Members dazed1 Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 My band is going into the studio next month. Apart from knowing the songs inside and out, any tips or bits of advice yall could give me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members B Money Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 guitars intonated correctly, new strings, amps in good working order. Drums tuned with good (preferably new) heads.Prepare yourself physically; gets enough sleep and drink a lot of water. You need your head and ears clear when in the studio.Be ready to compromise and change things up on the fly. The engineer may ask you to dial your amp differently than your used to. Singers should try and rest their voice. Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking. Be nice to your mom. That's about all I can think of.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flogger59 Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Bring spares of everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kyle Abel Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Do you plan on playing along with a click? If so, make sure you practice the hell out of that. If your have any solos, make sure your guitarist practices playing through the rhythm guitar parts, if you plan on overdubbing the solos. Sometimes they can't remember what to play under the solo, if they've never done it live. Have all of the guitars and bass use the same tuner (some tuners can be slightly off of each other). Have all of the parts outlined for the engineer - list out the tracks that you want to capture live, and those you want to overdub. It will help you organize your own thoughts as well. Get there early. Help the drummer load in and get set up before everyone else sets up, since he'll take the longest to set up and sound check. Print off all of the lyrics in a big font. Have a practice with just the guitars and bass. Use acoustic guitars. Many times you can hear the discrepancies between the parts this way, and you can fix them before you get to the studio. Buy food for your engineer. Tip him too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JailTime Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Yeah - have all parts down, rest, prepare, etc. - that all goes without saying. Apart from that, I would have a quick meeting with the whole band and the engineer/producer/whoeverisgoingtobeinvolved with the guts of the recording to make sure you're on the same page philosophically. Make sure there's two way communication going on between you and the engineer. If you dominate, you'll most likely miss out on some valuable experience. If you let the engineer take all the reins, you may end up sounding far different than you imagined. Above all, be prepared to work toward productive solutions when the inevitable disagreements arise. You're all just trying to make the best product possible, so nothing should be personal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kramerguy Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 i would say to take a much different approach depending on whether you are cutting demos or actual tracks for sale/album Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Old Fart Rocker Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 All of this is great advise. If you haven't planned on using a click track, you may want to rethink that, especially if you're recording on Protools. Having everyone on the click makes editing a whole lot easier, which can save you time/money. If someone screws up or hits a clunker, you can often cut'n'paste from somewhere else in the song. This is next to impossible without a click. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twostone Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 All of this is great advise. If you haven't planned on using a click track, you may want to rethink that, especially if you're recording on Protools. Having everyone on the click makes editing a whole lot easier, which can save you time/money. If someone screws up or hits a clunker, you can often cut'n'paste from somewhere else in the song. This is next to impossible without a click. some the best recordings ever done where done without a stupid {censored}ing annoying click track and where done spare of the moment improvised and had a vibe to the song without using a stupid robotic click track. God help if if you have tempo changes with a click track, Good luck with that. If it were me I would use their gear (amps & drums) if it's decent gear. Lot studio's have some gear that would put mine to shame. plus it's already set up and ready to track in some studio's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JailTime Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Click tracks are not stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dazed1 Posted September 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Good tips yall. Its my first time in an actual pro studio so I dont really know quite what to expect. Just trying not to trip over myself too badly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kyle Abel Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Totally forgot studio rule #1: Do not bring anyone to the studio who doesn't need to be there (i.e. girlfriends/fans). It will distract you guys and piss off the engineer. Also, don't have conversations going in the control room while the engineer is trying to listen to something. Take the conversation outside. Check out the Mixerman diaries for what NOT to do in a pro studio: http://www.mixerman.net/diaries1.php. Funny stuff, but good information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 All of this is great advise. If you haven't planned on using a click track, you may want to rethink that, especially if you're recording on Protools. Having everyone on the click makes editing a whole lot easier, which can save you time/money. If someone screws up or hits a clunker, you can often cut'n'paste from somewhere else in the song. This is next to impossible without a click. With Digital Performer you can go back and tap in your click to match your performance. I believe something similar can be done with Sonar but I'm not certain about Pro Tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twostone Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Click tracks are not stupid. Let me rephrase that for some folks they're probably a god send and pretty handy for individual solo tracking. Sorry never used none with the line ups I've recorded with, because the drummer had wore a fantastic time keeping watch the day we were tracking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 I you ever do any session work in Nashville or LA, it is about 95% certain you will be recording to a click track, no matter how good the players are. Just sayin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scott Powell Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 If you are doing originals, the studio is NOT the time to decide to rewrite a section,add a bridge etc. I have seen many bands spend thousands when they decide to re-write tunes in the studio. Have everyone in the frame of mind to accept criticism. I have seen bands implode in the studio due to feelings getting hurt because someone's takes weren't up to snuff. make it clear it's nothing personal If you dont have a producer, find someone either within the band or outside the band who's ears and opinions you trust and have them be the final 'decision maker' on takes dont let the guitarist do endless passes at his solo. get a couple of good passes and comp it. figure out the time you think you will need to need to record and mix and add at least 50% more time so you wont be rushed and be forced to compromise with your final mixes. Dont try to impress the engineer or producer by name dropping people you know,have worked with, yada yada. they dont give a {censored}. trust me on this also: to make the engineer's job a bit easier bring CD's of bands whose mixes you like,so he will have a reference point on what you like when you mix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wades_keys Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 I you ever do any session work in Nashville or LA, it is about 95% certain you will be recording to a click track, no matter how good the players are. Just sayin'. Wouldn't surprise me. I remember how easy it was (using a click) when I did the keyboard parts for a Bon-Jovi tribute CD tune. I had to punch in one note and that took less than 3 minutes, total. The biggest eye-opener was seeing the tracks in pro-tools and how things lined up (or not) against the click. The bassist was way off the mark, so Corey went back in that night and did the bass parts himself. The whole session including mixdown came out to less than 600 bucks. Track 7 if anyone is interested:http://www.versaillesrecords.com/navigation.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpaceNorman Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 Don't be afraid to be up front about the fact that you've never recorded before! Make it clear to the engineers you're working with that you're open to suggestions! Way too many bands with little or no experience walk into the studio and squander the best resources available to them by not winning over the studio engineering staff. Come in with demands and/or attitude and your project is in the {censored}ter before you play a note! There not shame in admitting that you're a complete rookie - but willing to try what ever the guys that live in the studio suggest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chicken Monkey Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 Don't do what I did when I was a kid and pack a lunch, then eat it in the main room while the lead vocalist is recording his parts. They don't like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wades_keys Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 Don't do what Sean the drummer did and lay a fart in the studio bathroom that made the engineer gag a half hour later when he went in there. Actually - do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JailTime Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 Don't be afraid to be up front about the fact that you've never recorded before! Make it clear to the engineers you're working with that you're open to suggestions! Way too many bands with little or no experience walk into the studio and squander the best resources available to them by not winning over the studio engineering staff. Come in with demands and/or attitude and your project is in the {censored}ter before you play a note!There not shame in admitting that you're a complete rookie - but willing to try what ever the guys that live in the studio suggest. Ya know, I think this can backfire. If you have too much faith in the engineer, they may miss a few things that you do well - or mischaracterize your music in ways that will piss you off later - once you have a chance to absorb it. I think you have to give a little and get a little, even if you're a noob. No one knows your stuff better than you. But I hear ya about having an attitude. That can ruin everyone's experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theAntihero Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 If your have any solos, make sure your guitarist practices playing through the rhythm guitar parts, if you plan on overdubbing the solos. Sometimes they can't remember what to play under the solo, if they've never done it live. This is me, as the only guitarist in a trio i never played the parts underneath the solos. I knew what the bassist was doing as it pertained to me solo, but had never played it, I ate up a little studio time on that one. Have all of the guitars and bass use the same tuner (some tuners can be slightly off of each other). Yes! Ive been saying this for years and have got odd looks because of it, but it is true. A tiny bit off sounds way way worse than you think it would. Also the bast advice i can give you is this: Perpare to make mistakes. If you're petrified to make a mistake you'll sound like lifeless crap and mess up 10 times more. Recording is very different from playing live and has its own set of skills you have to learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flemtone Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 Bring a good book. Turn off your cellphone - don't just mute the sound, turn it off. All you need is to do a playback on a track you've been working on for 6 hours, only to find your phone was 'ranging' and the signal was picked up. If I'd had a gun, I'd have shot the singer who just couldn't live without her phone. *blam!* Light food, lots of water. No fruit juice for the singer(s), no dairy, no food destined to cause flatulence. Trust me. You're in a sealed room with a guy who just ate a Bellybuster Burrito...it's funny as hell from the other side of the glass, though. Never, never, never move a muscle at the end of a track/song until the engineer signals you to do so. "Let it ring", in the words of our late, great engineer, Wayne Hampton. We miss ya, bro. Did I mention to bring a book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 Too many cooks spoil the stew. After everyone has their parts recorded, they should go home. And don't let the whole band sit in on the mix. Mixing by committee rarely works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SunRaFan Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 Have all of the guitars and bass use the same tuner (some tuners can be slightly off of each other). I'm pretty dubious that this is much of a problem. It seems like any differences between tuners would be dwarfed by differences in the way the instruments are intonated, problems with the players techniques, and strings going out of tune during a take. I've recorded many times, never shared the same tuner, and never seen an issue because of it. On this, and just about everything related to recording remember to listen and trust your ears. A lot of what people are telling you to do isn't exactly necessary. It's solutions to problems that other people have heard and needed to correct. You need to be listening to what you are doing to catch the problems. Also, remember that a lot of great albums were made before pro tools and even overdubbing. There's no need to go down that route if you don't feel it's in the best interest of what you are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueSteam Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 Try to get a rough mix that you can take with you and analyze before things are finalized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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