What time should I arrive at the studio?

I get a lot of clients asking this question and it is a good question. Time is the primary commodity in the studio. Regardless of the rates studios charge, you're still spending your hard earned cash on time in the studio. The rate may be based on the gear the studio has or the experience of the engineer, but it still revolves around time. To make the most of your time in the studio, start with getting to the studio on time for your session.

The first step is to confirm your session a day in advance. Even if you confirmed weeks in advance, it's a good idea to send an email or call the studio just to confirm they still have you scheduled for a session. If for some reason the studio didn't put your session on the schedule, you should take a moment to make sure everything is going according to plan. Next thing is to call all the band members and remind them of the session. You don't want to show up to the studio and have to wait for your band mate to drive an hour to get to the studio. Carpooling is always a good idea.

Most studios will tell you when to arrive for the session. Some have a load in time and its always a good idea to ask if they allow time before the session for loading and setup. Either way, you should plan on being at the studio 15-20 minutes before the scheduled start time of your session. This will give you time to find parking and take care of any paperwork before your session starts.

Be sure to read my post about how to prepare for your studio session. This info will help you get the most out of your time in the studio. Please leave any comments if you have questions about this post.

How to prepare for a Recording Session

You're ready to record your music, but you've never been to a recording studio. Let me give you a few tips on how to prepare for your recording session.

First thing, be ready to record. You need to be well rehearsed and have final versions of your songs ready to go. Don't waste any time trying to figure out parts of a song. Have everyone on the same page so time can be spent getting good takes for mixing.

Second, give all your instruments a tune up. Put new strings or drum heads on a day or two before your session. This will give them time to stretch out and stay in tune while you record. Always bring spare strings,sticks, straps and other gear so you don't waste any time running to the store. 

Third, be well rested for your session. It's important to stay focused and attentive to every aspect of the session. Keep your ears rested. Don't listen to loud music before you go into the studio. Bring snacks and bottled water with you to keep your energy up.

Forth, protect your investment. You're spending your hard earned money on the recording, so be prepared to back it up. Bring a hard drive or flash drive with lots of empty space to back up all of your recordings. HD sessions can get big quickly. High sample rates and bit depths create big files. The average 4 minute song can have a folder that is 5 GB, so if you've got 10 songs on the album, you'll need 50-60 GB of storage. It's always a good idea to bring blank CD-Rs if everyone in the band wants a copy of the rough mixes.

These are just some of the basic things you should prepare before going into your session. It's always a good idea to discuss your project and ask any questions before you get to the studio. If you and the engineer are on the same page, the session will move along efficiently and the recordings will reflect the productive environment.

Mic Placement

We had a discussion last night about the struggles of finding the right sound for a particular song being tracked at the studio. The discussion led us down a path of thought that started to get us thinking more outside the box. The studio drummer, CRISPy CRUIZeR, was brainstorming a new plan to use microphones of all different types. What if the guitar amp was tracked with a mic designed for the kick drum? Would a D112 give us the bottom end that we're seeking? This got us thinking even more about using some of the gear in different ways. Maybe it's time to dust off the MiniDisc recorder and the DAT machine. What if the compression ratios of these digital machines gives us that little extra punch that the drums need to sit bigger in the mix? These are questions that get us intrigued and in this business, strange and unusual is typically the most fascinating.