Preparation
Work out the tracks during the rehearsals.
Picking out or changing tracks in the studio is a waste of valuable time and can ruin the atmosphere. If the composition "feels good" for everybody then recording will go smoothly and you can concentrate on the "feeling". Work out the singing section as well. It is not uncommon that a group discovers in the studio that the vocals are NOT okay.
Use that CD's that you like a lot as sound reference.
Practice the tracks without vocals.
If the singer has to sing along with the band at every take, because they otherwise don't know where they are in the song, chances are there will quickly be a problem with the voice. Especially when a number has to be done over a number of times, the voice must suffer. Furthermore, recording the voice with a very sensitive tube microphone can only be done with the vocalist in a separate space.
Practice the songs with a ticking off 1.2.3.4 but not on the Hi Hat,
but with the sticks. You can also forget tick 4, so 1.2.3.-. and go. Do this for every recording. It is a big advantage for the automated mix. (or if the intro has to be redone).
Recording with a click track appears easy but it is difficult,
and will only work if you are used to it. It is like swimming, if you can do it, you do it automatically. So it is better to practice extensively with a click and to record without it, unless it is imperative. Drummers who never practice with a click, are guaranteed to go wrong when they try it in a studio.
Ensure that your instruments are in perfect working order,
And put on your new strings at home, a few days in advance is even better. Put new skins on your drums at home as well and tune them carefully. All this seems obvious, but octave-impure guitars, cracking volume knobs, loose contacts, torn top combs, leaky valves on wind instruments, rattling pedals etc. can completely ruin the fun. Think about it, a cheap (acoustic) guitar with new strings will sound a lot better than an expensive guitar with old strings. Bring your own drum kit with you if you like, but always bring your own stool, pedals and cymbals. Ensure that you have extra strings and batteries at hand.
Do the shopping a day in advance.
We regularly deal with a group that has to wait for a missing band member, because his is stuck in the cue at the super market. The studio clock does NOT wait.
Make sure you are fit to come to the studio.
Have a good night’s sleep and be well rested, not hungry or under the influence of medication. Recording in the studios demands concentration and effort. We had the experience of a drummer who went to bed at five in the morning and couldn't even count to four at ten in the morning. Drinks, drugs and rock 'n' roll don’t mix. Some play better with a joint, but mostly it is the opposite. Do not underestimate this. After a few beers you cannot hear the high tones that good anymore, and after still a few more beers you will experience concentration problems. Wait until you have finished recording, and then enjoy it.
Well-known producers do not accept alcohol and drugs in the studio.
You make your own sound yourself, with your fingers and your instrument and installation. Your sound is not made by the technician with the knobs.
He can only record the sound you make. Record yourself during your rehearsals, with simple recording instruments, such as a mini-disc or cassette tape recorder, Dictaphone, portable media player?... Listen to the balance and the sound: highs and lows, to shrill, to hollow? Work on it, because at the studio your instruments not will sound much different.
Have Fun, Music is the Max
