How To Prepare For A Studio Session

Know Your Songs

This is probably the most important point of this list. Every band member should play their parts perfectly. It can get really frustrating when everyone has to repeat the same take multiple times because someone doesn’t have their part down. And most important, it wastes your precious studio time.

You should also know your songs inside and out because chances are, the producers will ask you to try some new ideas, parts, or arrangements and you should be ready to perform them. Producers work with sound, musicians and equipment every day, so consider their input. Sometimes the best recordings come from those on the fly suggestions or inspirations.

Also, make sure your songs are finished. Writing songs in a studio is an expensive waste of time. Half-written songs are for your home studio or rehearsal studio. And practice, practice, practice!

Provide Demo Recordings

Having decent demos to send to the studio prior to the recording is a great way to lay the foundations of what you want out of a session. This way, the producers and engineers will have an idea of instrumentation and song length, which will help them determine which microphones to use, how to set up amps, and what general equipment you will need to make your recordings sound amazing. It would also be helpful to have a back-up of your songs with you just in case you need to play something for your producer or engineer.

Have Goals (But Prepare To Improvise)

Having a rough idea of how many songs you want to record and the length of time you want to work on each song are important goals. However, it is important to realise that these goals may change. Sometimes set-up takes longer than it should, sometimes a piece of gear just breaks or doesn’t work, and sometimes you have to do a few extra takes. All of these are fine, but you should be prepared for hiccups and leave time for unforeseen events. If your budget allows, you may want some time for experimentation as well.

Check Your Gear

You will want to make sure that all of your cables, pedals, drumheads, cymbals, strings, and whatever else you plan on bringing into the studio are working at their best. Bring some back

up gear, as hiring replacement amps (for example) can get pretty pricey. If you have a special microphone or piece of equipment you want to use, bring it! It may also be beneficial to ask what kind of equipment a producer likes to work with (for example, new guitar strings versus broken in strings).

Research the studio

This might seem like common sense, but you should find out where the studio is and how long it will take to get there. Find out who works there, learn their names, and find out what kind of equipment and DAWs they use. You may also want to provide them with a tech rider or stage plot to make things easier. Do you need to bring your guitar amp, or do they have a vintage Vox you’ve been dreaming of using? Is there a great vocal microphone already there, or do you have something special you want to have the studio utilize?

Be well rested

Do not come into the studio hungover, late, and stinking of last night’s gig. Maintaining professionalism within a commercial studio is important. Ideally, you would want your producers and engineers to leave the studio talking about a great band or musician they just worked with and the great songs they played. Get a good night’s sleep, have some breakfast, and ensure everyone arrives on time with their game faces on!

Prepare for long days

Depending on what your goals are and what you have booked, you may be looking at several 10-12 hour recording days. Get good sleep, bring food with you (if you are allowed), and find out if there are places nearby to eat. Try to be patient with everyone as well – you will all be spending a lot of time together in close spaces. Kindness and an easy-going nature are essential. (See our blog post on “How to Communicate with Your Sound Engineer”)

Mix And Record On Different Days

Most likely, you will not be part of the mixing process, as most producers and engineers do this without the artist present (as they should). They will send you mixes following recording, and this will be the time to adjust levels and discuss the mix. Just ensure that you are not wasting your valuable recording time asking about sound levels. At the end of the session, you will hear a basic recording of what you have accomplished as many producers and engineers do a simple mix on the fly.

The Last Note

Shoot for the stars! These are the tracks you want to release to the world, and you owe it to yourself to make them as great as possible. Know your songs and your parts, be well rested,

and do your homework. Great memories can be formed in the studio, amazing work can be done, and lasting relationships can be formed if you work hard!