So in 2 weeks or so, my band will be recording our first album. It will be all of our first real time in a studio. Does anyone have any tips?
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So in 2 weeks or so, my band will be recording our first album. It will be all of our first real time in a studio. Does anyone have any tips?
Yep. Enjoy it! Not all of us get, or will ever get, the opportunity. You'll do great.
Practice , practice , practice . And I don't mean just you ..but the whole band . Reality check..and bad performance is soon forgotten . But a recording lasts forever ! Seriously tho , as N2Bluz stated , have fun . Relax . Once you're in the booth and you count the song off ..it's too late ! So don't sweat it cause you'e with your mates and just enjoy your first experience .
If you're using your own kit get it tuned right . Drink plenty of water . Take lots of pictures . And remember to hit hard !
Good luck and let us know how it went .
Can you play to a click track? When you practice with your bandmates do you use a metronome? The reason why I'm asking is in some recording situations, the click is recorded and lives on its own track and serves as a reference for the other musicians who may follow you after the drums are recorded. I have spent many hours recording in some pretty nice home recording studios and I have written and played over 75 songs for one local singer/songwriter. Before the "record" button is pushed, we spend a few hours recording a scratch track with drums and guitar together in the same room with just the metronome in my headphones.
Once the scratch track is completed, I'll go back and re-record the drums on a "clean" track with the click and the scratch guitar track playing back in my headphones. This method really worked for us since the singer/songwriter can come in behind me and re-record his guitar track while listening to the final drum track and the click. The bass guitar is added next and if the song needs percussions, I'll add congas, shakers, bongos, tambourine or hand claps to add "color" to the music.
The night before the session, I'll start hydrating with lots of water and I'll consume lots of fresh fruit and load up on carbs and get plenty of sleep. On the day of the session, I'll bring in a small ice chest with water, Gatorade, and some Cliff bars and a thermos full of my favorite java.
I won't use new heads. I made the mistake once of swapping out to new heads the night before the session and I spent too much time trying to tame the tone from the new heads. The engineer recommended that I use heads that had some 'wear' to them so they were broken in a bit which made for easier dampening and saved us time.
As Jedi recommended, practice ,practice, practice and try to relax and have fun during the session. In my opinion, if you go in tense or nervous, you'll hear it on the recording. Many pro artists go as far as bringing candles or lowering the overhead lights to create a vibe. One of the advantages I found recording in a home recording environment is the vibe. The vibe is so important to some musicians and the pressure of recording in a professional recording studio where the "clock" is running can be nerve wracking but if your band has the music down pat, then all you have to worry about is having a good time.
Good luck and have fun!!
I would echo what these fine gentlemen said. Know your material and play to a click. Relax and have fun.
Thanks for all the advice! I'll definitely try playing with a click. I've known my band mates for years and we're all pretty much best friends by now so hopefully staying relaxed won't be too hard.
have a plan and make use of your time ....make a pack and keep to deadlines
eg. 1st day drums, 2nd day over dubs, third day mixing and if needed then send for mastering in separate studio later date.
it easy to get taken for a ride and easy to spend four times the budget
don't play to a click unless you have been for the last 6 months. It's like learning how to eat with your eye balls ..its takes years not days to master an external clock.
That's the ticket !! Just stay relaxed and enjoy the experience . Good luck and break a leg !Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramona