Going into a recording studio can be a daunting task. Going in blind can be catastrophic. Your ultimate goal is to come out the other side with a finished product of the best quality and a product you’re proud of, not just an empty wallet. If you're in the dark in this arena, there is little chance that this will happen. Getting to record music should be a great experience. Being able to create music is an incredible thing, no matter what you do with it after. Preparing yourself will only make this experience better for you, creatively, audibly and financially. No matter what style of music you are planning on recording, the steps are the same. While I will be specifically talking about going into a full scale studio, most of what I address will still be relevant in a home or project studio. In an upcoming blog I will address choosing your material, for now, we will move forward as if the songs have already been selected.
First, you need to know what you want the songs for. Are you demo-ing to pitch to an artist, do you just want to sell CDs at your gigs or is it something else? How many songs are there? Are you recording cover tunes or do you own the rights to the material? Do you have a band that you want to record with you? Do you have music charts for all songs for the band?
Now that you’ve answered all those questions, we can go ahead and book the studio. The problem is, they book by the hour so you really need to know how long it will take to record each song. Even if they have package deals, they still come with a set number of studio hours so it will cost more if you run over. How good is the band you want to use? Even the best live musicians may not be studio savvy or have that creative gene that’s needed when recording. The longer the musicians take to record, the more the project costs. Now, how prepared are you, and the band, if applicable, to perform said songs? And will you need to overdub certain instruments?
The more songs you plan to record, the more you need these answers because, as I said before, studio time is money. Yes, you may stumble in blindly and still come out the other side with a quality product if you chose a proper studio, but lack of preparation will cost you money and if you multiply that by the number of songs, ouch!
The more songs you plan on recording, or if you are actually wanting to do an album, it is imperative that you hire a producer or at minimum, a music consultant, to help you navigate these issues. Either one will help you manage your time, and help you to be the most prepared for when you walk into the studio. They will book the studio and musicians for you and co-ordinate the recording times. They will lay out a plan that will estimate the studio time involved so you go in prepared. They will also help in making sure everyone gets paid. You only need to pay the producer, they then make sure everyone involved is compensated.
While the consultant’s job may end once you walk into the studio, that is where the producer starts to shine. If you are recording an album, there needs to be a sense of commonality or flow to it. You do not want it to sound like 10 individual and random songs, but 10 songs that share a sonic flow to them. A proper producer will work with you ahead of time to get a sense of who you are musically, so that it can be brought out to full potential when in the studio. The right producer will know how to bring about the best performances of both musicians and singers, incorporating this persona. A word to the wise, when finding the right producer, make sure you find one that is a fit for your style or genre of music. This will ensure the cohesion of the finished product.
A producer will make sure all songs will be arranged and charted prior to the session. They do the pre-production. While many session players never hear the songs they play on prior to the session, depending on who you're using, it never hurts to prepare them early. In the studio, the producer will relay all the necessary and pertinent info of each song to the players before starting to record.
In the end, the more prepared you are when you walk in, the less time you will waste. While going into a big studio can be daunting and a bit overwhelming, having a producer who has your best interests in mind, it will be a rewarding experience and one that will set the bar for your next experience.
Feel free to drop a comment about your studio experiences in the comments below.
Musically yours,
Randy Hess
Musician/Producer/Consultant
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