I dont think they wont nail it on the first take because they arent ready. I expect people to be nervous about recording for the first time.
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Managing time in the studio
- Thread starter AdamR
- Start date
Then dont split the money equally for studio time. Once they realize that it will cost them 4x the amount that you will pay....they will become "more ready" End of problem
Oh okay, then unless/until it actually happens - maybe just stop being a worry-wart, and start getting pumped up and excited?
Like I said, I just wanted to make sure I wasnt selling myself short thinking that 2 songs was a good goal for 8hrs in the studio. I never once said anything about price or who should pay what amount.
After setup, you and the drummer should be able to lay down the basic tracks for 2 songs in less than 30 minutes. Maybe you all should have a little talk about wasting time and cost?
Are you guys using a click track? If so, is the drummer use to playing with a click.
IME, getting the drum tracks and vocal tracks right are the real time killers.
IME, getting the drum tracks and vocal tracks right are the real time killers.
No click tracks, He's never played with them before. The Engineer wont use them with us for that reason.
that's gonna cost you tons of time, bad move. push your studio time back until your drummer learns to play to a click.
Yeah, I`d also reconsider that move.
The possibility of overdubbing stuff tighty to a recording of a novice drummer playing without a click track are close to 0.
The possibility of overdubbing stuff tighty to a recording of a novice drummer playing without a click track are close to 0.
Big mistake, in my opinion. Make your drummer learn. It will probably take some time but the end result is going to be MUCH better.
PS. I play drums in a metal band. I learned to play to a click before our first studio session.
When we tracked our last album I stopped at each change. Ours were such that we could more or less just butt the two sections up against each other.
Or you engineer can build a tempo map with the click and you could track the entire song without stopping at each change.
Lots of factors to consider here. "Professional" can mean different things to different people and what is acceptable sound/mix-wise can depend on the style of music/general aesthetic. I recorded a demo in two days a few years back - without mixing or mastering. We tracked four songs and everyone knew their parts cold (we also each had previous studio experience and didn't get phased by the "red light"). The first day we took care of the instruments and the second day was dedicated to vocals. Mixing and mastering were done on another day. A few thoughts:
- I would discourage you from mixing and mastering on the same day. You want to be able to reflect on your mix and see how it works in different settings/on different sound systems.
- Things invariably take longer in the studio than you think they will. If you think something will only take you an hour give it two hours. If, in the end, it only takes you an hour be very pleasantly surprised.
- As prepared as you might be you never know if you're going to have a good session or not. Sometimes a person just has an off day and it can take longer to get something good down then it otherwise might.
- Don't expect to be able to keep the initial vocal takes (what the singer sings when you track your instruments - assuming that he will be singing with you to act as a guide). That means overdubs and your singer might get tired. Ideally the singer comes back fresh on a separate day to do the vocals.
- I would discourage you from mixing and mastering on the same day. You want to be able to reflect on your mix and see how it works in different settings/on different sound systems.
- Things invariably take longer in the studio than you think they will. If you think something will only take you an hour give it two hours. If, in the end, it only takes you an hour be very pleasantly surprised.
- As prepared as you might be you never know if you're going to have a good session or not. Sometimes a person just has an off day and it can take longer to get something good down then it otherwise might.
- Don't expect to be able to keep the initial vocal takes (what the singer sings when you track your instruments - assuming that he will be singing with you to act as a guide). That means overdubs and your singer might get tired. Ideally the singer comes back fresh on a separate day to do the vocals.
Just spoke to our drummer and he has recorded with a click before. I just assumed he didnt. He probably has the most recording experience out of all of us.
^This^
I have spent well over a thousand hours in the studio and behind the mixing console. If you are looking for a "quality radio playable recording", you might want to reconsider your timetable for the studio. Without a click, the overdubs will be hit and miss. It can be done, but it is very time consuming because it requires a lot more takes just to get a hit.
EDIT: Looks like OP was posting that drummer can use click track when I was writing this.
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OP... might want to let engineer know this so he can plan is recording process. Also, does your drummer know the BPM's of the songs you are going to record so that the engineer can set the click track up? At this point you guys should rehearse with a click to get the numbers dialed in. Otherwise you will be wasting time in the studio figuring this stuff out.
Before you even go TO the studio... practice, practice, practice. Know your parts inside and out. Learn the other players' parts (not necessarily enough to play the parts, but know EXACTLY what each other is doing). Sing the melodies in the shower. Eat, sleep, and breathe your songs. Suggest your bandmates do the same. If anyone has a sloppy part, practice that part (not just the whole song) over and over and over again until the slop is gone. Once you get to the studio, don't spend your time oohing and ahhing over the shiny equipment. Don't spend your time drinking beers and smoking joints. Go in ready to lay it down. Be ready for the unexpected. Focus. You aren't paying for studio time to practice or to jam --unless you're in a jam band, and even then try to focus on the task at hand and have your songs mapped out. If you have ideas for "studio tricks" or sound effects or anything of the sort, prepare for that too. Maybe even procure a cheap recorder or multi-tracker of your own and practice recording yourselves before you pay for studio time.
The studio will likely be unfamiliar territory filled with different people who may have reactions to your music that you aren't used to or aren't expecting. Be so prepared that you aren't phased by any of that. The room will likely sound different than your rehearsal space. (All of) You may need to adjust your EQs/settings accordingly. Adrenaline will probably be pumping, so account for that with your practicing. There's no shame in using a click track to keep everything centered.
After you've recorded, listen to the mix on a variety of devices... studio mons, headphones, big home stereo, small home stereo, boom box, car stereo, iPod... make sure it sounds good any way it will be listened to.
Also, learn from my mistake and don't go to the studio if you've got mono. It really sucks.
Good luck and have fun.
The studio will likely be unfamiliar territory filled with different people who may have reactions to your music that you aren't used to or aren't expecting. Be so prepared that you aren't phased by any of that. The room will likely sound different than your rehearsal space. (All of) You may need to adjust your EQs/settings accordingly. Adrenaline will probably be pumping, so account for that with your practicing. There's no shame in using a click track to keep everything centered.
After you've recorded, listen to the mix on a variety of devices... studio mons, headphones, big home stereo, small home stereo, boom box, car stereo, iPod... make sure it sounds good any way it will be listened to.
Also, learn from my mistake and don't go to the studio if you've got mono. It really sucks.
Good luck and have fun.
Rehearse, rehearse, rehears BEFORE you go into the studio. As said before: "Time is money!" (out of your pockets) Yes, recording can be very draining. My limited time in pro studios found 2 fully recorded, overdubbed, mixed, mastered tunes in a day sucks a lot of creativity out of you. Just sayin'.
We (Uberband) are in the process of recording an EP (5 songs), and we went in for a full day (6 hours I guess) of recording, with the intention of getting all the drums down in a nice studio. We also recorded bass, guitar, keys and vocals but with the knowledge that most of that would probably be scratch tracks.
In preparation, the drummer created click tracks for all songs. Each of our songs usually has several time and tempo changes, as well as out-of-time sections. The time/tempo changes are baked into the click tracks (so they don't make ANY sense unless you are playing the song!). The engineer used the click tracks created by the drummer. The out-of-time sections were handled by stopping and starting. Our drummer is a pro and can handle all the weird changes while playing with a click, with no loss of groove.
It went well. We got at least two good drum takes for each song, and potentially usable guitar and bass tracks also. Drummer edited the best drum takes together in Cubase at his (GREAT) home studio. I went to his studio and laid down final bass tracks for all but one song last week. It took about 2.5 hours including setup I think, going direct through a nice channel and compressor. Tomorrow I'll do the remaining song, and we move on to guitar after that. It'll sound great, the drummer has nice mics and one of these
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