Recording is a fun and exciting process, but it pays (literally) to be prepared before booking studio time. Continue reading to see our tips on how to prepare for your studio session.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
So, you’ve just finished writing your latest masterpiece and are anxious to get it recorded. But wait, can you play through the song without struggling with chords, lyrics or melody? Do all the band members know their parts? How many takes will you need to get a good performance?
The main piece of advice we can give is to Practice, Practice, Practice. Think of your studio session just like playing a gig. Having your songs gig-ready will make things go quickly and efficiently in the studio.
But, I want to be free and experiment!
That’s OK with us, but just remember you are paying by the hour. We love collaboration, helping shape a song, and getting the best performances out of the artists we work with. However, it is helpful if you have just a few areas that you want to experiment with rather than an entire song or album. This will help keep everyone focused and minimize the time spent exploring.
Tick, tock, tock, tock…
We almost always record with a click track. In addition to keeping the song at a steady tempo, it helps greatly during post-production. We can merge performances from multiple takes or “borrow” from repeated sections to build our final arrangement.
This means that you should also practice playing to a click. As a bonus, you’ll come into the studio knowing the tempos of your songs (one of the questions we’ll ask before pressing record).
References
No, we’re not doing a background check! We want you to bring in 2-3 (not 10!) reference songs that are similar to what you are hoping to achieve in the studio. You can give us multiple references, for example, one with the same instrumentation, maybe another for the production style you like, and maybe one for a specific component (e.g., a vocal sound that you want to get).
What is the recording process?
We find that the following approach works well and is efficient, especially when the artist(s) are well-prepared, however we are flexible and can change things up and work around band-member schedules.
- Record a few live takes of the song all the way through, recording all instruments and a scratch vocal
- Listen back and see if we have enough good takes, note where overdubs / re-takes are needed
- Record vocals in isolation
- Listen back and see if we have enough good takes, note where overdubs / re-takes are needed
- Record instrumental overdubs / re-takes (give the singer(s) a break)
- Record vocal overdubs / re-takes
- Record additional instrumental performances (doubles, solos, ambience, etc. – another vocalist break)
- Record vocal doubles and harmonies
Sometimes it makes sense to schedule vocals for their own session without the entire band sitting around. Other times, it makes sense to squeeze vocal takes in-between instrumental takes if the vocalist tires during long vocal sessions.
How do I schedule studio time?
You can contact us at info@kingshillrecords.com or fill out the studio booking form.
What if I have other questions?
Contact us at info@kingshillrecords.com and we’ll be happy to answer them.