Looking to go into a Studio for the first time...what do I need to know?

[spectreman]

We have a new band and looking to go to a studio to record our demo...for the past ten years we have always relied on our studio in the basement with the basic 4-track, and got decent results, but we have something that deserves a little bit more.

What should I look for, what should I expect, and most importantly what mistakes should I try to avoid!

Thanks in advance for the help!!!

[TubeeTuberton]

Real recordings always seem to show when a group or person is "tight" or not. That would be all from me. Tight and sharp. Like a human metronome! Just have fun...

[MichaelThomas]

If you haven't done so already, make sure you can all play to a click track, inexperience with a click track can lead to eating up studio time and money, and a fluctuating tempo. Demo all of your material (pre-production) with your four track before going in, then give it to the engineer and producer so they get a feel of what they will be working on. Make sure you get new drum heads on the day you start tracking drums, new strings on all guitars, and please make sure they're intonated properly.

Ask yourself:

What is our goal?
What is our budget?
What are the estimated costs?
Will we have enough time to do everything before running out of cash?
How much will it cost to manufacture CDs?
What are your advertising costs?
How will we sell our music?
Have we practiced enough?
Will we have a producer? Or should we produce it ourselves?
Are our instruments, voices, and our heads ready for the task ahead?
How do we get a website up and running?
Are there any legal issues to consider?

As far as the studio goes, try to find yourself an established local studio that has produced CDs you really like. They should have a website up with streaming recordings available (their final products). Check the site to see their gear options. Many studios have in house gear available at no additional charge. Look for a variety in mics, amps, mic pres, look for Pro-Tools HD (It's the industry standard and most mastering engineers prefer to work with it anyways). See if you can meet with the engineer/producer to check if they're solid people you'd like to work with.

If y'all been playing for ten years together I'm sure you guys are pretty tight so you should be good. All the gear in the world can't make you sound good if you guys aren't tight...unless you're Britney Spears. Hope this helps!!! Looking forward to hearing the new tunes :)

[spectreman]

Thanks all for the input...to answer these questions...(and please tell me if I'm wrong or expecting the wrong thing...I probably am!)

What is our goal?

I've always wanted to have a recording I'm proud of that demonstrates our abilities...something to play for our kids/grandkids years from now, but also something I can take to the (rock) venues in ATL and get gigs (over the last ten years I have built up contacts so getting gigs isn't a big deal, but it nice to have a pro-sounding demo).

What is our budget?

I'm looking to spend about $2k...is that enough/too much???

What are the estimated costs?

I'm just now starting to find these out...what else do I need to look at?

Will we have enough time to do everything before running out of cash?

I think so...am I wrong?

How much will it cost to manufacture CDs?

I don't know...what should I expect (looking for 500?)

What are your advertising costs?

None...all done in house for now.

How will we sell our music?

Not looking to sell this recording...just to get a good demo.

Have we practiced enough?

Yes, we are pretty tight (could always be better some nights, but that is normal right?)

Will we have a producer? Or should we produce it ourselves?

I don't know...what do you (everyone) recommend?

Are our instruments, voices, and our heads ready for the task ahead?

Yes...we have been working towards this for years.

How do we get a website up and running?

Already have one going.

Are there any legal issues to consider?

I don't know? What should I expect?



Great questions for us to consider....all input welcome!!

Thanks for helping us ahead of time (before we go all-in when before we know what to expect)!

[MichaelThomas]

Thanks all for the input...to answer these questions...(and please tell me if I'm wrong or expecting the wrong thing...I probably am!)

What is our goal?

I've always wanted to have a recording I'm proud of that demonstrates our abilities...something to play for our kids/grandkids years from now, but also something I can take to the (rock) venues in ATL and get gigs (over the last ten years I have built up contacts so getting gigs isn't a big deal, but it nice to have a pro-sounding demo).

What is our budget?

I'm looking to spend about $2k...is that enough/too much???

What are the estimated costs?

I'm just now starting to find these out...what else do I need to look at?

Will we have enough time to do everything before running out of cash?

I think so...am I wrong?

How much will it cost to manufacture CDs?

I don't know...what should I expect (looking for 500?)

What are your advertising costs?

None...all done in house for now.

How will we sell our music?

Not looking to sell this recording...just to get a good demo.

Have we practiced enough?

Yes, we are pretty tight (could always be better some nights, but that is normal right?)

Will we have a producer? Or should we produce it ourselves?

I don't know...what do you (everyone) recommend?

Are our instruments, voices, and our heads ready for the task ahead?

Yes...we have been working towards this for years.

How do we get a website up and running?

Already have one going.

Are there any legal issues to consider?

I don't know? What should I expect?



Great questions for us to consider....all input welcome!!

Thanks for helping us ahead of time (before we go all-in when before we know what to expect)!

$2K is a very decent budget, in fact I think it's close to what my band spent recording our 10 song debut album. We did something like 2 weeks of 8 hour days at $200 a day, so I guess it's a little more but since your doing a demo $2K should be fine.

The other costs you need to consider is the mastering fee. I worked with a very good mastering engineer from Nashville that mastered our 10 songs for $500. It's basically the taking your mixes and making them sound high fidelity using error correction and mastering software, basically getting it ready for people to listen to.

If you guys are tight, I'm sure you can do everything in a week to two weeks.

If you're looking to press 500 copies check out www.discmakers.com They basically have something for everyone.

As far as a producer goes, if you feel you don't need one, then don't get one. You might find yourself spending more money than you have to paying his/her fees.

And legal issues, well, make sure you own the songs :) I'm sure you do. Once you finish them, get them copywriten so you can sleep well at night.

Where are you from by the way? I might know some studios/engineers in your area.

-Michael Thomas

[spectreman]

$2K is a very decent budget, in fact I think it's close to what my band spent recording our 10 song debut album. We did something like 2 weeks of 8 hour days at $200 a day, so I guess it's a little more but since your doing a demo $2K should be fine.

The other costs you need to consider is the mastering fee. I worked with a very good mastering engineer from Nashville that mastered our 10 songs for $500. It's basically the taking your mixes and making them sound high fidelity using error correction and mastering software, basically getting it ready for people to listen to.

If you guys are tight, I'm sure you can do everything in a week to two weeks.

If you're looking to press 500 copies check out www.discmakers.com (http://www.discmakers.com) They basically have something for everyone.

As far as a producer goes, if you feel you don't need one, then don't get one. You might find yourself spending more money than you have to paying his/her fees.

And legal issues, well, make sure you own the songs :) I'm sure you do. Once you finish them, get them copywriten so you can sleep well at night.

Where are you from by the way? I might know some studios/engineers in your area.

-Michael Thomas


Thanks for the advice and help....we are in Atlanta.

[MichaelThomas]

Thanks for the advice and help....we are in Atlanta.

hmmm I only know of Earthsound Recording in Georgia. The studio is in Valdosta though and kinda pricey I believe. But just talk to other local artists you may know. They can point you in the right direction. If not, try a Google search.

[guitaraddict]

I would listen to as many local recording as you can find and see what stands out. I've worked with some great producers but some are very set in their ways, see who you click with as a band. I like taking alot of time to get the right tones from the beginning, so I tend to shy away from the fix it with samples via Protools kind of producers. Other than that tempo's and vocals tend to suck alot of time in my past experiences. Good luck!

[TimmyP]

Have your material down pat - studio time is too expensive to be using it for final rehearsals. It also irritates the studio staff - you want them to be your friend.

[lalaland]

Everything takes twice as long as you think it will.

[SyKrash]

If you haven't done so already, make sure you can all play to a click track, inexperience with a click track can lead to eating up studio time and money

Best advice ever. Every musician HAS to do this, and has to do it under pressure. (Playing in your basement wont be like playing in the fishbowl or the control room).

Also what helped me and my first band overcome red light syndrome was to do "mock" recordings. We'd turn on a tape recorder and a click and really make sure ever member could capture a good take under pressure, in time and play the way they usually do during rehearsal.

[eBay]

Looking to go into a Studio for the first time...what do I need to know?

We have a new band and looking to go to a studio to record our demo...for the past ten years we have always relied on our studio in the basement with the basic 4-track, and got decent results, but we have something that deserves a little bit more.

What should I look for, what should I expect, and most importantly what mistakes should I try to avoid!

Thanks in advance for the help!!!

Riddle: What's the most important thing to take to the studio?



***** a ***** good ***** song *****

[rockinrob]

Besides the obvious, I think the main question is are you simply trying to get the way you guys sound live on tape, or are you trying to go for something else?

Of course there's inbetweens, but that's the main issue. If it's your first time I'd recommend the former, in which case just being well rehearsed is the most important issue. The later is where you get into all kinds of complicated things.

[winkofaneye]

All of the above,plus make sure all your gear is up to scratch.A dirty switch on your guitar;a rattley handle on your amp;fret-buzz;dodgy pedals etc all add time to rectify and you pay the cost in studio time.Get your gear serviced if possible,or at least go through it yourself.I play live alot,and my amps rattle and buzz because they are in and out of vans/venues.All they needed was some screws tightening,and I learnt to get my gear serviced after watching the engineer going through my amp with a screwdriver and tightening stuff,to eliminate the problem he was hearing on the recording.

[shane88]

i would go in as relaxed as possible knowing that everyone knew their parts and could play them blindfolded
then i would be looking for a take with a great vibe rather than a "perfect" take
also if you aren't gettin it after 2 or 3 takes it's gonna get stale

[rob2001]

I think the engineer is paramount. Todays gear makes it possible for even a budget studio to provide great recordings with the right guy behind the board. I'd add it's important to have some sort of vision to the final product. Engineers can be either transparent or put thier stamp on things. If possible, get representations of prior work done by the engineer or studio.

[Poppa Stoppa]

I have two tips.

1. Take in a couple of reference recordings (CDs that sound like you want to sound). That will help the engineer get the overall sound you want. There's a story of Talking Heads I think it was getting a drum sound like John Bonham until they played the engineer a Velvet Underground album and said 'Like that please'.

2. Try to get each instrument isolated. DI bass and keys. Put the guitar in an isolation box if they have one, or in a separate room. That way you can re-record over any mistakes without the whole band having to do another take.

[splatt]

Make sure you get new drum heads on the day you start tracking drums,

now there's something i've def never,
ever heard before!

i'm sure that your intentions are good, but:
that sounds kinda
like a generally
bad idea,
to me.....

dt / spltrcl

[oldhousescott]

Check out Tree Sound Studios and Southern Tracks Recording. They are both high-end, but they might cut better deals for demos.

[Hamertoe]

Have your material down pat - studio time is too expensive to be using it for final rehearsals. It also irritates the studio staff - you want them to be your friend.


Absofriggin'lutely. Know it backwards, forwards and then rehearse more. You'll save time. If there is the slighest question about a beat, break, note etc. don't spend a dime until it's right. Good luck & have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

[drfrankencopter]

Some people play better after a few drinks....others play worse. Find out what type you are BEFORE you go into the studio.


Know your tunes inside and out....try playing them without a singer present. Have some ideas for how you want it to sound before hand. Are you using the same rig for all the songs? Being well prepared pays off big time in the studio.

Oh, and don't forget to take breaks....it's good for the ears, and good for the soul.

Cheers

Kris

[devinb]

A few notes for the drummer:

Similar as to everyone else, have a clear idea of the sounds they want. I'll always regret my first sessions ever where the second (mullet'd) engineer talked my drummer into muting the drums and tight mic'ing them.

Second, beg, borrow or steal good cymbals if he doesn't already have some. Nothing sounds worse than a cheap cymbal.

If he's going to play with a click, he needs to practice with a click. If you have songs with meter changes, or tempo changes, you may want to program the click ahead of time, rather than play an hourly rate to do that, if you can.

It's not a bad idea to see what kind of kit(s) the studio has, both in terms of it possibly being better than what the drummer has, and also in terms of the engineer knowing how to mic it going in.

Depending on how you're recording, you may want to use room mics and things, so be clear with the engineer to have those options in mixing.

As far as guitars, many of the same things apply. Your intended sounds may suggest a certain mic pre or whatnot, so be as clear as possible with the engineer as far as what you're going for.

Since you have a lot of amp/guitar combinations available, you probably want to plan out ahead of time what you're going to use where. I would suggest not going overboard in terms of making sure you use everything you have. I prefer the consistent 'signature' sounds, but also, when it comes time to mix, you'll be able to apply the mix from one song to the next as a starting point, which will be nice (and save you money) if most of the rhythm tracks are same amp/guitar and such.

With it being incredibly easy to copy and paste punch-ins, if you have doubts about a part, redo it right away, don't wait until the next session when you've changed your amp settings, and you need the engineer to match the sound. It's amazing how different the sounds are from day to day, even if you're recording an acoustic with the same mics...mic placement makes a huge difference, and while you may not notice it in a full mix with lots of other things going on, you will probably notice it with the track is isolated, and once it's in your head, it isn't going away...

Encourage the engineer to be proactive. They know things you don't, but you may need to motivate them to do more than is necessary (like the room mics for the drums), like maybe mic'ing the back of a speaker cabinet for electric piano, or whatnot.

On the flipside, if you don't want the engineer to play the role of producer, politely decline ideas you don't think are worth pursuing.

Have them give the singer a line-up of mics to try, the most expensive mic isn't always the best for a particular voice.

Do get your guitars set-up ahead of time, now that it's getting colder, make sure you give them time to adjust to the temperature of the studio, and tune often.

[michael30]

Some people play better after a few drinks....others play worse. Find out what type you are BEFORE you go into the studio.

Do the backing tracks stone cold sober. A hangover can lead to a creative state of mind which can be useful when doing overdubs.

Tune often.

[loudboy]

If it's a standard pop/rock format, budget 12-15 hours per song, if they're done in groups of 3 or 4. This is the figure I used to use, and 95% of the time, it was right on.

Use that figure, and work backwards from there, to find out how much it will cost, at the studio you'd like to use.

Book a solid day to track drums and bass for 3-4 songs. It will take 8-10 hours to do this, including setup. Do scratch guitars and vocals, so it sounds like the whole band is playing, to the drumer and bassist. This will help the feel. Do NOT obsess over tones of the scratch guitar and vox, or even if you can hear yourself - the important thing is the the rhythm section is happy.

After you're happy w/a take, fix any bass mistakes and move on.

Do overdub in 3-4 hour sessiions, concentrate on getting the guitars/keys for one or two songs. Save solos for last.

Get a tight rough mix, w/final parts, before cutting lead vox, as this will inspire your singer.

Listen to the engineer - he's made a lot more records than you. OTOH, I've found that the artist has great instincts, and the engineer should be willing to try whatever it is that you are looking for. Leave enough time for the "happy accident."

Frequent breaks and snacks/meals are essential. A tired, hungry band sounds bad.

[KRosser]

The second time gets easier.

[funkycam]

Try & record your parts at home to a click completely isolated.
even a boombox cassette recording will help.
Parts you are not comfortable executing will be very apparent.

Remember that the initial recording is really you playing for the drummer: you can overdub guitar real easily later.

tune often.
Don't assume anything will be fixed in the mix. Fix it now.
Likewise make sure any bad stuff is deleted immediately. It can & will show up in later mixes.

Be polite, try to tread lightly, but make sure you are comfortable.

No shame in punching, splicing and overdubbing

The best takes happen when you forget you are recording & just play.
First time in the studio... it may take a little time for you to get comfortable, but good energy & support from all band members to each other should be a big help.

Partying would not be an option on any recording I have ever done. That's a junior league mistake...

Hope you have fun!
Best of luck,
Cam

[spectreman]

I really, really appreciate all of the great insight offered here!

I know there are probably going to be problems and hurdles to overcome, and I appreciate giving me/us an idea of what should expect.

Thanks!

[The Golden Boy]

This is a post of mine from another forum.

I tried a recording studio diary.

I didn't do too good at it, but here:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143773

I think the best bit of advice of anything I wrote in that thread is:

"I don't know if anyone else does this, but every single time I go into the studio to do more than 2 songs, the first two songs- after every take you want to go out and listen to it. It never fails. Even if you KNOW you or the rest of the band played crappy, you still want to listen to it. If you're on a budget- you may wish to discipline yourself not to do that. After the first two songs you kind of calm down and know to start over or run another take."

Keep that in mind.

Another thing- things WILL go wrong. Roll with it and don't get upset or flustered.

Don't get liquored up while you're doing it. That's not going to turn out good.

[MichaelThomas]

now there's something i've def never,
ever heard before!

i'm sure that your intentions are good, but:
that sounds kinda
like a generally
bad idea,
to me.....

dt / spltrcl

It's always been standard for me, every engineer I've ever worked with has requested this. New heads and new moon gel dampners. Trust me, the drums drive the record, shitty drums=shitty record. You have to break the heads in though of course.

If you think that's crazy, I've seen guys change heads after tracking each song! Now that's nuts.

[KRosser]

It's always been standard for me, every engineer I've ever worked with has requested this. New heads and new moon gel dampners. Trust me, the drums drive the record, shitty drums=shitty record. You have to break the heads in though of course.

If you think that's crazy, I've seen guys change heads after tracking each song! Now that's nuts.

You're telling a guy who got a Grammy for producing Jeff Beck to trust you?

Now that's nuts

;)

[splatt]

It's always been standard for me, every engineer I've ever worked with has requested this. New heads and new moon gel dampners. Trust me, the drums drive the record, shitty drums=shitty record. You have to break the heads in though of course.

If you think that's crazy, I've seen guys change heads after tracking each song! Now that's nuts.
well, most of the great drummers i've worked with
seem to despise playing on fresh, new heads,
both onstage and in recording.
just my own experience.
dt / spltrcl

[bostonwal]

well, most of the great drummers i've worked with
seem to despise playing on fresh, new heads,
both onstage and in recording.
just my own experience.
dt / spltrcl

I'd do whatever Bill Bruford does. (which could me mean electronic drums but that's beside the point)