Does this sound familiar to you?
So either you're a solo artist, or you're in a project/band. You have a collection of songs or maybe even just one song. Doesn't matter the count, but regardless you're stoked about this and want to start recording them and putting them out. You either try recording it yourself with your home studio set up, or you find someone local who offers production services (Like myself) and you book studio time. You finally get to the point where the time comes and the "Red Light" is on so to speak..... aaaaaaaaaaand you realize someone (And that someone could even be you) didn't come prepared. They're struggling with getting parts down, attitudes are strained, time is getting wasted, and overall the experience of recording your music becomes more of a chore than a matter of being fun and creative. Unfortunately, then everyone desperately can't wait for everything to be finished and over with.
If this has ever been you or you've experienced these kinds of things, then today I want to go over 5 tips to help you and/or your band be more prepared for the studio environment. These will not only help make the experience go more smoothly for the engineer, but ultimately for the artist.
Tip #1: Figure out a musical direction prior
This one is big. Pulling no punches straight out of the gate! This also goes for the production as well. If there's not a direction established prior to the recording process, then you're already stepping with a shot in the foot. Often times this makes for a timeline that seems never-ending, and sometimes it even causes for the whole venture to cease altogether if not careful.
One thing I like to do as a producer/engineer is to have a sit down with the artist or band, perhaps over coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. and have some kind of an interview with them.
The questions I typically ask are the following:
- What are your core influences for these songs? Or as a band in general?
- What were the inspirations behind the music and the lyrical content?
- What records do you like the SOUND of production wise?
- What are your goals for this release?
Then they get answered accordingly. This also helps not only myself, but the artist understand exactly what the direction is for the project. It furthermore provides ideas on how to go about the performances and the sonics of the recording. It establishes a focus and a game-plan, so that way when the work finally begins, we can go in there and crush it. Obviously, the studio can be a stressful environment at times and every project is going to take an immense amount of work. However, having the direction established from the get go tremendously helps in making it seem less like work and more like fun how it should be.
Tip #2: PRACTICE & LEARN THE PARTS BEFORE RECORDING THEM!
This one might be even more important than the previous tip. I can't tell you how many times I've ran into this. We're in a session where the person in the hot seat is getting ready to record, and then when we start and we have to do literally take after take after take after take after take before everyone begins to lose sanity and patience. This is a clear sign that they did not practice or learn the parts. There have even been instances where I've had to TAB OUT the parts for them during the session just so we can get the parts down and move on. These cases are an absolute nightmare for everyone involved.
Obviously for something as complex as a lead guitar solo, or a drum part, while I have a level of expertise in both areas, there's only so much I can provide in those instances. It can literally become me wanting to or requesting someone else in the band play the parts for them to move the session along. If someone is adamant about playing on a recording, then they need to make sure that they know the parts inside and out before the record button is pressed. There should be few amount of takes as possible and the musician should be well rehearsed prior to the session. This not only saves time and creates more efficiency, but it also helps with making sure you're fully prepared and proven to be reliable.
The same goes for vocalists as well. If you don't practice your parts or have a melody in mind, it turns into the engineer/producer having to figure them out for you. It can seriously bring the overall morale of the session down a few notches. Obviously, changes are inevitably made during the process because sometimes what you thought originally worked actually doesn't within the context. So changing things on the fly are always a common occurrence in the studio. That's not what I'm referring to here. I'm simply talking about when it comes times to hit record. This is when lyrics aren't finished, melodies aren't established, someone didn't warm up prior to or learn proper technique to make sure they can withstand longer sessions without hurting themselves, etc. All of those things play a factor, and they should be all worked out during the demoing or as most would call the "Pre-Production" phase.
Let me reiterate, YOUR RECORDING SESSION IS NOT PRE-PRODUCTION! Now say that out loud and multiple times until it resonates. Got it? Good.
Tip #3: Leave your ego at the door and be a team player
We get it man, these are your precious songs and you want to protect them as much as possible. In some cases, you may feel they're absolutely perfect and that you're the greatest songwriter that ever lived and breathed. Well, unfortunately I have news for you.
Songwriting takes work. Recording & production takes work. Ultimately you, as the artist need to be open to suggestions and changes. It's also important to understand that the engineer/producer's job is to HELP you and your songs get to the next level, not to hinder the process. With everyone having access to affordable recording studio setups these days, anyone can engineer a record on their own. That said, It's a whole other thing to PRODUCE something. There's a distinct difference. The engineer/producer when they're being hired for their service, has a tremendous amount of time and effort invested in the project as well. So they're going to make it as good as they can so that way they can add it to their portfolio or share with their friends and colleagues. This goes beyond just getting the job done and getting paid for it. This is supposed to be art. This is supposed to be a display of vulnerability coming from the artist. It's the producer/engineer's job to capture that as best they can and exclaim it as much as possible so that it comes across much more compelling than the initial idea. This can only be achieved if everyone involved comes into it with the attitude of being open minded and listening to others.
So the next time a suggestion is offered, or a change is presented, be open to it. Allow for the process to take shape, and ultimately be subject to learning. Every experience in the studio can be a worthwhile one if you allow it to be. They are things that can be carried with you to the next time and beyond. Even if you try something and it doesn't work, you can at least say you TRIED it. Not being open to other ideas can only do harm. Sometimes those ideas or suggestions are what the song needs and you just haven't realized it yet. It's happened enough times for me in the studio where someone will hear something that I didn't and vice versa, then we try it and we go "Man! That was exactly what was needed" or "That is cool! I never thought to do that before. Let's keep it!" and the project eventually becomes even better as a result.
Tip #4: Try to have a positive attitude
This sort of plays off the previous tip, but I think it warrants a whole point on its own. Attitudes are EVERYTHING when it comes to getting work done. That includes the engineer/producer as well. It happens man. We all have bad days, we sometimes don't feel well, our significant other pissed us off that day, or someone in the band has a bad attitude, etc. Therefore the rotten apple ends up spoiling the whole bunch.
This has often times been the Achilles heel to most sessions. I've been guilty of this as well and I've had to really work on keeping my attitude in check over the years. Again, making a record is HARD work. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy. I try to emphasize the idea of having fun, but sometimes it's not fun. Nobody wants to sit through trying to dial in drum tones for hours (Except for me of course, hehe). Nobody wants to hear the vocalist punch in those same 3 words over and over because they keep singing it flat. Nobody likes hearing the lead guitarist butcher that sweep picking solo because they don't actually know how to do it. I could list SO many examples here. The main takeaway is that the process can be insanely grueling. However, keeping in mind that the end result when it's finished is always a good way to keep everyone on track and attitudes in check.
It's also important to know when breaks are needed to be taken. There's times during sessions where we're hitting the brick wall and I go, "Okay, let's take 5 and come back to it". That way, we can take a breather for a second and regroup, eat a snack & drink something, and then come back into it refreshed. Having these little breaks here and there does wonders for everyone. That includes myself and other engineers when we have to hear that same take over and over and we're trying our absolute hardest to get the best takes possible.
To tie back into the initial paragraph, life happens too. We all go through emotional and even physical hardships that can ultimately have a negative effect on your perspective walking into the session. That being said, think about the session as your escape. Think of it as a way to release some of that pent up frustration, sadness, or whatever else. Sometimes this can bring out some REALLY great performances and it captures a moment in time. I've often told artists to lean into those feelings when getting takes and 9 times out of 10, it works like a champ. We end up getting a super emotional and compelling performance as a result that makes hair stand up.
It's all about mindset, perspective, and how to channel it.
Tip #5: Cut back on the conversation time and GET TO WORK!
This one I have to admit, I'm preaching to myself. This is for the engineer/producer, but it can definitely apply to the artist as well. Around people I'm comfortable with, I'm a talker. I can talk for hours on end about stuff that makes me tick. I also come from the Midwest. Have you ever heard that term called the "Midwestern goodbye"? This is when you go to leave, you have another conversation for an hour as you slowly itch towards the door or your car and keep saying "Well I should get going" probably 5 times total before you ACTUALLY leave. Yeah, I'm totally guilty. Many of my colleagues are the same way.
However, I've had to really reign myself in on this and learn to cut back on the convos during session time and get to work. Save the conversation for before the session begins, during breaks, or afterwards. This ensures that you get the most amount of work done with the time allotted for the session. It helps keep everyone staying on task and focused. If we spent half the session talking about whatever, not only is it a waste of time, but also money. TIME is MONEY, and if you're wasting time, you're wasting money too. Don't fall prey to this. It's tough man! It's fun to talk about gear, music, life experiences, the game that happened Sunday, what you had for lunch, etc. But does that ever actually get any work done? Nope! Never has, never will.
Not saying a brief convo here and there to keep things light shouldn't happen, because those can help establish a more friendly environment between the artist and the engineer/producer. However, keep it short. Get in the habit of saying, "Alright, let's get back to it. You ready?". Don't be afraid because the artist usually does not care. Don't be self-conscious about coming off as too "strictly business". It's a matter of work & play balancing. I'm STILL trying my best to dial this in. If you keep this in mind from the beginning, this will ultimately help you be more efficient with your time, get your work/art out there faster, and keep yourself moving onto the next bigger and greater project!
Thanks for reading! Were these tips helpful? Leave a comment below and let's get your opinions! I'd love to hear from you.
- Max Barber: In-House Studio Owner/Music Producer & Audio Engineer
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