Reading many forums online I have come across many instances
of artists asking “I am hitting the studio next week, what do I need to do?”
When I see that post it makes me quiver just a little. Not for the sake of the engineers
involved, but the artist as well. If you are not prepared to enter the studio,
it cannot only be a waste of time, but also money! Through my experience, and
also taking a few great tips from Blue
Room Music Studio; I am going to give you some tips to get ready to record
your album!
Here is my top 10 list of tips to get ready to hit the studio
Practice, practice, practice! – How do you know when it’s enough? A great album is recorded when the band can come in and have minimal mistakes that involve ‘forgetting’ parts. I am not saying you HAVE to be flawless, but by the words of the great Veit Renn “Do it perfectly 8 times, then you know you are ready to go.”
Singers, Know the lyrics! – This piggybacks off of tip #1 a bit. If a singer is reading off of his or her lyric sheet, believe me you can hear it in the take. I don’t even have to see you doing it to know. Music should be felt, and reading off the sheet takes away from the emotions you are trying to compel in your words.
Leave it all at the door! – When you come to the studio, keep your personal problems at the door. The studio is a place to let the emotions fly through your words, not through anger or being miserable. The studio should be a relaxing place and a great experience to remember for years. Take it all in!
Rest up! – You should give yourself a few days rest before hitting the studio, especially the vocalists! You are going to be doing quite a few takes yourself in the studio and if you strain your voice, this can be a huge issue! The other band mates should rest as well.
Don’t Bring Friends or Family! – The studio is not a stage. Quite often if I see bands recording while a family member is in the control room the singer or musician plays pretty terribly; kind of like they don’t want to get made fun of or get criticized by their guest. I recall an instructor from my tenure at Full Sail say he was working with an artist that their mother was in the control room barking orders at them as they did their takes. The producer kicked the mother out, and the next take from the vocalist was flawless!
Don’t Change Songs! – The studio is not a rehearsal hall. The studio should not be a place where you decide to write a new track, completely change a section of your song, or try to play Free Bird as fast as you can. Going back to rule # 1, practice what you are going to do at the studio. I am not saying changes in songs aren’t welcomed in the studio, but keep them at a minimum.
Be Respectful! – Leave your ego at the door with your problems. There is nothing worse than an egotistical person entering the studio that their head is taking up more headroom than your snare drum! When you walk through the door of a studio, we already respect you for giving us your business, return the favor and respect us for helping you get your art to the world.
Be Prepared! – Bring extra drum sticks, guitar picks, strings, drum heads, etc. 99% of the time we don’t have extras laying around; especially the exact heads you are accustomed to that will give you the same sound you want to be on the record!
Practice with a metronome! – Most studios and engineers align your tracks based on a tempo grid. This grid is the BPM of your song, and this is pretty much the heartbeat of your track. Do yourself a favor and practice your songs with a metronome to not only make your engineer’s life easier, but it will also better yourself as a musician to boot!
Have Fun – I can’t stress this enough. If you come in the studio with a heavy weight of the world on you, then the whole experience may be a negative one. The studio is a place that many dream to see one day, and it is a place where your emotions come to life on a soundscape. Take a breath, take it all in, and lay the track down like there is no tomorrow!
These tips are not gospel by any means, but they are just general
things out there that can help you get prepared for the studio. There are so
many more tips out there, if you want to see many more check out Suspect Studios' tips page.
They have a lot of great information as well surrounding prep, also a great
article on the good and bad of a home recording. Please feel free to ask any
questions or email myers570@gmail.com
with your own tips!
