Avery McKinley Avery McKinley

Art vs. Entertainment: Who Are You Creating For?

In our last post, we explored tools—analog vs. digital—and how each shapes the sound and soul of what we make. But tools are just the how.

Now, let’s talk about the why.

Because beneath every mic check, every DAW session, every rehearsal, every messy voice memo at 2am… there’s a reason you’re making music in the first place.

So—what is it?

Are you trying to express something personal, honest, maybe even uncomfortable?
Or are you creating something people can move to, sing along with, escape into?

Are you here to make art?
To entertain?
Or to find your place somewhere in between?

Whichever it is—it matters. It shapes the way your music moves through the world.

The Artist: Inner Truth First

The artist creates to process, to reveal, to reflect. The music is a mirror, not a product.

Art doesn’t always come with a hook. It doesn’t always feel good. Sometimes, it lingers like a question with no answer. And that’s kind of the point.

Artists are often asking:

  • What’s true for me right now?

  • What haven’t I said that needs to be said?

  • What would I make if no one else ever heard it?

Being an artist means being okay with not pleasing everyone. You’re chasing honesty, not algorithms. Depth, not reach.

It’s vulnerable, it’s bold—and sometimes it’s misunderstood. But when it connects, it really connects.


📌 Example: Bon Iver – “715 - CRΣΣKS”
This vocoder-heavy, raw track breaks all the "rules" of mainstream structure—but it hits like a gut punch. It’s about mood, emotion, vulnerability. Justin Vernon wasn’t trying to top charts—he was processing something real.
🎧Recorded at April Base Recording Studio, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Watch the video below


📌 Example: Joni Mitchell – “Blue” (album)
An iconic example of unfiltered, diary-like songwriting. No flashy production—just truth, melody, and poetry.
🎧 Recorded in 1971 at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California. Check it out below

The Entertainer: Energy Outward

The entertainer’s gift is connection.
You read the room. You create moments. You bring people into something.

And that doesn’t mean it’s shallow. Entertainment is its own kind of magic—it takes intuition, presence, and heart.

Entertainers are often asking:

  • What do people need right now?

  • How can I make them feel good?

  • How do I leave them with something they’ll remember?

Entertainment is generous. It’s responsive. It lifts. It might be light, it might be powerful, it might just be fun—and that’s more than enough.

Being an entertainer means showing up with people in mind. You’re offering an experience, and that’s a beautiful kind of purpose.

📌 Example: Lizzo – “Juice” (Live on NPR Tiny Desk)
Effortless charisma, crowd engagement, and pure joy. Lizzo knows how to entertain without losing authenticity.
🎧Recorded in 2019 at NPR Music headquarters in Washington, DC. Watch the performance below

📌 Example: Bruno Mars – Super Bowl Halftime Show
Every move, every note is designed to light up a stadium. It’s polished, precise, and joyful—textbook entertainment done right.
🎧 Recorded in 2014 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Watch the performance below

The Middle Space: Where Most of Us Live

Of course, this isn’t a binary. It’s a spectrum—and most of us live in the middle.

You can write from a place of deep emotion, and still want the crowd to sing every word.
You can craft something catchy and polished, and still have it come from a real place.

📌 Example: Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
A politically charged anthem that also became a festival chant. Personal, poetic, and powerful—but also unifying and unforgettable.
🎧 Recorded from 2014-2015 at Treasure Island, San Fransisco, California. Watch the performance below

📌 Example: Lady Gaga – “Shallow” (Live at the Oscars)
Artistry meets performance. It’s stripped back yet cinematic. She walks the line between honesty and theater with precision.
🎧 Recorded in 2019 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Watch the performance below

📌 Example: Tyler, the Creator – Tiny Desk Concert
Weird, beautiful, emotional, funny. He’s not trying to fit one role—he’s making his space and inviting us into it.
🎧 Recorded in 2017 at NPR Music headquarters in Washington, DC. Watch the performance below

Even in the middle, it helps to know where you're leaning—because that clarity shapes your choices:

  • The lyrics you write.

  • The sounds you chase.

  • The way you show up.

  • The way you define success.

A Personal Pause

So take a second. Not with pressure, just with curiosity.

Right now, in this season—what’s driving you?

Are you here to express something burning inside you?
To reflect your inner world, even if no one else gets it?

Or are you here to create something that brings people joy, escape, release—something that meets them where they are?

You don’t have to choose forever.
You don’t have to label yourself.

But getting honest with yourself about your current focus?
That’s how you make music with intention—whether it’s meant to stir something deep, or simply keep the room alive.

Your Turn

Take a few minutes—grab a notebook, or just sit with this:

  • Am I writing for me or for them?

  • What do I want people to feel when they hear my music?

  • What do I want to feel when I make it?

No judgment. No branding. Just honesty.
That’s where the good stuff comes from.

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Avery McKinley Avery McKinley

Analog vs. Digital: pros and cons

Welcome to our blog

Welcome

Hey there, and welcome to the official blog of Widget Studios! If you’re passionate about music - whether you’re an artist, producer, engineer, or just a fan of the creative process - you’re in the right place.

At Widget Studios, we’re more than just a recording studio and rehearsal space; we’re a community built around music, collaboration, and creativity. With this blog, we’ll be sharing insights, tips, and behind-the-scenes stories about the music industry. Expect topics ranging from recording techniques and gear talk to artist spotlights, industry trends, and everything in between.

We’ll be posting about once a month, so stay tuned for fresh content, and feel free to reach out if there’s something you’d love to see us cover. Thanks for stopping by—this is just the beginning!

Introduction: The Great Debate – Digital vs. Analog in Recording Studios

The analog vs. digital debate has been a defining topic in music production for decades, with strong opinions on both sides. Analog recording, once the industry standard, is cherished for its warmth and organic character, while digital has revolutionized production with its flexibility, affordability, and precision. Some purists insist that nothing compares to true analog sound, but modern digital technology has come impressively close to replicating its warmth. So, is one truly better than the other, or does it all come down to preference and application? In this post, we’ll explore the key differences in sound, workflow, cost, and accessibility, why many studios such as our own embrace a hybrid approach, and how different genres and artists make their choice.

Sound Quality & Character

Analog recordings have a warm, natural sound due to tape saturation and harmonic distortion, while digital offers clean, precise audio with higher fidelity. Though some prefer analog’s character, modern digital plugins have come close to replicating its warmth.

Workflow & Convenience

Analog requires real-time recording and manual adjustments, while digital allows for quick edits, automation, and instant recall in DAWs. Digital is generally more beginner-friendly, whereas analog demands more technical skill.

Cost & Accessibility

Analog studios are expensive, while digital setups are far more affordable and accessible for home producers. Analog gear holds its value, while software tends to depreciate over time.

Genre Considerations

Which genres benefit most from analog warmth?
Rock, blues, jazz, and soul often thrive with analog warmth due to their reliance on organic sounds, live performances, and dynamic range.

Why electronic music and hip-hop producers lean toward digital.
Electronic and hip-hop producers benefit from digital’s precision, easy recall, and endless sound design possibilities. Sampling, MIDI, and automation make digital essential for these genres.

Case studies of famous artists using each approach.

HYBRID STUDIOS: THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

If you’ve ever wondered why so many studios swear by a hybrid setup, it’s simple: analog gear brings warmth, depth, and character that digital alone can’t quite replicate, while digital offers the convenience and flexibility that modern workflows demand. But not all hybrid setups are the same. Some studios mix entirely in a DAW and use analog gear for final touches, while others—like us at Widget Studios—go all in on analog mixing, using a console for most of our EQ and level adjustments before capturing the final result digitally.

Different Approaches to Hybrid Mixing

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to hybrid mixing. Studios tend to fall into a few categories:

• Tracking with Analog Preamps and Compressors – Running vocals or instruments through outboard gear before converting to digital.

• Mixing in a DAW with Some Analog Processing – Doing most of the work in-the-box but sending certain tracks through analog gear for extra color.

• Mixing on a Console Instead of in the DAW – Shaping the entire mix on a physical console before recording the final version digitally.

• Analog Summing for Extra Warmth – Using a summing mixer to add depth and cohesion to a digital mix.

At Widget Studios, we don’t just add a bit of analog flavor—we mix in the analog realm, using the console as the heart of our process.

How We Work at Widget Studios

A lot of modern studios mix digitally and use outboard gear here and there. That’s not us. We take a more hands-on approach, doing most of our mixing on the console, not in the DAW. Here’s what that looks like:

1. We track with analog gear – Everything we record runs through high-quality preamps and compressors before hitting the digital realm.

2. We mix on a console, not just sum – Instead of tweaking levels and EQ in a DAW, we shape the entire mix on a physical console, using outboard gear where needed.

3. We rely on recall sheets, not digital automation – Since our console and gear don’t “remember” settings like a DAW, we document everything manually. That way, we can recreate mixes even though we can’t just hit “save.”

4. We capture the final mix digitally – Once we’ve got everything sounding right, we print the mix into a digital format, giving us the best of both worlds—analog sound with modern convenience.

Why We Do It This Way

Sure, mixing in a DAW is faster. But working on a console gives us something digital can’t: immediacy. We can reach for an EQ knob instead of clicking a mouse. We can balance levels by feel, not by dragging faders on a screen. It’s a process that forces us to commit to choices instead of endlessly tweaking plugins.

That’s why recall sheets are so important for us. Since we can’t save our mixes in a DAW, we keep detailed notes on every setting—EQs, fader positions, compressor settings—so we can come back to a mix with confidence. It’s old-school, but it works.

Bringing Analog Into a Digital World

If you’re thinking about incorporating analog gear into your workflow, there are plenty of ways to do it:

• Using hardware inserts in your DAW for real-time processing.

• Printing analog-processed tracks back into your session.

• Going all-in with console mixing and keeping recall sheets like we do.

At the end of the day, hybrid studios like ours aim to strike a balance—capturing the sound of analog without losing the flexibility of digital. It’s a little more work, but for us, it’s worth it.


Conclusion

The choice between digital and analog comes down to personal preference and the specific needs of a producer or studio. With advancements in technology, the gap between the two has closed significantly, allowing artists to achieve professional results regardless of the tools they use. Whether you choose analog, digital, or a hybrid setup, the most important thing is to focus on creativity and making great music.

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