Agent skill

production-guidance

Provide detailed production specifications including instrumentation, arrangement, mix characteristics, effects, and era-specific production aesthetics

Stars 514
Forks 31

Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/a5c-ai/babysitter/tree/main/library/specializations/domains/social-sciences-humanities/arts-culture/music-album-creation/skills/production-guidance

SKILL.md

Production Guidance

Provide comprehensive production specifications for AI music generation.

Overview

This skill provides frameworks for specifying production elements that shape the overall sound. It covers instrumentation, arrangement, mix characteristics, effects processing, and era-specific production aesthetics.

Capabilities

Instrumentation Specification

  • Define drum and percussion elements
  • Specify bass characteristics
  • Detail keyboard and synth sounds
  • Describe guitar tones
  • List additional instruments
  • Balance organic vs electronic

Arrangement Design

  • Structure song sections
  • Layer instrumental elements
  • Create dynamic builds
  • Design drops and breakdowns
  • Plan instrumental hooks

Mix Characteristics

  • Define stereo width
  • Specify frequency balance
  • Note wet/dry balance
  • Describe spatial depth
  • Set loudness approach

Effects Processing

  • Specify reverb types
  • Detail delay usage
  • Note distortion/saturation
  • Describe modulation effects
  • List special effects

Era Aesthetics

  • Match decade-specific sounds
  • Recreate vintage production
  • Apply modern techniques
  • Blend era influences

Production Element Database

Drum/Percussion Types

Type Characteristics Era/Genre
808 Deep kick, clap, hats Hip-Hop, Electronic
Live Kit Organic, dynamic Rock, Pop, Jazz
Breakbeats Chopped samples D&B, Hip-Hop
Drum Machine LinnDrum, TR-808, TR-909 80s, Electronic
Electronic Programmed, precise EDM, Pop
Lo-fi Dusty, degraded Lo-fi, Indie
World Ethnic percussion World, Fusion

Bass Types

Type Characteristics Genre
808 Sub Deep, sine-wave Hip-Hop, Trap
Synth Bass Synthesized, various Electronic, Pop
Electric (Picked) Bright, articulate Rock, Punk
Electric (Fingered) Warm, round R&B, Soul
Upright Acoustic, woody Jazz, Folk
Slap Bass Percussive, funky Funk, Pop
Moog Bass Analog, fat Various

Synth/Keys Types

Type Characteristics Era/Genre
Analog Warm, organic Various
FM Bell-like, digital 80s, Pop
Wavetable Modern, evolving EDM, Pop
Piano Acoustic grand Ballads, Jazz
Rhodes Electric piano, warm Soul, R&B
Wurlitzer Bright, electric Rock, Pop
Pad Atmospheric, sustained Ambient, Pop
Arp Rhythmic pattern Electronic

Guitar Tones

Type Characteristics Genre
Clean Electric Pure, jangly Indie, Pop
Crunch Light distortion Rock
High Gain Heavy distortion Metal
Acoustic Steel Bright, strummy Folk, Pop
Acoustic Nylon Warm, classical Latin, Classical
Ambient Reverb, delay-heavy Post-Rock

Effects Reference

Effect Usage Character
Plate Reverb Drums, vocals Classic, smooth
Hall Reverb Strings, pads Spacious
Room Reverb Drums, guitar Natural
Spring Reverb Guitar Surf, vintage
Tape Delay Vocals, leads Warm, rhythmic
Ping-Pong Delay Synths Wide, bouncy
Slapback Vocals Rockabilly
Chorus Guitar, synths Lush, wide
Flanger Guitar, synths Sweeping
Phaser Guitar, keys Swirling
Distortion Guitar, synths Aggressive
Saturation Mix bus Warmth
Compression Various Punch, glue

Era Production Characteristics

Era Characteristics
1960s Mono/early stereo, tape, minimal processing
1970s Analog warmth, live drums, multitrack
1980s Gated reverbs, synths, drum machines
1990s Grunge rawness, sampling, early digital
2000s Loudness war, digital polish, Auto-Tune
2010s Trap influences, minimal bass, side-chain
2020s Lo-fi revival, hybrid organic/electronic

Usage Guidelines

Production Specification Format

markdown
## Production

### Instrumentation
- **Drums**: [Detailed description]
- **Bass**: [Type and characteristics]
- **Keys/Synths**: [Sounds and textures]
- **Guitars**: [Types and tones]
- **Additional**: [Other elements]

### Arrangement
- **Structure**: [Verse-Chorus-etc pattern]
- **Layers**: [Instrumental layering approach]
- **Dynamics**: [Build and release strategy]

### Mix Character
- **Width**: [Stereo approach]
- **Depth**: [Front-to-back placement]
- **Frequency**: [Balance description]
- **Loudness**: [Dynamic range]

### Effects
- **Reverb**: [Types and usage]
- **Delay**: [Types and usage]
- **Modulation**: [Chorus, flanger, etc.]
- **Other**: [Special processing]

### Era Reference
- **Period**: [Decade/era]
- **Production Style**: [Characteristics]
- **Modern Updates**: [Contemporary touches]

Quality Checklist

  • Instrumentation is genre-appropriate
  • Arrangement creates interest
  • Mix vision is clear
  • Effects are purposeful
  • Era aesthetic is coherent

Integration Points

Related Skills

  • SK-MAC-002 (style-specification) - Production in context
  • SK-MAC-006 (genre-analysis) - Genre production norms
  • SK-MAC-010 (music-prompt-engineering) - Platform formatting

Related Agents

  • AG-MAC-002 (music-producer-agent) - Primary executor

References

  • Music production handbooks
  • Era-specific production analysis
  • AI platform production tags

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