Turn It Up to 11: How You Can Make the Most Out of Your Recording Session

Turn It Up to 11: How You Can Make the Most Out of Your Recording Session

You don’t need to be told that hiring a recording studio isn’t cheap. So, if you or your bandmates are footing the bill, you won’t have too many opportunities to get it right. The problem is that if you don’t have a lot of experience, you are likely to make a lot of mistakes. As you can imagine, this could lead to your booked time being wasted. To prevent this, see below for how you can make the most of your session:

Be On Time

This may seem simple enough, but it should be mentioned. There is no room for being fashionably late to a recording session. Not only is it rude, butit also means that you are foregoing the precious minutes you could be using for practice. There is also the chance that the studio may give your slot awayif they don’t think you are going to turn up. Always try to get there a little early and warm up so that you can start recording immediately.

Have a Goal

Prior to booking the recording session, ask yourself: what do you hope to accomplish during this time? The answer will change from musician to musician. Make a step-by-step list of what you want to do, whether it is recording tracks or vocals. Also, if you want to record multiple songs, write down the order in which you will be performing them. Although this may sound tedious, it will save you time and money.  

Make All of the Musical Decisions Beforehand

A lot of musicians misunderstand what a recording session is meant to do. Thus, they end up wasting a lot of time fine-tuning parts of the song or working on their music. All this needs to be handled beforehand. By the time you start recording, you need to know just how you are going to sing and play your songs. This is why practice is so important in the weeks and days leading up to the session. It is during this time that you should create a cohesive and permanent sound for yourself or your band.

Show Up With Quality Gear

Your beat-up equipment may have gotten you just fine through practice sessions but your recording session won’t be the same. Not to mention, recording equipment like instrument mics tends to be more sensitive and will pick up all those odd noises your guitar or drums make. So, if possible, invest in some new gear for the recording. At the very least, try to rent or borrow better equipment. You should make it a point to test out these instruments ahead of time, just so you are comfortable with them.

Listen to Your Sound Engineer

It doesn’t matter how talented you are as a musician, there are some things you may not understand. This includes sound engineering and all the work that goes into recording and reproducing a sound. This is why you should always listen to the sound engineer that has been assigned to you – he or she knows best. So, make it a point to stay out of their way and heed any advice they may give you. It will pay off in the long run.  

These are a few things to keep in mind before your recording session. This way, you will show up fully prepared and ready to make the most of it.

Author Bio:

Natalie grew up in a household surrounded by musicians and music. Naturally, she gravitated towards that industry rather early on in life and has never looked back. These days, she spends her time looking for new sounds, musicians, and anything related to guitars. She also shares her findings with anyone willing to listen.