Dealing with an 80'2 mided producer

[underthesun]

My band is trying to record, but we are having some major difficulties reconciling our aesthetics with those of our guy who is going to be producing us. He's completely dead set on the 80's, in the most stereotypical way possible. Chorus ad reverb and digital multiFX and everything. For chrissakes, the guy is trying to get me to use a Rockman Distortion generator instead of a DS-1 or my amps own gain! Nothing designed by the guy from Boston has a place in my rig! He's a really great guy, but he doesn't understand that while to him, the digital production is lush and beautiful, to us it symbolizes 80's pop music, and therefore everything fake, cheap, and plastic. We were hoping to get more of a barebones, late 60's type production. Can anyone suggest a sensitive way to try and bring this guya little up to date? We have no other options, and we really don't want to alienate him.

Sorry for long post.

[thefobia]

This is why I decided to start recording my bands demos myself. Not one of the studios we have recorded at has managed to capture the sound and feel of the band.

[intorvert]

Be honest and forthright and sincere.

Bottom line: it's YOUR music. He's there to help You get YOUR sound.

[venusandeve]

hmmmmmm. i have a slightly different approach to everyone who is not an artist himself. its usually "i pay, you obey". its not nice and you dont get to take the guy out for a pint, but what you lose in initial accessiblity, you get in respect(which saves alot of struggling).

if he can't understand that you KNOW what you want and that you know how to get it, then he is simply not being proffessional.
if it were about him knowing what you want and knowing it isnt going to work the way you are planning to do it (thru his own experience) then its one thing. but changing the way it sounds, is simply not acceptable.

you get my pat on the back for hating multiFX shait. if it looks digital, can't be good. im not at all for retro thinking (60's? 80's? what are you talking about?) but nothing beats a good ole stompbox.

btw, the easiest way to get anyone to listen is keeping it in determined short sentenses. don't go debating with techies.