Recording an album - no big deal, right?

If you suspect that some members won't take it that well than you are probably better of not telling them. There is nothing wrong with a bit of stress and pressure. If it gets out of hand just tell them to calm down without mentioning that an album is no big deal.

 

I think the thing that most folks react to in (in a variety of ways) is the permanence of the recording medium.
On a gig, you can be less than perfect and the energy can carry thr crowd along; like Dolphy said, it's gone into the air and vanished the second after you play it. Something doesn't quite makethat moment of exquisite beauty and truth, hey it's not sitting around staring you in the face.

Uless you're recording it. And for folks who've NEVER been in the studio before (or had the added pressure of producing on demand for someone else) that feeling of having to get ABSOLUTE PERFECTION down on tape (or hard drive) can be intimidating.

So lighten the **** up.

 

^^^ and what could be added to that Ed nailed it.

 

are you working with a producer?

 

No matter what happens you're going to change things the next time. That's just the way it is. I've been making records since 1967 & on every one there's something I wish I had done differently or "better". The main thing is to be prepared to roll with the punches in the studio. Be prepared & have a clear vision of what you want, but be flexible as well. If you're using guys who haven't recorded much, give them some slack. It's hard to be comfortable in the studio at first. You have to sound like you're playing in front of thousands of people & there's nobody there. If you're recording for a label I assume you have a producer. Make sure you and he are on the same page about how the end product will sound. He should encourage your bandmates to relax & have fun with it. If they are uptight,scared or whatever it will show up on the recording. There has to be a first one & you'll have to hear it from now on. That's what makes it kind of a big deal. Just git'er done.

 

Absolutely. You and the producer can get together beforehand. Let him know the others are a bit nervous because it's their 1st time & work on ways to make them comfortable. I remember the first time I ever recorded in a studio. We had to write both sides of the single in the studio & record it all in the same session. Plus there was a guy there telling us every five minutes how much money it was costing. It was a hard way to start out, but I learned fast. Now things aren't so high pressure because studios are everywhere. Make sure to take the time to get a great headphone sound. That makes everything easier.

 

Rehearse before you go in. If you have access to a small home studio, play with that for a while.

Decide in advance if you're going to record to a click. If you're going to do heavy production (lots of overdubs, loops and synths) you'll probably need the click. If you're going for more of a rock band kind of a vibe, you may be better off without one.

I've had a home studio for about 10 years. Nailing a drum track is still a challenge: Getting the part right with good energy to a click track isn't easy.

If you are planning on using a click, my best results (as a drummer) are to have good isolation in the headphones, a _LOT_ of click track in my mix and a bit of everything else to ensure I am in the right place in the song. I'm talking 80% click track, 20% band. If there's a click, I'm going to be held accountable to the click, not to the band. The band will lead me astray very often. In the end the band is usually going to play to the drummer - the drum track needs to be really solid and tight to the click. Some people like to use drum machines or sequencers to have a "percussion part" to play to. Whatever works for the drummer.

I usually put earplugs under the headphones so the click isn't blasting straight into my ears. If he's got good isolation in the headphones, add a little bit of overhead into the headphone mix so he doesn't pound harder than he should and burn himself up too early in the process.

Make sure he's got a proper headphone mix!!! Give him all of the tools he needs to nail it. Impress on him the need to speak up if he could use something more or less. Since this is his first time in the studio, it'll be hard for him to figure out what he needs. Keep things rolling - don't let frustrations build up in the beginning. Pick his favorite song to start with and if you don't have a good take within an hour of trying, take a 15 minute break. Initial successes are the key, psychologically.

The drummer is always in the hot seat in studio. Stand by him (emotionally) and work to make sure he has early successes.

Every drummer should have a small studio to record themselves. There's hardly any excuse any more: Four input soundcards are cheap, Reaper is cheap, computers are cheap, and you don't necessarily need high quality mics if all you're interested in is learning the process of playing drums in a studio.

KO

 

+1 on making home recordings of your songs before you go into the studio. The experience of recording yourself and hearing the playback with immediately point out the flaws in your playing. It also gives the drummer plenty of practice playing to the click so that the real studio is not the first place he is exposed to it.

 

Sounds pretty normal for a recording venture. Should be fun. Your bandmates may change immediately once in there. Music reminds me of sports teams. Some guys are game players, some are practice players. Proof is when you are in there under the gun. I hope it goes well for you.

 

Do some pre-production. Have the list of songs, figure out the tempo (BPM). Find a software metronome or some sort of metronome that he can put into headphones and play along to the song in his head. Have him practice his parts cleanly at the given tempo, a bit above that and a bit below that. If he can't do it with his drums, patting his legs with his bare hands, tapping his feet, or perhaps with a pad and sticks.

Lots of drummers get replaced in the studio. With preparation, he doesn't have to be one of them. Get him used to doing what he needs to do once the red light goes on.

Oh, have him spend some time tuning his drums before he goes in, too. If he doesn't like the results he gets when tuning have him rope in a friend whose results he does like. Listen for rattles, squeeks and buzzes. Nothing takes the momentum out of a session faster than tracking this stuff down in the studio.

KO

 

seems to me they have a right to be nervous. I mean, making a recording, especially in today's market, is not about the money. If they are serious about their art, they might be offended, or just pissed that you don't see it that way too. If it were me, I'd everything I can to make them relax but I wouldn't trivialize the situation or bring up money to do so.

 

My tongue in cheek advice is to use a click track unless you're playing bluegrass or jazz.

 

I've never understood the pressure about recording, other than it's 'captured' forever. And I really don't understand the economics. Seems like you put up a bunch of risk money up front to get it back $10-$15 at a time. Maybe.
Some music friends recorded two CD's and they were always stressing about re-recording some of the songs because they could make them so much better. If they didn't sell the first time, I doubt that enhanced production is enough to make a difference.

 

Oh, if anyone is having trouble nailing their part, simplify it. It might even sound better, but it will definitely make the session go faster.

KO

 

Sure... your guys will be fine... just covering the same things the others have already pointed out which is simply great, common-sense stuff: rehearse everything again to shake out any 'bugs' that might be an issue in the studio. Get all the gear in tip-top condition prior to recording a single note... do some home recording and then some critical listening.. Sounds like just a case of nerves to me. I think everyone will do their part when the time comes.

 

Practice recording hat home... Forth the investment of a 4 channel firewire mixer that comes with protools le ~$150 for an alesis last i checked. Practice recording, using a click track, playing alone.. You'll go in looking like pros