Recording Tips!!
Before You Go In
1. Record your songs during live gigs and pre-production rehearsals. Even a simple cassette recording on a boom box may reveal weak parts of songs.
2. Have all the musical and vocal parts worked out. (Know your guitar solos!)
3. Using a computer or sequencer? Prepare all sequenced material before the session.
4. If you plan to use a click track, make sure your drummer is comfortable playing to it. (To get tight, practice to a click track at a very slow tempo.)
5. Rehearse more songs than you plan to record. You never know which songs will sound strong on the final tape. (If you plan to have a four-song EP, prepare six songs just in case.)
6. Take care of your body before and during your recording sessions. East well, get enough sleep and keep your ears rested and clear.
Setting Up
7. Be early! At some studios, the clock starts running whether you're there or not. Find out about their cancellation policy as well.
8. Make the studio a comfortable and relaxed place. If it's not, it will show in your finished product.
9. Make sure you and the engineer have the same vision - go over your songs with him/her before recording. Before booking your studio time, ask to hear other material the engineer recorded.
10. Depending on whether your studio has 8, 16, 14 or 48-track capability, plan out how you will leave room for all of the essential parts. This should simplify the mix and eliminate the need for bouncing track later.
11. Use new strings, cord, drum sticks and heads - and bring spares!
12. Find out the hours of the local music store jut in case . . . .
13. Don't use new gear or different equipment that you haven't used before, even if it's "better than what you have." Surprises can cause problems.
The Recording Process
14. Remember, its emotion and feeling that make the best song, not necessarily the best technical rendition.
15. If you mess up a part while recording, don't stop and start over. That can easily cause you to burn out. Instead, check to see if the engineer can punch in the correction.
16. You don't have to fill all the tracks on the tape - don't try to force something that wont fit.
17. Always keep in mind the focus of your music. If it's the vocals, plan to spend the most time on them; don't waste time on the things that don't highlight the focal point.
18. Get the sound you want while recording. (Never assume that you can fix it in the mix.)
19. Unless you have unique effects, record individual tracks clean and add effects later.
20. Don't necessarily double track everything. Double a lead vocal can hide all the subtleties that make a song personal and likable (although it can work well for a chorus).
21. Know when to quit for the day. If you're tired, it will show.
22. Keep guests out! It's your recording. Guests will distract you and may sway your opinion of how the music should sound.
23. Make backup copies after every recording session.
24. Tune up often
25. Singers: always bring water but don't use ice! Ice constricts your vocal chords. Hot teas with lemon and honey works well to relax your vocal chords.
26. Always get a track listing and accurate time log from the studio.
Monitoring the Mix
27. Listen to your music at moderate levels in your car or on the boom box. This is how most of your fans will listen to it, and mixing at loud levels will fatigue your ears and distort the "true" sound.
28. Sometimes its' good to take a day off and come back to listen. The same applies for mix down. Ears don't last very long in the studio!
29. As you review each mix. Make sure you can comfortable hear all of the instruments. Tweak the mix on a small pair of speakers at an extremely low volume. Headphones are also very valuable at this stage, but don't bas your final decision on them. You should be able to pick up each instrument even at this level.
30. Know when to quit for the day. You're better of quitting a session early when you're tired than wasting time making a bad mix that will have to be redone anyway.