How much to prepare before jumping in the studio?

[M0ses]

Record to a click. Usually if people don't want to record to a click it's because they can't. I've played drums on 2 EPs, both with a click. Everything is magnified in the studio. Get tight with that click.

If you guys are comfortable, and know your material you'll still be able to jam and have good feel with the click.

This made me laugh.

 

[silky smoove]

Here's all you need to know:


There's also a part 2 to the video.

 

[Mystic Michael]

Be well-rehearsed and well-prepared enough that you can play all the material you'll be recording, just as well as you can get it, as consistently as possible, for as much time as you need in order to accomplish it - or in as much time as you can possibly devote to it, while attaining the level of quality that is acceptable to you.

When feeling inspired, people often do make last-minute decisions in the studio about re-arranging material, or even re-writing it. But generally you should not go into a recording scenario expecting to make such changes. The expectation is to get it as good as it can be - before you arrive at the studio.

In their later period, The Beatles performed nearly all of their creative work in the studio, right out the spot, with tape rolling. Unless you also have a nearly unlimited recording budget, it would wise to get it together - and polished to a high gleam - well before you arrive there.

MM

 

[JimmyM]

The dude had me till at the end of part 2 he says to tab out your parts in Guitar Pro. Tabbing is for beginners and lame too-old-to-have-shoulder-length-hair metal producer wannabes. Learn to read freaking music.

 

[Stick_Player]

If you are in the Beatles, I wouldn't worry about the cost.

Oh, but you are not.

BE WELL PREPARED!

There will be plenty of unexpected occurrences, why add to those by not being well prepared?

 

[Stick_Player]

I hate click tracks, and I think they only exist so producers can cut up your music against your wishes and turn it into something revolting. I once got into a big argument in the studio with a drummer I was working with when we had this song that I thought was much better speeding up as the song went on. I ended up getting outvoted and we did it with the click, and it sucked. No feeling whatsoever.

Program the click to speed up - a.k.a. tempo map.

It's so easy!

And you are right, it's usually so that drum replacement & bass replacement can be done - as it is usually necessary.

 

[Renaissance]

Obviously as everyone has said - KNOW YOUR MATERIAL. Know the song inside and out. Every nuance, every beat, every note. Those clams that go unnoticed during gigs or rehearsals will show up on tape. Also make sure your gear is in tip top shape. That hum or intonation problem needs to be fixed before you hit the studio. Just like virtually everything in life - the 5 Ps. Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

 

[ArtechnikA]

...lame too-old-to-have-shoulder-length-hair metal producer wannabes...

Really?
I lost patience at Rule #2.
He'd need an 18" neck to have shoulder-length hair.
I've got a tree if you have some rope...

[ this is a hyperbolic joke and not some kinda threat. calm down.]

 

[JimmyM]

Yeah, I know the tempo map. I still hate clicks. Got no problem playing with them, but music isn't meant to be stuck to a rigid tempo.

 

[SunnBass]

I agree JimmyM.
I would like anyone to pick their favorite song, find out it's tempo and listen to it with a metronome. When they eventually don't line up anymore, which is incorrect? The natural rhythm of the music or the static, mechanical rhythm of the machine?

 

[Stick_Player]

You could just have seasoned session players make your record.

Usually what goes on in the "big leagues".

 

[faulknersj]

Yeah, I know the tempo map. I still hate clicks. Got no problem playing with them, but music isn't meant to be stuck to a rigid tempo.

The anti-click track arguments are not properly taking into account all of the variables that could lead a producer/engineer to want a band to perform to a click in the studio. Not only do different genres effect this decision (jam-band vs pop?), but the skill levels of the players are a MAJOR factor in this decision as well. Judging by the OP's post, he and the band do not have a lot of recording experience. It is likely safe to assume that they will be going into Pro-Tools. Recording inexperienced players in a studio environment (especially a drummer with less than impeccable time) WITHOUT a click could be an absolute editing nightmare for the engineer/producer, and likely could negatively impact the final product.

I have had the good fortune to work with several 'Real' producers.

Andrew 'Mudrock' Murdock - Godsmack, Avenged Sevenfold, Powerman 500, Trik Turner, Alice Cooper, etc...

Ryan Green - NOFX, Usher, Lagwagon, No Use For A Name, Megadeth, Cheap Trick, Jay Z, etc..

Bob Hoag - Well....here is an example of one of his recordings to a click...far from lifeless -http://[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
More Bob Hoag Recordings Here: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Anyway...I'm not trying to namedrop but rather to illustrate that these guys ALL prefer to edit to a click with rare exception...

That rare exception is if they believe the players are on a level that leads them to believe that the best possible outcome for the recording would be to ditch the click in favor of a 'live' click.

OP, if you and your band are new to the studio, it is like putting everything under a microscope. I would recommend having ALL of your parts, and song arrangements as solid and ironed out as humanly possible. No detail is too small. This is the best way of ensuring that the battle is won before it is fought in the studio. Like others have said; record your rehearsals! Listen back and use the recordings as a chance to fine tune your parts and arrangements. And contrary to what appears to be popular opinion, i would recommend mapping out the best tempos to each song so that when you do go into the studio, you don't have to waste time knowing what tempo to set the click to on each song.

 

[Helaskold]

How much preparation? All of it.

 

[teleharmonium]

You should do as much preparation as possible, but you can't prepare for doing it for real except by doing it for real.

I wouldn't pay much attention to documentaries about famous recordings - those tend to get enhanced for storytelling purposes, boring or unflattering things get left out or forgotten, and pro recording from the 60s - 80s is just not that comparable to most limited budget recordings by moderately skilled people which make up the typical local/regional band recording experience.

Marc Bolan could go into a studio with just some riffs and words, but he had real money backing him up, and Tony Visconti to flesh out and arrange the songs, among other things. If you just have an engineer to work with, you should not expect production and arranging help from them - and if you get some, it might not be good. Realistic expectations are critical. Not having those is the downfall of lots of first recording projects. Lots of bands break up during recording or when they hear the results.

Click tracks are not inherently good or bad, it all depends. People that aren't good at using them will play worse with them than without, and of course they blame the click instead of themselves (or even accuse the click of drifting. People that are good at using them are able to retain their swing, push/pull, and rhythmic tension/release, and you would not be able to tell that the final product used a click. This is a real skill that takes time to develop. If you need it, you need it. You may not know that you need it; sometimes it takes a playback, or a demonstration using a beat mapper, to make the point.

Anybody trying it for the first time is going to be self conscious and frustrated by it; you don't want to be in that position when you are paying for the time. If the drummer is experienced, I sometimes put the click into his headphones only. Deliberate tempo or time signature changes can be programmed into a click if needed.

 

[DougParkinson]

I am really surprised to hear anyone say not working with a click track...I get the feel issue, but if you can't play with Feel in time, your music (unless its intended to be that way) will sound sloppy and not professional.

I say practice with a click track prior to going into the studio. Potentially invest in a small interface (can get this for $100 or less), even if its just a room mic capturing the whole band. Listen to the song, figure out sloppy moments, determine if their is a way to reduce excess playing in certain spot (this again depends on the style of music you do)

You are recording your songs to show the song first and foremost, within the context of the album/recordings you will get to highlight your technical playing in other ways, so if a song is crowded with overplaying its going to make it difficult to get a good mix for that specific song.

Its a tough thing to let go of, i know it was hard for me when i first start working in studios, but cutting out excess parts/notes and letting the song breath is really important, it doesn't mean you can't play it slightly differently live, thats completely okay and it adds a texture to your live show, but the focus in the studio should be getting the best representation of what the song should be.

But again CLICK TRACK is the most important thing you can practice with before going into the studio...this way, your music still has the feel you like because you are comfortable actually playing in time on the beat.

Sorry, i am standing my ground on that one...again unless you are like shoegaze, ambient rock band, or that is desired effect its just silly not to use a click track. It saves the engineer alot of time and effort to be able to map out the song, and be able to punch parts in for parts that were errors...

Unless you really think that you will remember that at minute 1:03 you went from a tempo of 96 bpm to 99 because the "feel" took you there.

I will also add that this likely means that if you aren't using a click are you all recording in isolated spaces, but performing at the same time, or are you tracking the instruments individually at seperate times. If so the drummer is going to govern the tempo primarily, but again as you play along you are follow a drummer who isn't using a set time, sounds like a great way to have lots of errors and extra time in the studio trying to fix parts.

Yeah they used to do it in the past without click tracks so you can make that argument, but again I think a more important question is what style of music you are playing. If you are doing old school rock and roll you can probably get away without it, but your whole approach to the recording process is going to be different than say a Modern Country, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Pop band. Talk to the engineer ask him how he normally works, when you and the engineer agree on the format, that will make like a lot easier in the studio as well because you are all on the same page.

 

[teleharmonium]

That rare exception is if they believe the players are on a level that leads them to believe that the best possible outcome for the recording would be to ditch the click in favor of a 'live' click.

That's the thing - there are many more players that think they are in this category, than are actually in it. If you're assessing it subjectively while you're playing it, it's really not a valuable opinion. If you can record yourself for the length of a tune playing steadily and you don't have tempo drift, that's a decent indicator, but even that isn't enough.

Let's say a song is doing a slow boil build up to a dramatic louder section, with no particular tempo change written into the song. The dynamic level drops slightly for a few bars to add contrast just before it goes to the hardest hitting section, which is a perfectly good, proven device.

A player that is caught up in the song emotionally, and is already harnessed by the initial downturn before the crescendo, is probably going to have a 'tell' about the forthcoming section. It may be a change in their part, or it may be a tendency to speed up at that point. Is this good ? It depends who you ask. The player may think so - they are feeling the emotion of being in that situation, and you can hear it in their playing, so on some level that is "good", because there is some expression. But is that the best thing that can be done in that moment ?

Think of it like you're a film director. Which would you rather have, right before an unexpected critical moment - an actor's performance where the words start to come faster and more excited, tipping off the audience that something is about to happen, or one that is laid back and in the moment, unaware of the future just as the audience is ? If you're going for the latter, in music, a click is the most practical tool to encourage it. The better way is for the performer to know that they tend to speed up or get louder in the more exciting parts, and to be able to compensate for it so that they can have the full range of options available to them - but not everyone can do this. There are people that play for decades that never figure it out. It requires awareness of your own subjectivity and a willingness to override your feelings and observations to get a desired result. Sometimes individual dynamics and tempo changes come at the expense of group dynamics and tempo. Those individuals usually are not good at seeing this.

As another example, I sometimes like it when a rock song speeds up a little in the chorus, that's fine. And it should be a little louder. But when it gets back to the verse or bridge, it should shift gears decisively right back into the original tempo, so you can feel the group as a whole establishing that contrast. That's a cool effect and one of the more difficult types of interplay.

There is a school of thought that feeling the band slow down halfway through that following verse is good. I didn't go to that school. Basically you're hearing that the players themselves became aware of the change only after they were well into the verse and it felt too fast (which it was). When players say they want that sort of thing, it sounds like an excuse to me. If you buy into that story, it appeals to the meme of "this is done by real people, not by computers, man." For me, there is always plenty of human variability and imperfection involved if real musical instruments are involved.

 

[tedious1]

I would suggest you forget about the fact that your are paying flat rate:
1) That's not always liable to be the case, so don't build bad habits in the studio now.
2) It's bloody ignorant, your buddy is giving you a hell of a deal, you show your appreciation by being professional/prepared and not wasting the time he's so graciously providing.

 

[Jack Butler]

Methodically plot out how much time you think you need to prep to feel totally ready. Then double it. Then double it again.
"Darn, I think I prepared too well for this recording session" - no musician ever.
As far as click tracks - whether or not you use it on any given studio date will depend on many factors, one of which should never be your inability to do it.

 

[marko138]

I am really surprised to hear anyone say not working with a click track...I get the feel issue, but if you can't play with Feel in time, your music (unless its intended to be that way) will sound sloppy and not professional.

I say practice with a click track prior to going into the studio. Potentially invest in a small interface (can get this for $100 or less), even if its just a room mic capturing the whole band. Listen to the song, figure out sloppy moments, determine if their is a way to reduce excess playing in certain spot (this again depends on the style of music you do)

You are recording your songs to show the song first and foremost, within the context of the album/recordings you will get to highlight your technical playing in other ways, so if a song is crowded with overplaying its going to make it difficult to get a good mix for that specific song.

Its a tough thing to let go of, i know it was hard for me when i first start working in studios, but cutting out excess parts/notes and letting the song breath is really important, it doesn't mean you can't play it slightly differently live, thats completely okay and it adds a texture to your live show, but the focus in the studio should be getting the best representation of what the song should be.

But again CLICK TRACK is the most important thing you can practice with before going into the studio...this way, your music still has the feel you like because you are comfortable actually playing in time on the beat.

Sorry, i am standing my ground on that one...again unless you are like shoegaze, ambient rock band, or that is desired effect its just silly not to use a click track. It saves the engineer alot of time and effort to be able to map out the song, and be able to punch parts in for parts that were errors...

Unless you really think that you will remember that at minute 1:03 you went from a tempo of 96 bpm to 99 because the "feel" took you there.

I will also add that this likely means that if you aren't using a click are you all recording in isolated spaces, but performing at the same time, or are you tracking the instruments individually at seperate times. If so the drummer is going to govern the tempo primarily, but again as you play along you are follow a drummer who isn't using a set time, sounds like a great way to have lots of errors and extra time in the studio trying to fix parts.

Yeah they used to do it in the past without click tracks so you can make that argument, but again I think a more important question is what style of music you are playing. If you are doing old school rock and roll you can probably get away without it, but your whole approach to the recording process is going to be different than say a Modern Country, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Pop band. Talk to the engineer ask him how he normally works, when you and the engineer agree on the format, that will make like a lot easier in the studio as well because you are all on the same page.

Well said.

 

[FFTT]

As a bass player it is important that your parts, especially up-neck bass parts do no fight or conflict with the vocals in timing, placement note selection. No other instrument will step on a vocal like a bass grace note in the wrong place or too busy of a bass part.

You and the drummer must be tight as possible, but same goes to make sure there aren't too many low mids competing in the mix in the wrong places, so have the vocalist working with you scratch.

Drums should be tuned to perfection, guitars and basses properly intonated, new strings the night before.

Basses, One fat mellow with flats, one more aggressive with rounds or half rounds.
If you are planning on hitting round wounds pretty hard, you're probably going to need to mic a bass rig
to help smooth finger & string clack.
Tracking is way different from live, requiring an even, smooth execution as possible.

Keep in mind, the better the signal chain, the more any faults will be exposed.

In pre-production you should have all sections figured out like clockwork and LISTEN to each other in rehearsal
and break sections down until everyone knows exactly what they should be doing and when, on a song by song basis.

Do vocal & harmony workshops and get them tight.

Learn to be your own ball busting co-producers.
Be dead honest about material. Would you buy your song?
Would you pay to see a group performing your song?
How can it be improved to bring it up to snuff.
Play out to a guinea pig audience, see how each song goes over.
Make adjustments as needed.
Groove, lyrics, vocals, lead & rhythm parts.

Are you in the best key to support the vocalist strongest range?

Any time you save having these things worked out will make the session go much smoother
and hold wasted time and effort on the clock down to the minimum.