.

[Angstrom]

I heard of a few 'big time' producers who, in their rack of magical equipment would have one mystical custom built 2U device with a "chicken-head" knob on the front. Whenever the client would get a bit weird with the mix (bass isn't tight enough, treble too trebley, etc) the producer would sagely reach for the magic knob and turn it up a bit - "how about now?" he'd say. And the band would agree that it was subtly better now.
Of course it wasn't connected to anything.

[regretfullySaid]

It works and is cheap, too. What you can do is spray paint a milk carton silver and stick a rollerskate wheel on the side of it (lay it sideways). Then use a slinky as the wire: one end from the milk carton and the other looking like it's plugged into something (doesn't matter).

The real magic is how slightly you turn the knob and close your eyes while looking like you're listening really hard and then after a 1/2 a minute you say "Ok, how about that?".

If they ask what it is tell them it's a DIY kit Joe Meek used to sell from the back of a Boys' Life magazine. You can also use it as a spring reverb!