Preparing For the Recording Studio

photo credit: huangjiahui

Every band longs for the moment they have enough material to get into the studio and record their magnum opus for the world to consume. You spend countless hours at practice writing and re-writing your parts until they are just right. Finally, you decide to research studios and book your first session.

I am going to assume that you take the time to research your studio options thoroughly and consider more than just the price in making your final decision. (We’ll save that for another post) After all, your studio of choice must have the equipment and experience to capture your future masterpiece. Right?

But what about YOU? Yeah YOU!

Sometimes it can be so easy to get lost in our expectations of other people and their tools that we can lose sight of our own responsibilities. As musicians, we are responsible for holding up our end of the deal. How can we expect the engineer to shine if we are not up to par?

Make a List

Before you slap down that deposit for your first session, make the band sit down and create their own check list for the studio.  Each member will have their own needs so each list will be unique to that player. These lists should include everything you can think of that you need to prepare for the studio like strings, sticks, honey, whatever you need to get you and your instrument into perfect shape for a session.

Things to Consider

As I said before, each member will have a different list of needs but here are a few to consider before making that big step.

photo credit: dave.kobrehel

Drummers

New Heads

I’ve seen drummers come into the studio with the same heads that came with the set back in ‘89. This is an absolute no no. If they are fairly new, you should be OK but if we’re talking years then buck up and do the deed. You can’t expect the drum gods to smile down on you when you have dead, flat, dimpled, drum heads. Not to mention you will not get the most out of your set.

If you decide you need new heads, try to put them on at least two weeks before the session to give you time to break them in a bit and tune tune tune them. No one wants to see the drummer show up with new heads at the first session. This could get you hurt by the engineer or other band members.

Squeaks & Rings

Drums are naturally noisy instruments. That’s the point right? But you need to make sure they are making the right noises. Spend some time at practice listening to your set for excessive squeaking or ringing. This will be amplified ten fold once you get to the studio. Taking time upfront to address some of these issues could shave a significant amount of time off of your studio setup time.

Supplies

Part of your list should be dedicated to extra supplies you may need. The last thing you want to do is have to stop a session because you didn’t bring enough sticks. Extra supplies like sticks, duct tape, pillows/papers towels for dampening, and grease for your pedals are great to have around just in case.

photo credit: PPandM

Guitar & Bass Players

Action & Intonation

One of best things you can do as a  guitar player is to get your action and intonation checked before you record. This is probably one of the most over looked steps with the most potential consequence in the studio. A well tuned playable guitar goes a long way.

Buzzes & Hums

Now we all know that hums & buzzes can be the nature of the beast when it comes to guitars but we should all do our due diligence in preventing as much as we can. If you have excessive hum or buzz in your rig the you should take the time to comb through your signal chain to find out where it is. It may be time consuming but at least you’re not doing it with the studio clock ticking.

Supplies

I can’t stress enough the benefit of having a supply list. Extra picks, cords, strings, and even an extra guitar can be a quick fix that could otherwise result in wasted studio time waiting for someone to run to Guitar Center for something you could have had with you.

photo credit: Incase.

Singers… No Really

Singers can make a big mistake if they think they are the only one that doesn’t need a list. You may not have a big equipment list like everyone else but you should always keep in mind that you will be in the studio for awhile and it can be hard on your voice if you are not prepared.

Warm Up & Take Care

It is always good to find yourself a warm-up technique you can go though before it’s your turn to record. Some singers like to coat their throat with honey before they sing. Some like drinking hot tea or coffee. Whatever your vice to get you kick started PUT IT ON THE LIST.

Supplies

Even if you have your lyrics memorized, bring a notebook with several copies of your lyrics. You should always give your engineer and producer a copy so they can help you along the way.  Lyric sheets make good reference points when referring to sections of a song.

Always bring extra paper & pencils for notes and playing hangman when the guitar player is recording solos.

photo credit: adactio

The Whole Band

Once each member gets their list together you should all create a band list. This list may consist of everything from sheet music, arrangement sheets, bottled water, sandwiches, and whatever you may need to make your session go smoothly.

Conclusion

I am just scratching the surface here but you get the idea. Being prepared can save you a significant amount of time and headache in the studio. A minute here and a minute there all add up to cash that can either stay in your pocket or pay for extra time you need to record & mix your project. Hopefully you can take this idea to your next session and be all that more productive and happy when it’s all said and done.

Use the comments section below to give us all some more ideas for studio preparation. What has helped you out of the wrong kinda jam?