How to get the best results from your Studio Recording Session
by CYV Industries Online Marketing ConsultancyPreparing
for a Studio Recording Session can be an overwhelming task. Recording your
music can be expensive and time consuming but it can also be a rewarding
experience leaving you with a product you can be proud of for years to come; with
careful and considered pre-planning you can put yourself in the best possible
position to make the most of the opportunity.
Efficient
Time Management
Getting
ready for the studio session can be chaotic, especially if you’ve not organised
things beforehand.
Have all
of the songs written prior to recording. If you play in a band, allocate roles
to all of the members so that people know what they are doing. Rehearsing at
home will save you a lot of time and money.
Practicing
will also improve your performance, which will affect the quality of the record.
You should also be certain of the quality of the equipment. Guitar strings
should be changed in advance. Waiting for something to go wrong at the studio
in order to fix it will interfere with the session and is a classic case of
“planning to fail”.
Have a
Budget
Decide on
a specific amount that you are willing to spend on the recording session and
the production of your album.
Many
performers and bands believe that they will be done with the recording session
quickly. Quite often, the process is lengthier than initially planned. If you
require more hours for studio recording than initially planned, then expect
this to naturally inflate the initial cost as well.
Estimate
the number of hours you will need and add a few more incase you run over. Make
your budget calculations on the basis of these hours. It’s always best to have
an idea of how much you “may” end up spending, rather than getting an
unpleasant surprise at the end.
Be
Mentally Prepared
Have
enough hours of sleep before going to the studio. Recording your music can be a
physically challenging task, especially if you need many hours. Being in the
right state of mind will make things easier.
Drinking
and recreational activities the night before may sound cool but they are
usually a bad idea. Work on your focus and your commitment. Refrain from paying
attention to distractions and try to play your music or to sing as naturally,
as possible.
Always
listen to the outcome before moving on. You may think that it sounds great while
recording it but things may sound a little different when examining it much
later on. It’s normal to feel that a certain take you’ve done isn’t good
enough. It’s ok to do re-takes until you feel you’ve nailed it but try to agree
a cut-off point. It’s easy to lose track of time obsessing over every little
bit of detail, especially when you’re
aiming for perfection.
A Few Additional
Tips and Ideas
If you
have a drummer, make sure that the person arrives at the studio a couple of
hours before the rest of the band. The extra time would be wisely spent setting
up the instruments up consulting the sound engineer.
All band
members should go through a sound check before recording starts. Keep noise to
a minimum and allow the engineer to focus on the task at hand.
Your
producer should have a demo of the songs that you are planning to record at the
studio. All of the production ideas and your specialised requirements are best
discussed and agreed ahead of time. Leaving creative ideas and other aspects of
the recording process to the last minute could be a source of disagreement and
frustration and could just eat up precious studio time.
Being
prepared, rehearsing and making sure that the instruments are in top condition
will only help to ensure the quality of the recording session and give you the
best possible opportunity to cut that killer track.
Author:
Eva Brandt is a trained sound engineer with
experience in both studio and live recording.
She is a coach at “Ultimate Artists” and a panel
member of the Rockschool examination board. With over 20 years’ experience as a
vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer, she is also the co-owner and
manager of Hampstead Music & Voice Studio in North London.
For more information please visit: http://hmvs.co.uk/
Call: 020 7692 5869 or 07984
980 626
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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.