Studio in less than a week

[jimmyjames77]

By a click track im assuming everyone means the same type of click as a metronome?

Yes a metronome type track that you play against to keep time.

 

[Evil Undead]

"You'll, of course, be playing a four-string, passive Fender, right? RIGHT?!"

Love,

The Engineer






EDIT: Yes, I'm being facetious. I'm just always amazed by stories about how engineers will accept nothing else. But what do I know?

Is this for real? Are studios/engineers really that fussy?
Surely, if it's your choice to not play a Fender, how can the engineer question that?

 

[bass7858]

Know your parts indidually inside and out. record your rehearsals and critique what u hear. Does it sound cohesive? or does it sound like garble?
+1 to checking ego at the door. Remember the first rule of recording. KISS!! (keep it simple stupid!)
other than that....listen to the engineer and producer or person ya'll have asked to be the producer...if u hear something that hits u weird be sure to speak up....use the session as an educational tool.
oh yeah......HAVE FUN!!!

 

[shadow_FIX]

Yes all metronomes/clicktracks *should* be the same, however IME many devices can differ from each other, sometimes by the slightest amounts of time.

I was in a band a while ago where the keys player was the bandleader, and he had an erratic strategy to recording that he absolutely insisted upon. Anyway he recorded his piano parts on his electric keyboard at 125 bpm, then wanted to take that and put it into Protools. We got it in, but then his keyboard track wouldn't line up with the Protools clicktrack, even though the clicktrack was also set to 125 bpm. Two hours wasted trying to make it work, and in the end he re-recorded his parts.

Let's just say I wasn't the one paying for the studio time...in fact he was paying me to lay down bass tracks for 4 songs, which I completed in a paltry 20 minutes, one take each, minus setup.

Anyway...back OT. Like others said know your part inside-out, practice it more than you think you need to. There's something to be said about being able to set up for your recording, lay everything down in one take, and be the 2nd one to start drinking (1st being the drummer lol).

It's a fun experience being in the studio...if you can, record your parts on your own and play them back. That way you can listen to yourself play, like you were playing the tracks back in the studio. It might point out any imperfections in your parts that you can correct before you start paying by the hour.

Good luck! Rock on

 

[dave64o]

Is this for real? Are studios/engineers really that fussy?
Surely, if it's your choice to not play a Fender, how can the engineer question that?

Unfortunately it seems to be a common situation, even years after many other quality basses came into existence (many of which are based on Fender designs! ). There have been threads about this before and there's one going on now (i.e. this one).

 

[Ric5]

My advice, and many may disagree, is to record as much at the same time as you can (preferably the whole band), even if you are going to record over it with better tracks afterward. This will make your job much easier if you aren't accustomed to playing to a click or just drums.

+1

 

[Angus]

Is this for real? Are studios/engineers really that fussy?
Surely, if it's your choice to not play a Fender, how can the engineer question that?

No, not engineers that are recording private bands, usually. Commercial engineers who's job is on the line is the product isn't what is expected, and he's working with studio professionals? Yeah, because the quality of the sound is on their head. A dude who is working for you? No, they're usually happy to let you use your gear because you'll be more comfortable. They'll want to minimize your number of mistakes and retakes over perfect incoming sound, because they can modify that later anyway.

 

[bobunit]

Well, the band im a part of will be going to the recording studio in less than a week with aspirations of laying down 2-3 tracks. We will have 12 hours to do our work.

I have only been playing 2 years and the band im in is my first band, ever. Ive been practicing with them for 3 months and have gigged 2 times. Im 26, mature, but not by any means great on my instrument.

Im giving this info in hopes that someone can feed me some tips, tricks, or just sound advice to make this recording experience a successful and fun one.

Some specific questions.. I use an ODB-3 and Im worried it may sound like crap. I have this image of studio musicians using highend gear to include pedals. Are there options in the studio, through software or what have you, to get a desired distortion?

I really have no order to this post as my confusion has gotten the better of me. Any advice, tips, tricks, or things to make sure I DONT do, to avoid looking like a newbie fool?

There is a lot of useful information/advice in this thread. Some additional things to consider...

Make sure your gear is in good working order. Change your strings and get your bass set up the way you like it. Check your cables and take a spare with you to the studio. Gremlins have a way of creeping up on you when recording.

Don't stress. It's a recording. Yes you have a limited time to record, but don't let it control you. It's amazing how the simplest part can get mess up if you're stressing.

Stretch and warm up. Wake up your fingers, arms and the rest of your body with some stretching. It will improve your performances and reduce stress.

Eat. Don't forget to eat. Nothing heavy (you don't want to get sleepy), but you need something in your stomach to keep your mind alert. If allowed in the studio, keep a bottle of water with you.

I would track all three songs right out of the gate. First takes can have real energy. If ya screw up, no big deal. Sometimes mistakes turn into a happy accident resulting in a cool track. Have fun!