"Whether
you’re entering the studio for the first or fiftieth
time, embarking on a full-length album or a soundtrack
one-off, successful recordings start with some form of
pre-production. It could be as simple as a one-time
conversation with the studio manager to go over the
studio’s etiquette, layout, fees, and the specifics of
how your time in the facility will play out. But for
most projects, pre-production is a much more involved
process that allows the artists and production team to
define things like which songs will be recorded, the key
of each song, and their tempos.
Like any working relationship, the
producer, engineer, and artist work best when
parameters, expectations, and roles are clearly defined.
“The first part of courting a band is the personal
relationships,” says Drew Raison Raison of Big Sky
Audio in Springfield, PA, “and it’s about setting
boundaries. Some artists want a producer to help them
structure, shape, and create a final product. Some just
want a stunning recording of their material. My role as
a producer is about understanding somebody’s
vision.”
Pre-production is also the time when
producer and artist will sort out arrangements, solos,
lyrics, harmonies, instrumentation – everything that
plays into the song’s sound and structure. Finally,
pre-production answers questions regarding the physical
placement of people and instruments in the room. Is the
band recording live all at once? Is every instrument
going to be tracked separately? Headphones or a PA
system? Is this a three piece rock band or a 10-member
string band with a horn section? Every project has
it’s unique needs, and pre-production examines the
process of the recording."
Be prepared for your session(s)!
There are a number of things that can
adversely affect any recording session, or even bring it
to a grinding halt. Some of these are just common
sense, but you'd be surprised at what still happens on
recording day! I've arranged these by instrument:
Drums:
Are your heads new, tuned, and broken
in a little? Are they properly dampened to prevent
excessive over-ring? Are they the right heads for
each drum, and for your playing style? Do your
snares vibrate a lot when you hit your toms? Are
your pedals oiled so they don't squeak?
Guitars, including bass and other stringed
instruments:
Are your strings brand new, stretched
and broken in a little? Is your instrument set up
for action and intonation? If not, your
action may be too high to play easily, and/or in
tune. If it's too low, you will get excessive fret
buzzing. Is your output jack clean and tight?
Are your cords (including short patch cords) high quality
and in good shape? Does your processor or pedals
make a lot of noise?
Keyboards:
Not much can go wrong here, but make
sure you have all the sounds you need ready to go, and
don't forget your power cord, pedals, and any memory cards
you may use.
Vocals:
Make sure your singer(s) are fresh,
don't have a cold or worse, and don't try to play a
gig the night before your recording session! Bring
anything that helps your throat, like lemon, honey, tea,
or other throat friendly items.
In General:
Even if you take care of all these
things, unforeseen things can still happen. Having
your instruments looked at by a tech. can go a long way
for heading off potential problems. By all means,
have your songs selected and well-rehearsed to make sure
everyone has their parts down cold before booking a
session! Following all of this advice will prevent
you from having to make repairs or rehearsing on studio
time, which is a waste of money and avoidable. The
initial consultation or pre-production goes a long way to
expose any other recording day "surprises".
Why do bands still need professional recording
studios?
The reasons are simple really, and you might have
already realized some of them. Although you can
affordably buy the
greatest technology on the planet these days for
recording, there are several things you can't buy.
Those are: 1) You can't always buy the best
microphones for the right purpose, or know how to
position them properly. 2) Even if you do get
the right microphone in the right position, is the way
your amp or instrument set up optimized for
recording? Maybe not. Your killer "live"
setting or built-in pickup may present some significant problems to the
recording process. 3) Are all your members
isolated? Do they need to be? 4) Do you
know how to operate your recording software/hardware?
How about compression, limiting, appropriate effects and
levels? 5) Do you REALLY understand what EQ
is, does, and why and when you need to use it?
6) Do you understand, and have mastering
capability? 7) Lastly, you can't buy an
experienced trained "ear".
Please email or give me a call if you
have any specific questions and to set up an appointment
today!
