1. Get a very good night's sleep.
2. Agree on which track(s) you are going to record and get them
rehearsed as well as you can (with and without vocals if you are a
band!)
3. Change the strings on your guitar or bass the day before, and
make sure they are stretched in. They will sound new on the
day, but probably won't need re-tuning as much!
4. Re-Skin your snare or whole drum kit if you are bringing
your own.
5. Make sure you have plenty of plectrums, drum sticks, leads etc.
6. Bring some throat soothers for your singer...
7. If you are going to record to a click track, make sure your
drummer and bass player are comfortable with it.
8. May be worth getting alternative songs ready, just in case the
vibe is not on that day! |
1. Arrive on time, and get
tuned up.
2. Bring some CD's to show the engineer what you'd like to sound
like.
3. If you are used to your own amplifier bring it along, you know
how to get a good sound out of it!
4. Keep your guests ( friends and mother ) out! It's your
recording. Guests will distract you and may sway your opinion
of how the music should sound.
5. Unless you have unique effects, record individual tracks clean
and add effects later - this way you can change your mind.
6. Get the sound you want while recording. We don't buy
"fix it in the mix" as many studios do. Never assume
that you can fix an issue in the mix.
7. Determine a band spokesperson ahead of time. An engineer
getting five different opinions on how to mix will grow tired and
might cause him/her to rush through the job. Ultimately, too
many opinions will wreck your mixes.
8. If you like to indulge in drugs or alcohol, bear in mind that
these things do not enhance performance but actually hinder
performance. If you
indulge in such things before a session the end result could be far
worse than you imagined. The
celebrations should start once you've listened to your
work with a clear head and are happy with good results!
9. Guitarists, Bring a different guitar along with your main one,
using a different guitar for overdubs can make them stand out!
10. The voice is an instrument.....honestly. Practice before
going for a take.
11. Bring any previous recordings with you, pick out bits that you
don't like with them, and make the engineer aware of them, and any
suggested replacements etc. |
