Things to Know About Recording
Before entering the Studio

1. Record yourself playing and practicing every opportunity you get. You don’t want to get into the studio and then realize you really didn’t have your performance as tight as you thought you did. Everyone should know exactly what is expected of them before you ever enter the studio (drummer should know how to play to click track, parts arranged and order of recording already planned, etc.)

 

2. Make sure that prior to the session everyone who is expected to perform is well rested and healthy, the clock runs with or without breaks to re-hydrate and use the restroom, etc.

3. In the digital age, more and more studios are being used for mixing and mastering previously recorded parts and/or adding things that are not accessible at “home-studios”. Make sure you are happy with everything that you bring in so that you are not wasting your time or the engineers’ time rethinking your masterpiece, and replacing parts that were previously acceptable.

 

4. Always have more material prepared and ready to be recorded on the spot then you are planning on having recorded. You never know when a session will go smoother then expected, or when a particular song doesn’t have the same feeling on track as it does live.

5. As a rule of thumb you should always be early, and never late. Complications are the norm and not the exception even in a facility where the reputation for performance is excellent, your equipment or theirs may cause unexpected delays (tubes burn out, cords may have shorts, etc.).

 

6. It is important as an artist to be comfortable in the environment that you will be recording. If you are not comfortable for any reason, you should probably think twice about investing your time and energy in a project that you aren’t able to put 100% of yourself into.

7. On the issue of being fully vested you should make sure that both you and the engineer have the same final vision for the project. At Mattlind for example, we like to meet with clients before the session time is set up to talk about goals and make sure we can meet if not exceed the criteria that is needed and/or wanted.

 

8. Because we offer the above service, there is no need for you as an artist to have to worry about running out of track room or even worry about how the room will need to be set up because it is already prefabricated for your personal needs. If you are recording at another facility this is something that you should take into consideration.

9. Make sure that you not only have new strings on stringed instruments, but new drum heads and sticks. Not only is it important to have new strings, sticks, heads, etc., but also that they have had enough time to adjust so that they don’t go out of tune in the middle of an otherwise perfect take. Make sure that you do tune at every opportunity. Bring extra strings etc. also so that the session isn’t thrown due to a minor mishap.

 

10. Technology is an incredible attribute to digital recording. If you make a mistake in an otherwise great take the engineer can either “punch” you back in on top of it or even make corrections digitally in some cases. This being said, you should always do the best you can and not assume that it will be taken care of for you later.

 

11. The recording studio should be looked at as a serious business and not a place to bring your friends and hang out. Guests can cause unwanted distractions and also impart their opinions onto your music. This is not the job of your friends, unless they are the ones being paid.

12. Remember to listen to your music at different levels through different speakers. A mix on a million dollar studio sound system will not sound the same as your car stereo.

 

13. Make sure you have the studio time logged and track listings before you leave for your own piece of mind. Do not push your ears past their normal level of strain, this will cause you to hear things differently after a certain amount of time. Sometimes it is better to leave things till the next session.

14. Make sure that everyone is clear on who will be representing the band and making decisions. It is hard to make 4 or 5 people agree on anything ahead of time much less under pressure.

 

15. Trust your judgment when picking a team to work with, and remember that the engineers/producers are also trained musicians (or should be) whose income depends on knowing how to make you sound your best.

16. Always make sure that you have extra copies of the final mix, accidents happen. It is also important to make sure that you know what type of files to ask for (wav, aiff, mp3, etc.). Don’t assume anything!

 

17. Have unforeseen variables counted into your budget equation. Accidents happen.