RECORDING TIPS

We have come up with a list of tips and things to pay attention to before and during the recording process. Depending on the type of your project, some of these may not apply. However if you take the time to read through them, it may help you save a lot of time and headache during the recording.

• Practice the songs you will be recording for at least two weeks before the recording session. Practice the songs with a click track (metronome) so you will be comfortable in the studio when we record with it. Work out all of the parts including starts, solos, bridges, and endings.
• Don’t change the arrangement of a song in the studio; try to work those types of things out in the two weeks before the recording.
• Replace drum heads and strings two days before the session. Make sure that the gear you are bringing over is in good working order (i.e. intonation is correct, no weird buzzes or intermittent problems).
• Often time’s drums that are used for playing out live do not work well in the studio, for that reason it is advantageous for you to use the studio drum kit. We have been able to spend the time to fine tune the kit to our room, and it will come through on the recording. You are free to bring your own drum kit, just expect to spend a lot more time setting them up.
• We may need to adjust amplifier settings from what they may normally be set at. This is where you will need to trust the engineer’s expertise. Because each room and microphone is different, the engineer will have to assess your sound to see what adjustments may need to be made.
• Of course the amplifiers at the studio can be used free of charge.
• Unless you have a bass amplifier that is low wattage, tube, vintage, and in good shape, you probably won’t need to bring your bass amp by. We typically go direct with electric bass through an Avalon VT-737, which is a tube D.I/Opto-compressor/EQ. This provides us with an excellent signal and perfect isolation.
• Try to get a good night’s sleep the night before a long recording session.  Believe it or not you will be working, and it can be tiring. So try to be mindful of activities prior to recording.
• Bring along snacks and beverages so you don’t have to leave the studio. If we are planned for a long day (6 or more hours) the engineer may want to take a short break as well.
• Drinking alcohol in moderation at the studio can help relive stress. But drinking too much can cause your performance to go down. It can also impair your judgment and let you allow things to pass that you may have otherwise wanted to redo.
• Remember that what you’re hearing in the headphones in the studio is not what it sounds like in the control room coming through the monitors.
• When it comes time to mix the project down it is not necessary to have everyone in the band present. In fact, it can be slightly distracting to the engineer to have a lot of extraneous noise going on in the control room. A better option is to “elect” one or two members of the band that everyone trusts to help guide the engineer through the mixing process.
• The most important thing is to have a positive attitude about what you’re working on. Your attitude will show through on the final recording.