Recording Tips

A. Before You Start:

1. Spend some time in the "wood-shed." The number one cause for delays and extra takes is music that is not adequately prepared.
Plan the session, organize the parts and coordinate the musicians before the session starts.

2. Prepare your body and your mind for the task at hand. A recording session is a focused, energy-sapping exercise. Get your rest, manage your diet for strength and stress tolerance, and rest your ears.

B. Getting ready:

1. Arrive early enough to get focused and in your "zone." Many times the studio starts the clock whether you are there or not….don’t waste your money by being tardy.

2. Make sure the instruments are prepared for the performance. Make arrangements for the tuning of the piano. Professionals will have spares of everything consummable….strings, drum sticks, cords, drum heads, reeds. Scope out the nearest music store and know the hours.

3. Create a comfortable, businesslike atmosphere from minute one. The professionalism will be audible in the final results.

4. Be certain that you and your recording engineer share the same vision for your session. Communicate and review the material well in advance of the recording date.

C. The recording session:

1. Don’t allow guests to become a distraction in the session. In fact, don’t invite anyone other than the musicians involved. Comments and suggestions may change the direction of the session away from your vision and dissipate the energy and emotion in your performance.

2. If you make a mistake, don’t stop unless unless the engineer signals that it is necessary. Every snippet of music is valuable later on.

3. Play consistently….not mechanically, but if you play passages differently everytime, (speaking of tutti parts, ensembles or written classical parts) it will be impossible for your engineer to "punch-in" edits because the music patches won’t work.

4. Tune often.

5. Get the sound you want, the musical passages cleanly performed, the intonation and tempos right in the session. Do not assume that everything can be "fixed" in the mixing.
Know when to stop for the day. If you are not at the top of your game it will show.

D. After the session:

1. Ears work hard in a studio…rest yours, listen to mixes at moderate volumes, and play familiar music on the studio speakers so that your ears become attuned to the sound before you start your new mix.

2. Trust your engineer’s judgement. In fact, let the engineer do the initial mixing. Her ears are better trained than yours to the intricasies of delivering sound.

3. If an ensemble or band is involved, choose a spokesperson. A committee can’t edit or mix.

4. Unforseen delays and extra edits are the rule not the exception. Budget for this as part of your preparation. You invested your time, money and reputation in this recording. Be prepared to do the whole project.

5. Be absolutely positive that your master is preserved on more than one copy. Create a file copy and a safety copy along with the master. If your master is a DAT, make a CDR as a safety.

Remember that good luck, in the recording business, is the result of choosing the right engineer, the right venue, the use of common sense, and stacking the deck in your favor with a good, intelligent plan. Good Luck!