Pre Session Tips
As with any type of production preparation before starting not only ensures a better outcome but will also save you time and money. Nobody wants to spend more than they have to. That is why we have created this section not only to help you get the most out of you recording session but to also work out any of the details that can be dealt with outside the studio. Granted, some of this may not apply to you. Still it's a good idea to read it all. For a printable PDF, CLICK HERE!
1. PRODUCTION:
Try and work out all musical and vocal parts before coming in. You should never attempt to write in the studio, this not only consumes valuable time and money but slows the session down and breaks momentum.
2. GEAR:
Check and make sure all your equipment is working properly prior to your session. Broken or malfunctioning equipment not only can effect recording quality but it will also hinder your performance. This includes:
Fresh strings on all guitars as well as spares and don’t forget picks
Good quality guitar and instrument cables
Fresh batteries for all EFX pedals and pickups as well as spares (9V)
Make sure to remember your power cables and adapters
3.TIMING:
most industry professionals prefer to record with metronomes because timing integrity of all musical parts are very important for tracking, editing and mixing. We recommend using click tracks in the recording process, however some musicians don’t perform well with click tracks. If you don’t feel comfortable using one, then you don’t have to. Here are some points to consider when using click tracks.
Everyone in the band should try to practice and get comfortable playing to a metronome before coming
into the recording session.
Your timing performance will be very apparent in the studio and will affect the final product.
Recording can be very expensive for inexperienced musicians on tight budgets. Unless you have spent dozens of hours in a recording studio, it can be tough to envision how long things can take and how different recording to regular-old practicing in the garage. After spending 8-12 hours in a dimly-lit recording studio, you can easily lose perspective and damage your songs in the process. One thing bands can do on their own time is work out their songs during “pre-production” before going into the studio. Pre-production entails recording rough demos of the songs you will be recording to make sure all the parts are where they are supposed to be. Doing this will in turn yield shorter recording sessions and will keep more money in your pocket for either more studio time or for promotions. You can do this with even your smartphone!
Try Out Different Tempos
If you plan on recording with a metronome or “click track” I recommend that you try out different tempos before you go into the studio. There is a common illness called the-song-is-too-slow-itis that may ruin a good take of a song. Often times, drummers will feel like a song is too slow the first time you track with a specific tempo and will ask for the click to be sped up. 7 times out of 8, the slowness can be attributed to nerves or adrenaline, yielding a much faster take than the band had originally intended. By playing your song to different tempos prior to, you will know what the ideal pace will be.
Learn About the Process! (what I'm here for!)
By working on demos, you will get insight into the recording process and demystify some of what the engineer is doing in the studio. This greater understanding will increase your comfort level in the studio and allow you to better communicate with the engineer and producer. Pre-production is the work that the musicians and producer do before going into the studio. With effective pre-production, you can maximize your time in the studio by having carefully prepared things beforehand. This saves you time, money and frustration. Here are some general tips I made up below....
1. Make a Plan
Figure out in advance what instruments you will be using for what songs, who is playing what, the order of instruments to be recorded, etc. The biggest decision here is whether you will record everybody at once (live-off-the-floor), or will you multi-track one instrument at a time. In most cases you will likely be doing a combination of both - maybe record all the bed tracks together (drums, bass, rhythm guitar), then overdub everything else. This should be discussed with the producer - before you go into the studio of course.
2. Practice Properly
Have the band practice specifically for the recording session. This requires a slightly different mindset than when you rehearse for a live show. Pay specific attention to the song's arrangement and instrumentation. Try playing the song the way it will be played in the studio - just the bed tracks (i.e rhythm instruments, and with a click track (metronome).
When you record the bed tracks, there will likely be no guitar solo present. Do you know how many bars are to be played under the solo? It stinks when the band plays an 8-bar section, then finds out the solo should have been 16 bars two days later when the guitar solo is ready to be recorded. I speak from experience, folks. The same goes with vocals - you may not be given the opportunity to have the vocalist present while recording the bed tracks. Can you play the whole song without vocals and still arrive successfully at the end?
Confirm the arrangements. Does everyone agree on the number of verses and choruses, the length of the intro, the outro and the instrumental breaks? It's best to argue this out in the rehearsal room instead of the studio.
Make sure every player knows his/her parts. Don't wait until you get into the studio to find that someone hasn't fully prepared his part, or the solo is not finished yet, etc.
If you really want to be prepared, try to record your rehearsals. If you can, play the songs live and record them during the show. Then sit down and listen objectively to the recordings.
3. Setting the Tempos
You absolutely must set the tempo for each song in advance. If you try and figure out the tempo while in the studio, it will very likely be skewed. Worse yet, you probably won't realize the tempo is off until the half way through recording the subsequent instruments. Often it's the vocalist who will point out that the tempo is off, but by that time the drummer has gone home.
Also, it is best to set the tempo with the full band, NOT just at home with a guitar or keyboard. And be careful about choosing your tempo from a live show. The live tempos are often faster than you may want them to be in the studio.
4. The Russian' Dragon' Drummer (Drummers: prepare to have your feelings hurt)
Can your band's drummer play to a click track? Are you certain? As a producer, I've had to deliver the bad news to a band in the throes of recording that their drummer will essentially ruin the song if he/she doesn't learn to follow a click. Don't wait until the recording session to find out whether or not your drummer can cut it. Some drummers (and bands) say they prefer to record without a click track. Myself, I don't buy the excuse that "the band has a better feel when we're not restricting ourselves to a click track,"; or "The Rolling Stones never used a click track,"; etc. For the record, The Rolling Stones DID use a click for many of their recordings and, besides, if Charlie Watts is your drummer, you aren't going to have any tempo problems anyway. But if Charlie Watts is NOT your drummer, learn to play to a click.
If you still need convincing, consider the vocalist who sang the second chorus beautifully, but can't repeat the same magic on the other choruses, no matter how many takes you do. This will not be a problem if the song was recorded to a click track. The engineer has simply to copy and paste the vocal part from one chorus to the others. This is a 3-minute task, providing a click track had been used.
5. The Pitchy Singer
Can your singer sing in pitch? Are you certain? How do the vocals sound on the live and rehearsal recordings that you made in preparation for this session? Yes, there are vocal pitch correctors in most studios, but it is a much better use of your time to get it right during the recording. It won't hurt to do some voice lessons in advance.
6. For the Keyboard Players
Make sure the keyboardist has the patches all ready in advance. If you plan on using any loops or programmed parts, have them ready before you come to the studio.
7. Guitarists Guitar players
Are notorious for needing a ton of accessories to get their desired sounds - and forgetting said accessories at home. As the band leader, make sure your guitar player has everything he needs. If you ARE the guitar player, you probably have a gig checklist. Best to use it for your studio session as well.
8. Session Musicians
Are you using any session musicians? YES we at Logic Audio Productions can book one of our session players for your project.
Consider the difference between bringing in your cousin who played sax back in high school versus hiring a pro sax player who will do your song for $75 - $150. This may sound expensive, but with an amateur, it may take a couple of hours' worth of multi-tracking, punching in, editing and arguments before you realize that it's not working out. When you bring in a professional session player, your song will probably be done in one or two takes. Or he/she may do multiple versions from which to choose your favourite. Don't begrudge the player for having to pay the full fee, even if the job was finished in 15 minutes. Lastly, the pro player will also bring in pro gear that is certain to sound great and not fail during the session.
If possible, provide your session musicians with an advance recording, either a quick mix of the session so far (best choice), or at least your band practice demo or the like. He or she will need a chart, lead sheet or the actual music transcribed (if you know precisely what you want played). Some instruments inherently come with musicians who can improvise a part on the fly (i.e. guitar, bass, drums, sax, trumpet, keyboards, violin), while others will almost always require sheet music (cello, viola, violin, clarinet, flute).
9. Use Quality Instruments
Please come to the studio with decent musical instruments. Consider this: a good studio microphone will accurately reproduce the sounds in front of it. And although the sounds can be modified or tweaked in the recording studio, it is ALWAYS best to provide the best sound possible from your actual instrument. A cheap Walmart guitar and amplifier, when mic'd with a $1000 condenser mic into a deluxe tube preamp, will still sound like a cheap guitar. You can't polish a turd. We do have a few guitars here in the studio.
You will want to have your instruments set up in advance of the session. Guitars in particular can lose their intonation quite quickly, and you don't want to wait until you are in the studio to find that it won't hold its tuning. New strings, possibly new tubes for the amplifier, new skins for the drums, new reeds for your woodwinds: all of these things will contribute to a great recording session. As for the drum-set, are you certain you want to use your own drums? Consider that the studio kit will be tuned and acclimatized to the room. It is very possible you will spend two hours convincing your own drums to sound wonderful. And don't even get me started on those squeaky kick pedals.
10. Bring Supplies
Make a checklist of supplies to bring with you to the studio. Start with your gig checklist (extra strings, sticks, cables, batteries, etc), then consider adding the following: - books or magazines (because you will be spending time waiting, even if you are the band leader taking the helm) - water bottle (not just for singers) - aspirin or Tylenol - food and snacks (unless the studio has an on-site restaurant)
A1 - HEALTH:
Lastly, the night before the session, get some sleep. Come into the studio relaxed, refreshed and ready to put on a fantastic performance. Prepare yourself the same way you would the night before participating in a major sporting event. Although not as physically demanding as an NFL game, it can be almost as taxing on your senses. So get some rest and leave the celebration till after the session is completed!
A2 - DOCUMENTATION:
HAVE ALL YOUR LYRICS and NOTES PRINTED on paper with spare copies for all band members and engineers. Even if it's memorized! It's amazing how easily you can forget lyrics while in the studio. Chord charts might be a bit more trouble to produce, but they too can be invaluable in the studio.
To Sum It Up: This was not meant to hurt any ones feelings!
In the recording studio, you will be under the microscope, something that can be quite disconcerting and humbling. You may think you are incredibly talented by the way your fans scream at your live shows, but the recording studio will show you (and anyone who listens to your song) what you REALLY sound like, warts and all. The old saying, "the tape never lies"; is a fact.
Indeed, there are many studio tricks you can employ, especially with digital recording, but studio editing can be time-consuming and costly. It is always better to record things properly the first time than to try and fix it in the mix.
If you actually read all this here congratulations! These are in my experience great tips to HELP YOU, the artist create what your coming to my studio for. So let's have some fun and produce something GREAT!
--- Logic Audio Productions 2017
