We are finally starting to get somewhere in my new project and I want to record in the the next few months so that we can get songs on the internet and out to venues. We are a five piece (2 guiatrs, bass, keys, and drums) instrumental post-rock band. Practice is going well, and songs are coming together quickly, which is good. I was wondering if you guys have any tips for things a band should do BEFORE they record. I was thinking we should work on three songs hardcore and get them down so that we can spend as little time and money doing the actual recording as possible. Any other tips?
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Pre-recording Tips?
- Thread starter saustindavis
- Start date
Pre-production basically entails getting everything ready before you head to the studio. What "everything" is differs from project to project, but I would say these are the basics:
1. The Songs
You're already thinking about this part, which is great. Work out arrangement details as much as possible before you go in to record. You may want to leave some room for changing your minds, or hearing what the producer and/or engineer have to offer, but work this out as much as you can beforehand.
2. The Band
Are you guys a group-oriented band, or is there a leader? Make sure everyone knows who makes the decisions (or not) or bad feelings may develop in the studio.
3. Individuals
Everyone has their own issues - many musicians are not morning people, for instance. Then are drug/alcohol issues, etc. Everyone should do what it takes to be at their own best when it comes to the studio, beyond just knowing their part for the music.
4. Equipment
Don't neglect this! Guitars and basses should have newer strings that sound good and will stay in tune, bring backup instruments too. Drum heads should be in good shape and tuned, bring extra sticks. Amps should be in good working order. Don't bring noisy patch cables (the studio will probably have these, but you never know), and make sure your effects pedal loop/board sounds good and isn't making your sound worse. I remember a recording session with a friend whose effects chain generated more noise than his guitar!
Good luck, and don't forget: have fun!
1. The Songs
You're already thinking about this part, which is great. Work out arrangement details as much as possible before you go in to record. You may want to leave some room for changing your minds, or hearing what the producer and/or engineer have to offer, but work this out as much as you can beforehand.
2. The Band
Are you guys a group-oriented band, or is there a leader? Make sure everyone knows who makes the decisions (or not) or bad feelings may develop in the studio.
3. Individuals
Everyone has their own issues - many musicians are not morning people, for instance. Then are drug/alcohol issues, etc. Everyone should do what it takes to be at their own best when it comes to the studio, beyond just knowing their part for the music.
4. Equipment
Don't neglect this! Guitars and basses should have newer strings that sound good and will stay in tune, bring backup instruments too. Drum heads should be in good shape and tuned, bring extra sticks. Amps should be in good working order. Don't bring noisy patch cables (the studio will probably have these, but you never know), and make sure your effects pedal loop/board sounds good and isn't making your sound worse. I remember a recording session with a friend whose effects chain generated more noise than his guitar!
Good luck, and don't forget: have fun!
+1 to all suggestions by Onosson.
Something else to think about re the songs beyond arrangement, is to really figure out the tempo you want them to be at. Recording to a click track is fairly common, and sometimes required depending on the drummer's tempo. You'll save time if you know what bpm you want to program in for the click. This is overkill, but in a couple of my previous bands we have even pre-recorded scratch tracks to a click before entering the studio so the drummer can play along to perfect tempo scratch tracks while laying down his parts.
I guess you also need to decide how pro you want the session to be, meaning whether you just want recordings for demo purposes to get gigs or whether you want pro recordings to market.
And yes, it probably doesn't need to be said, but practice your butts off together and individually. The studio quickly reveals all those little mistakes you make perhaps without even realizing it, and anything that you aren't perfectly tight on.
Something else to think about re the songs beyond arrangement, is to really figure out the tempo you want them to be at. Recording to a click track is fairly common, and sometimes required depending on the drummer's tempo. You'll save time if you know what bpm you want to program in for the click. This is overkill, but in a couple of my previous bands we have even pre-recorded scratch tracks to a click before entering the studio so the drummer can play along to perfect tempo scratch tracks while laying down his parts.
I guess you also need to decide how pro you want the session to be, meaning whether you just want recordings for demo purposes to get gigs or whether you want pro recordings to market.
And yes, it probably doesn't need to be said, but practice your butts off together and individually. The studio quickly reveals all those little mistakes you make perhaps without even realizing it, and anything that you aren't perfectly tight on.
That's a really good point, too. If your drummer is not used to playing to a click, it's something he/she should work on before hitting the studio - if they are unfamiliar with doing that, it can be a really tough adjustment. It can also be very stressful, as often the drums are the very first instrument that is focused on (the foundation of the bed tracks) and they are in the spotlight with everyone keenly aware of every error.
Great advice and I cant add allot more but this. Know who you are. Remember bands like the Rolling Stones can camp in a studio for months even years but you can't. Time is money and you need to always make sure all members are on board, know the songs and dont waste time.
Our drummer acts like we are some big time pro band and want's to overthink recordings, setup,tracking etc and we have to get him off of it. We have to remind him who we are and that studio time is expensive.
Our drummer acts like we are some big time pro band and want's to overthink recordings, setup,tracking etc and we have to get him off of it. We have to remind him who we are and that studio time is expensive.
If at all possible, do a quick and dirty DIY recording , multi track if you can, first. Make your own demo, and try to push it as far to pro level as possible. The process will reveal much about what you need to be aware of when you go into the (paid) studio.
A buddy band's drummer, as was suggested by the label, producer and drum tech, was put on a strict 3 week practice, exercise and eating plan. This was because his first week recording was 12 hours a day... His playing was amazing in comprison to before and killed the recording!
... If you're not in that long of a session, it's still a good idea to be active to keep your energy levels up. If that doesn't fly with you, do some pushups to get the blood flowing.
... If you're not in that long of a session, it's still a good idea to be active to keep your energy levels up. If that doesn't fly with you, do some pushups to get the blood flowing.
oya, lots of stretching! head to toe. but not right before you play... at least in my experience, if I do it right before playing I stretch too hard, which shocks my joints and I get all rubberyLOL
1- record the band before you go into the studio. A little hand held will do fine you need to hear what is coming out of the speakers. Record until the band can play the tunes through with no mistakes.
2- get used to playing with a click. You may not use it in the studio, but you need to have that stability down. Lock that tempo in your head.
3- (and my fave for making people really humble) - each person, at home, alone record their parts, top to bottom, with no other guide tracks, but a click. Trust me, you'll hear goofs you never even thought were happening, mis- frets, rushing, singing out of tune. When you track, you are going to hear your part played back, solo'd, so be ready to hear your parts in all their total naked glory.
4- a Big help is to know everybody's part. If the drummer starts playing, can you tell where he is in the song by what he's doing?
2- get used to playing with a click. You may not use it in the studio, but you need to have that stability down. Lock that tempo in your head.
3- (and my fave for making people really humble) - each person, at home, alone record their parts, top to bottom, with no other guide tracks, but a click. Trust me, you'll hear goofs you never even thought were happening, mis- frets, rushing, singing out of tune. When you track, you are going to hear your part played back, solo'd, so be ready to hear your parts in all their total naked glory.
4- a Big help is to know everybody's part. If the drummer starts playing, can you tell where he is in the song by what he's doing?
