More ideas on how to prepare for a recording session.
Playing live and making a great record are very different things – A great live band has so much going for them. Performance, energy and passion can do wonders for a band. In the studio you can overdub parts and have thousands of options. Is there a way you can get the energy of your live performance and overdub on to that? Some singers sound better singing into an SM58 mic as psychologically it lets them feel like they are playing live. An exciting performance is vital – what can you do to make it feel like you are playing live? Some bands find it much easier to record if they see each other when playing. A guide vocal going when you are tracking other instruments is useful. Some people move as they would on stage as it helps the performance.
Picture by Paul Linus Claassen
Get used to playing to a click (if you are going to use one) – Make sure your drummer practices this to get it tight. If you are recording without one you get the benefits of a what some consider to be a more energetic performance but it can make editing more difficult later.
Agree the best BPM’s – Work out the BPM’s for your songs so that you know they are correct before your get into the studio. Nothing worse than having a half speed hardcore track or speed metal reggae.
Make decisions on sounds before you get there – Are you going to track with effects on and add them later? Are there certain sounds that work live that sound rubbish in the studio? Often you will need less extreme settings on effects than you may think.
Sort out your arrangements – Often live you can signal to the rest of the band for the lengths of sections and extend them as required. Make decisions about these sections and think about how songs end, will any need a fade?
Check your backing tracks – If you are using MIDI tracks you have prepared at home present them in an ordered way and check how they will be imported into the studio’s DAW. Make it easy for the engineer.
Backup everything – A friend of mine claims nothing exists unless its backed up in three places. I heard a story of someone who had made a fantastic album and had all the files on a hard drive, on the way home he tied the hard drive to his motorbike. When he got home his hard drive was destroyed leading to an expensive remixing session. Back up and you will be safe.
Bring a copy of the lyrics – Its always harder to double vocals if you sing a different lyric! Multiple copies are better, give one to the producer so they know were they are in each section of the song.
Bring in some tracks you like on CD – The sounds and mix on these can be used to help give the engineer an idea of what you want. I know your band is the most original thing ever and you don’t what to be pigeon holed etc but this will save you time (and money).
Build Relationships – Have some respect and treat the recording engineer well and you’ll probably get a better result. Also they will most likely know lots of people through what they do including record companies, managers, promoters and people involved in licensing.
Listen to the engineer – If they are recording in the studio they probably know the room well so listen to their advice on sounds, you don’t have to take it. Make sure you don’t compromise your artistic vision though.
Mastering – People forget about mastering but its essential if you want your finished tracks to compare well with others. Some recording studios do mastering, some don’t. There is an argument for getting the mastering done by someone with a fresh pair of ears and more specialist skills. Ensure you consider mastering as part of your overall budget. We will post a full blog about the mastering process in the future.
Get stems (individual tracks from the recording) – If you have the stems you can use them to offer for remixes and use them in syncing opportunities. You can also remix songs later if you are unhappy with any part of the sound.
There are many things to consider before spending money on recording but by preparing well you can get some excellent results.
