5 Steps to Making a Great Recording
ONE: Start rehearsing way before your recording date! The old saying “Practice makes perfect” couldn’t apply any more strongly to recording or making a great record. For most genres of popular music, top artists record as a full band, or at least the rhythm section, live in the studio at the same time. Overdubs and additional tracks and such as vocals and leads can be recorded after the initial band tracks are done, but recording at least drums, bass, some guitar or keys, and a scratch vocal is always better than trying to piece it together one instrument at a time.
TWO: Click Tracks (skip if fixed tempo music is not your thing). During your rehearsals or whenever possible (and if the tempo allows), the band or at least drummer should be listening to a click track to keep the meter and tempo solid and consistent. For songs that are at at fixed tempo, recording to a click track is the ideal method, as editing, reverb, delay and time corrections can all be made much more easily and to time, resulting in a more tight and solid feel.
THREE: Talk to your Studio’s producer and engineer before your recording date. Either by phone, email or in person, your recording partners need to know what your goals for the making of the record are, such as – is it a demo to get gigs, and EP to sell at shows? Or is it a full album production that needs multiple days and musicians to accomplish. The producer will need to understand your vision for the project so that you not only get the result you are looking for, but do it within a reasonable budget for the project.
FOUR: Preparation and Setup. The engineers at the studio will want to identify everyone and everything to be recordedsuch as the names of the musicians, what instruments who plays, ask about backup vocals, special effects or requests – everything you want, so that equipment, rooms, microphones etc. can be selected and prepared when the parties arrive, and manage the flow and order of the session so that it runs fast and efficient.
FIVE: RELAX and ENJOY YOURSELF. Now that steps 1 through 4 are out of the way, it’s time to relax and just have fun making the music you love. Perform with your audience in mind, as if you were in front of them, unchained from obstructions and technicalities that impair your thoughts and mood. Now is the time that, with confidence, you can focus on enjoying the music you created. The second part of relax is trusting that your studio partner is right there with you capturing your performance in the highest quality, and will be there through the entire recording mixing and mastering process to help you obtain your desired results.
