Tips for recording for the first time

RayO5421 · #1 06-16-2009, 12:42 PM

Hello everyone,
I've been playing in a new band for about 3 months now. Its a lotta fun, everyone is cool and great musicians. We practice pretty constantly and I've played out with them on a few shows now (I'm the new guy!).

We think we're about ready to record our first 5 song EP. They have recorded some demo material before I was in the band and the sound quality is sub-par. We are heading into the singer's friend's home studio sometime in the near future to record.

Now I have done some recording in other bands/projects but nothing that could actually be considered great quality. Everyone is really passionate about recording something we can all be proud of and sell at shows.

Even with my past recording experiences, I feel like I'm taking a jump into the unknown with this. Any advice you can offer for someone taking their first steps into a studio would be greatly appreciated. I'm having my bass setup and am practicing constantly with and without the band so I can know my parts down tight.

Anyone got anything to offer? Thanks!

NKBassman · #2 06-16-2009, 12:59 PM

From my limited but fairly successful experience:

- For great tone AND ease of recording, do yourself a favor and GET A SANSAMP!!!
I have the RBI rackmount one, which has both 'dry' and 'wet' balanced signal outputs. When we record, we usually take both straight into the board and blend/eq them later to find the best tone for each song.

- Put on new strings the night day before you go into record and break them in a little bit

- TUNE BEFORE EVERY TAKE! Whether your bass keeps good tune or not, always check before you start recording!

- High quality cables are always a good investment too

Seriously though, get a sansamp, or borrow one from a friend... you won't regret it. You can't beat the tone for 'amature' recording, and theres no need to lug any kind of heavy, bulky bass equipment into the studio. Plus, the engineer will LOVE you for it!

fendervox · #3 06-16-2009, 01:11 PM

Here is a blog post I did on my site that discusses my take on recording and studios: http://www.thisblogrocks.com/?p=99

As for what you should be prepared for, here are my thoughts. I've been in a lot of studios, some that have probably $2,000 worth of gear, others that easily have over $500,000 worth of gear. We even spent $12,000 recording an album, so here is my advice.

1) Get new strings - new strings sound great and will really add to the quality of the recording. If you were ever going splurge on some strings, definitely do it now.

2) As NKBassman said, Tune, tune, tune. Always make sure that you are in tune. And also just as important... make sure that everyone else is in tune. If your guitar player puts on a capo, get him to tune with the capo on!

3) Really know your part! This is crucial. I honestly laid my tracks in around 3 hours. I think the most takes I ever did of the same track were 3 or 4. Even the studio guys complimented this. Lets face it, they'll get pretty tired hearing the same mistakes over and over and over, etc. Needless to say, it also saves you time and money.

4) DO NOT let a mistake slide. If you make a mistake but think it isn't really that noticeable, think again. Redo it, its worth it. If you let it slide, you are going to notice it every time you listen to that track and it will get louder and louder and louder.

5) Relax. Studios are meant to be fun, not stressful. Enjoy yourself, ask questions. Be confident in yourself and your music and really enjoy your experience.

Hope this has helped a little! Good luck!

HogieWan · #4 06-16-2009, 01:15 PM

I have a home studio setup. I feel that my work in said studio is approaching most commercial studio work. A lot of people have a "home studio" with amazing gear but don't know how to make it sound great. My stuff is probably not great, but be wary of what some random dude can do for you.

PM after the recording is done if you want a second opinion or a remix or master

HogieWan · #5 06-16-2009, 01:16 PM

fendervox has some GREAT advise.

DeluxeRed · #6 06-16-2009, 01:17 PM

Prepare as much as possible in advance. Don't start fiddling with that new effect or change your part at the last minute (unless you have solid dollars to burn in the studio--in that case, go for it!). And help make sure everyone ELSE is prepared, too, so you don't burn your time while the guitard (et al) is fiddling with the new effect or changing their part at the last minute.

DeluxeRed · #7 06-16-2009, 01:19 PM

And, if I may suggest: put someone in charge. Someone has to have a final say on decisions. It can be someone in the band or an outside "producer", but someone has to be able to end endless discussions or select from endless options so you can move on.

NKBassman · #8 06-16-2009, 01:25 PM

Fendervox nailed it!

Also, bring beer! haha
This doesn't work for everyone, but as fendervox said, it's important to RELAX and have fun with it most of all, and thats what works for me.

However, as I play in a fairly heavy band, a little frustration and aggression can sometimes be the difference between an alright take and THE take.

secombs · #9 06-16-2009, 01:31 PM

In addition to all the great advice already said..

Make sure you are comfortable playing with a click. Practice with a metronome.

I wouldn't recommend trying out a different set of strings than you already use. Just get a new set of the same brand and gauge you are comfortable with.. especially after it is setup.

Find out what gear you may need to bring beforehand. Sansamp stuff it great if the engineer doesn't have something like that already. At least make sure he has a decent DI. I did a session last week and the producer informed me he had the Ampeg SVX plugin so I didn't need an amp. I just need my Radial JDI and ran strait in and got some great tones!

Make sure you don't over-EQ the signal. You can always manipulate a dry sound later but it's harder to work with a tone that turns out to be overly bassy or too distorted. You may want to track a couple different tones so you have more to work with.

anonymous02282011 · #10 06-16-2009, 01:36 PM

bring a book, a water bottle and some snacks.

recording can be a slow and arduous process. be patient and persistent; don't let the guard down on your 'critical ear'.

JmJ · #11 06-16-2009, 01:48 PM

Practice before the session with headphones. Unless you are able to sit in the control room & hear your bass from the speakers this is most likely how you will be recorded.
It may seem claustrophobic at first, doing it at home will get you used to the process.

phall2112 · #12 06-16-2009, 01:51 PM

All that has been said above. My biggest problem from my 1/2 dozen or so times in the studio is the mix. Do not settle for anything that you are unhappy with. I have several disc's that i cant listen to because they sound like warm poo. Thousands of dollars worth of gear in the hands of somebody with no ear, is worthless. Oh yeah, once the disc is mixed, try it on SEVERAL diffirent stereo's. What may sound good on studio monitors. May sound like garbage in a car, or a home stereo.

Nick Kay · #13 06-16-2009, 02:03 PM

Set out a strict plan and timeline, and stick to it. On a shorter release like an EP, my plan of attack is to drop scratch tracks that are extremely tight to clicks and discuss tonality and direction on the first day. Second day, all takes for drums and bass are done. Third day, rhythm guitars and keys. Fourth day, lead overdubs. Fifth day is the mix, although this could take up to a day for each song if you're trying to polish turds. To make things easier on vocalists, you spread the singing out. A half-dozen takes each day is much easier on the voice than trying to pack five songs in on one day.

It's damn hard to stick strictly to a short timeline like this, but it can be done if you all know the songs back-to-front and don't spend time putzing around with minute changes. These songs should be hammered out, finalized and rehearsed before you go in to track them.

Manndreas · #14 06-17-2009, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fendervox

4) DO NOT let a mistake slide. If you make a mistake but think it isn't really that noticeable, think again. Redo it, its worth it. If you let it slide, you are going to notice it every time you listen to that track and it will get louder and louder and louder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phall2112

My biggest problem from my 1/2 dozen or so times in the studio is the mix. Do not settle for anything that you are unhappy with. I have several disc's that i cant listen to because they sound like warm poo. Thousands of dollars worth of gear in the hands of somebody with no ear, is worthless. Oh yeah, once the disc is mixed, try it on SEVERAL diffirent stereo's. What may sound good on studio monitors. May sound like garbage in a car, or a home stereo.

A big +1 to this. If you find something to be not quite good enough in the studio, you can bet it's gonna sound horrible once there's not turning back.

So be sure to love every part of every song before you start pressing CD's...

And don't be afraid to experiment a little. The studio is, if you have the time/money, the perfect place to see if that one effect or fill you always wanted to use fits in. Since you can try it, and listen to the songs as a whole a few times without worrying about playing at the same time.

And, like others have mentioned, remember to have fun! And feel free to PM me a myspace link or something once you're done!

Joe Nerve · #15 06-17-2009, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fendervox

4) DO NOT let a mistake slide. If you make a mistake but think it isn't really that noticeable, think again. Redo it, its worth it. If you let it slide, you are going to notice it every time you listen to that track and it will get louder and louder and louder.

Lots of good advice in this thread, but I don't entirely agree with the above. If your timing is off or you make a really clear mistake of course you should fix it - but I've learned to trust the others involved (along with myself) on whether something is good or not. I have more than a few slip ups that wound up being some of the best things I ever recorded. I tripped all over a guitar solo part one time, and came out with some awesome stuff I was never able to recreate.

My first thought was let's do it over. Years later I absolutely love it. Keep your mind open as some really great things could happen.

Also - be as prepared as you can possibly be, but don't sweat it when when the record button is hit. If you make a mistake just keep going. It's easy for everyone but the drummer to go back and punch in wherever some fixin up is needed.

mrufino1 · #16 06-17-2009, 09:13 AM

Record yourself a lot first, as a band and even if you are practicing by yourself. Recording can be shocking at first, really puts a microscope on things. Even a boombox with a cassette will help you realize that you never knew what the kick drum was doing in a certain spot, etc.
Also, I don't agree that you need new strings, I think if your bass is playing in tune and the sound is good no need for it, but I guess it depends on the sound you are going for. I use flatwounds and hate new string sound, YMMV. New string won't hurt if that's the tone you want, but I don't think it is essential. However, definitely tune before each take.

In the end though, have fun, it's not brain surgery.