Production Guidance

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

a5c-ai Updated Sep 9, 2026 1.7k repo stars

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Last audited Sep 24, 2026 · commit 993ae59

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Works with: Claude Code Claude.ai OpenAI Codex +

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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

## 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

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

a5c-ai/babysitter/tree/main/library/specializations/domains/social-sciences-humanities/arts-culture/music-album-creation/skills/production-guidance commit 993ae59bd8

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