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Recording Session Preparation
When heading into the studio, there are several things that can help you make
the most of this very expensive day. I’ll outline a few of
the most important ones for you, and explain why I think they’re worth noting.
First, be sure that you’re well rested.
I know, I know – this
is sort of a “duh”, but I’ve seen so many people who end up tired because they
stayed up too late.
And staying up too late doesn’t always
occur because of an intended party or late-night carousing.
In
fact, a lot of amateur studio types (read: the people who don’t do this stuff
daily) make the earnest mistake of preparing for the big day by endlessly
reviewing, singing, practicing, double-checking etc, way into the long late
hours of the night, only to find that they’re insufficiently rested for their 15
minuites (or 10 hours) of fame.
Bottom line – by the time you’ve actually booked the studio, you should be
well-prepared enough to get a good nights sleep before the session.
Don’t spend all night fretting; your next day performance will suffer
incredibly.
Another good thing to do to prepare yourself, going hand-in-hand with rest, is
to know your material and intended outcome.
Again, this is a
“duh”, but a lot of amateur artists don’t have a solid handle on their material.
Couple this with self-producing, and it’s a recipe for disaster – picture
five capable musicians, one engineer and a great studio all sitting around
waiting for an instruction from you, the Artist-In-Charge, and not being able to
make a decision because you don’t actually know what you want to accomplish.
Upwards of $250 per hour ticking away while you query the musicians for
their opinions…
Bottom line – spend your own time (that’s cheap) on working out the
arrangements, feel and keys. Know the form and structure of
each song.
In the “humble thyself” vein, don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know.
From an industry point of view, we see (and are happy to work with, I
should add) plenty of “non-professional”
artists; that is, singers who don’t do this for a living, hire themselves out to
sing for other recording artists, have limited professional studio experience
etc.
While a joy to work with because of the refreshing lack
of attitude, occasionally we see some who display a forced hipness or a bit too
much of a “hanging out with the guys” mentality.
If you’re new to this (indeed, if it’s your first time in a big studio), don’t
be afraid to admit it. Studio musicians are accustomed to
working at a rather quick pace, and get frustrated when they get hung up because
the Artist won’t ask for help on how to use the Cue8 system or wants everyone to
stop because s/he missed the first
vocal entrance. Letting everyone know you’re
new allows the crew to help you, by explaining studio conventions before they
become a problem.
Bottom line – don’t try and fake your way, because studio work is all about
vibe; nothing kills a vibe faster than a faker.
© 2009 Advantage Music Production