Try to schedule your recording session at a time that does not conflict with anything else. It’s important to focus while recording and not be distracted by worrying about other appointments you may have the same day.
4. Know Your Material
It’s important to get the most time for your money when recording in a studio. Which is why it is critical to rehearse and know exactly what you want to perform BEFORE entering the studio. Try to create a “game-plan” of how you would like your session to go, such as: which songs to record in what order, vocal layers, what effects you wish to use, where solos will be played, etc. Also, be sure to make written copies of these notes for the studio. This will help the engineer better understand your vision of how your project should be.
5. Check Your Gear
Make sure all your equipment is working properly PRIOR to your scheduled session. Inspect your gear early enough should you have to send anything out to be repaired, which may take weeks depending on certain manufacturers. It’s also important to perform maintenance tasks on your equipment to achieve the highest level of quality possible during recording, such as: installing new strings on guitars, replacing worn drum heads, investing in high quality instrument cables and purchasing fresh batteries for guitars and effects pedals for each member of your project.
6. How Much Gear Should I Bring?
Due to a limited amount of space in the studio for storing equipment, it is suggested to only bring what you actually plan on using to record your project. Should you wish to use a different guitar for each song, then feel free to do so…it’s your project. We just ask to please be conservative with anything you “may not” need or use, as studio space tends to fill up rather quickly.
7. Health As an Issue
It is important to be in tip-top shape when entering the studio. Good stamina is very helpful as sessions can often go very long. Be sure to take care of your body and especially areas that directly reflect what you play or how you perform. Vocalists should drink plenty of “room-temperature” water, as cold/chilled water tends to be too abrasive on vocal cords while singing. Getting enough sleep the days before your recording date is also crucial for your endurance. Also, be aware of any allergies you may have. You may not want to reserve studio time at the beginning of seasonal changes when possibly your allergies are at their worst. Plan ahead.
8. What Should I Wear?
Dress comfortably in layers. Typical of all recording studios, we keep the temperature rather cool due to the amount of lights and computer gear present, but we also try to keep it comfortable for our clients as well. It is our advice to wear light layers to adapt as you record.
9. When’s Dinner?
Your session time is valuable, which is why you should consider eating BEFORE coming to the studio. Once a session has begun, there are no meal breaks. The tracking time clock continues through the duration of your scheduled session. Any breaks, meal or otherwise, would still be at the cost of the current recording/tracking hourly rate, so its best to eat before or wait until the end of your session.
10. Who Can I Bring To the Studio? It is suggested to ONLY bring those people DIRECTLY related to the actual recording process during your scheduled session, i.e. band members, producers, session musicians, or in the case of minors, parents or guardians. Being in a recording studio can be very exciting, but a crowded session can reduce the amount of concentration and productivity for your project. Keeping guests to a minimum provides a less distracting recording environment for both the artist AND engineer.11. Punctuality Is Key! Probably the MOST important tip for clients is to be on time. The clock starts at the time your session is booked for, not when you walk in. Being late only means paying for time that could be used for tracking. So it is imperative that you and/or band members arrive on time (unless told otherwise by the engineer). So give yourself enough driving time and plan ahead.