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VOCALS | GUITARS | BASS | DRUMS | STRINGS | ARRANGEMENTS | BEATS | OTHER

VOCALS:

•  Decide if you sing better in the AM or PM and book your vocal time accordingly

•  Make sure you warm up before stepping in front of the microphone

•  The studio setting can feel more intimate than that in which you would normally perform

           (Often, vocalists will sing more softly because of this.  DON'T!  Be bold and uninhibited to get your best sound)

• Drinks: water, hot tea, no caffeine, no sugar.  Keep on hand while you are warming up, waiting or recording

• If you are uncomfortable singing in front of other musicians or staff in the studio, request that they leave

          (Once recording is about to start, all you really need is yourself and the engineer)

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GUITARS:

•  Use a good quality guitar and amp that has been kept in good condition. Make sure pickups are working and fix any problems you can find

•  Make sure your strings are about one week old.  New strings will be too bright and old strings will be too dull

•  Use high quality strings of the appropriate gauge for your playing; 10 or 11 is usually the best

• Remember that it is usually better to add effects later in the mix

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BASS:

•  Follow the same tips as GUITARS except:  Strings should be at least two weeks old

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DRUMS:

•  If you do only one thing, practice all your material with a click track or metronome over and over again

•  Replace your drum-heads and clean your cymbals a few weeks before coming to the studio

•  Play your snare and toms hard and loud and your cymbals soft

• As a precaution, bring the following items: an extra snare head, extra sticks, drum key and any other items you think you may need 

• Use a ported kick drum head for rock or pop music

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STRINGS:

• Make sure your instrument is in perfect pitch

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ARRANGEMENTS:

•  Make sure all the material in your project is complete and approved by all members in the band 

•  This includes: songs, lyrics, tempo, arrangements, length, instruments etc.

•  If you have chord charts and lyric sheets, bring them

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BEATS:

•  If bringing your own beats, make sure they are stereo with kicks and snares center, and everything else panned left and right

•  Bring your beats in as a .wav file

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OTHER:

• All musicians should be accustomed to playing or singing to a click track or metronome. This will drastically reduce the number or re-takes spent on timing problems

• Know the titles and tempo (in BPM) of all your songs

• Be patient with other members of your group, tension will only make the recording take longer

• Remember to take a break when you need it, you will be more productive

• Keep your end goal in mind with a positive attitude

• Make yourself comfortable, you can always turn down the lights or ask others to leave.  Don't feel embarrassed to do so

• Ask the engineer if there is any other preparation you could do ahead of time  

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