26/03/2012
The following are some guidelines that can take you a long way toward getting a great recording...
Be rested and show up on time; do not bring friends, this is about hard work. Use comfortable and quiet clothes; the mic's are very sensitive, so avoid unwanted noises.
Make sure you have rehearsed a lot!! I cannot stress enough the importance of this statement. The quality of the sound comes mainly from the musician's fingers on the instrument and thier vocals.
Make sure you have setup tempos for your songs (know the BPM, it is useful to know it when you do not use a click track), and it is a good idea to get used to play along a click track. If you have
never used the click track, then do not try right in the middle of a recording session, it's not going to produce results.
If you sing and play an instrument at the same time, try to get used to only playing or singing; it will be easier to get a better sound recording the instrument and the voice separately, even
though, I have to say it, the technical aspects are less important than getting a great performance on the tape.
A well rehearsed person will have an easy recording session. Recording is hard work, it makes no sense to argue whether it should be a solo over one or two verses; studio time is expensive,
rehearsal time is not, there will be enough pressure anyway, so have all the song arrangements figured out and have fun with the tunes. Do not forget the old saying: “less is more” and “more is
less”.
It is widely accepted by the greatest recording engineers that, when it comes to the sound quality, the player/band/artists account for 60-70%, the rest being the room (recording space), the mic
position and the type of mic/preamp!
It always takes time to do the set up for the session. Be patient, recording takes longer than just playing the song. The mics and level set up are essential for the recording quality, so be
prepared to wait. Try to help by having your gear ready to go before the session, so the time is not wasted.
Consider laying the drum tracks for all the song you want to record in the first sessions- the drum set up is laborious and it can take time. On the next session, the band can go into overdubs and
save time.
Always listen carefully at what you just recorded!! The engineer may not be able to know that something is wrong in the performance; and sometimes you can point sound problems to the engineer!
Wasting money by not listening is a huge mistake!
Always remember that, if you want to get a very personal sound, you need time to experiment; without experimentation, there would be no "Sgt. Pepper's..." or "Time"- Pink Floyd, or Phil Collins'
gated drums and so many others. But that also takes time...
Write down the title of each song; provide as many details as you can, including the key of the songs (or the key for each part of the song). This is really helpful at the editing stage - for voice
correction and for instruments like acoustic bass, strings, etc.
VOCAL TIPS
Start with simple things like reading stories from the newspaper aloud, and exercise, perhaps a 2 mile walk to push oxygen and wake up. (Some days are slower than others)
Relax by starting with some stretches and breathing exercises, followed by a series of tongue twisters, which get the brain-mouth connected and the articulators fluidly working. You can also have
room-temperature water in hand just about all the time while working, as some sessions take hours.
Another way to prepare for long jobs is by taking a vocal rest. (Not speaking or stressing the voice in any way.) Always refrain from loud talking, and screaming.
