PREPARING FOR YOUR SESSION
It can be pretty daunting for a band with little or no experience to walk into the recording studio for the first time. Being as prepared as possible can make the whole experience much more enjoyable for everyone involved in the recording process. Here's some things to keep in mind...
Speak to your engineer/producer regarding how you are planning to approach the recording of your song/s. Will you record together as a band or build up the song layer by layer working from a demo or guide tracks? Check out our guide for more information regarding this topic.
Bring the best instruments/amps you can beg, borrow or steal. A crappy Strat copy that you bought at the pawn shop for $50 might be ok for your bedroom but if at all possible, borrow your mate's original '62 Fender Stratocaster for the session. I'm exaggerating for effect but you get the idea. At Everland we have some instruments that you are welcome to use (see here) but it’s always better to have more options than less, so please bring your own too.
Make sure these instruments are in the best condition they can be. Being able to hear in more detail will exaggerate intonation issues, rattles, etc. Have your guitar set-up professionally and re-strung a few days before the session. Don't change strings on the day if at all possible, unless you want to be tuning every five minutes.
If you are planning on using your own drum-kit, it’s definitely worth putting new heads on all toms/snares. New heads have a huge impact on the sound of the drums. Check out our Studio Guide For Drummers for more information specific to preparing for your recording session.
Be well rehearsed. The studio is definitely a place for experimentation but it's not the place to be learning your song. If you are planning on recording together as a band, make sure you can play the songs tightly as a band. If you are planning on recording to a click track, practice together as a band with a click. You can download a free metronome app onto your phone and plug it into the PA at the rehearsal studio. It’s annoying as hell but well worth it. When you work out the tempo of each song, make a note of the BPM and time signature. It will make it easier for the engineer to set up the click track.
If you can't play the part you'd like to play - simplify. A simple part, well played will sound better that a more complex part played badly every time.
Think about any overdubs you may want to add. Overdubs are extra layers that are added to the basic tracks to give the recording a fuller sound. In the case of guitars, these might be the same part played with a different guitar/amp combo or they might be completely different parts. A common technique, for example, is to ‘double’ (record a second track) of a rhythm guitar part and pan one to the left and the other to the right for a wider sound. At Everland we’re happy to help you with the production of your song. Please get in contact if you’d like to talk through production ideas for your music.
Arrive on time to your session, within reason. Everyone gets stuck in traffic sometimes but sleeping in and wasting an hour of your day is not a good way to get the session off to a good start.
Try to relax as much as possible and have fun. Time is money, but it should also be a fun experience. Otherwise, what are we all doing this for?