- Small amps are perfect in the studio setting. You can crank them up to 10 and still have a live drummer in the room, with no bleeding anywhere.
- Vocal Ease, Singer's Saving Grace, and similar products really do work. All natural, effective vocal chord enhancement and lubricants. Go to your local health food store and get some - put it in your gig bag, especially when heading to the studio!
- Artists - remember that if you have 10 people listen to a preliminary mix, you will have 10 different interpretations of what is necessary and would could be done "better." While everyone's input is necessary, I recommend that when it comes to decision time, there is one person who is the recognized spokesperson for the project, one person to interact with the engineer/producer.
Added December 2008:
- Have the moral courage to ask for what you want, and to address any problem areas in person. If you are having difficulty with your session or anyone involved, speak up. Don't abandon your project, don't send a third party to act as a mediator, and above all, don't renig on your commitment. If there is a problem, discuss it in the open. It is not just your music, it is your personal friendships and professional integrity at stake.
Added July 2008 -
1. Know what all is involved. For every minute of recording time, there is at least 30 minutes of editing and mixing that goes on for a good demo, and for a master release, about 1 - 1.5 hours of time necessary to make a competive product. Even with the advent and integration of powerful computing systems, it takes some time.
2. Its better to re-play or re-sing a part than rely on the engineer to fix it later. Technology allows us to fix pitch and tempo problems, but there are always tradeoffs. Don't get too excited if you hear "that was good, but lets do it better" in the headphones.
Added 13 May 2008 -
- Guitar Players: make double sure your gear works properly...nothing will kill the vibe of a session faster than a malfunctioning amp, pedal, or whatever - Guitar Players: know your sound, but be open to suggestions - sometimes putting a Tube Screamer in line will give better results than turning up to 11.... - Bass Players: Use our REDDI or bring your own....we have yet to find the ADesigns REDDI did not provide the perfect sound, regardless of bass, style, genre, electronics, etc. - Drummers: make sure your heads are fresh, but not so new as they will stretch out of tune during the session...if possible, set up a day early and let your kit acclimatize to the room.
Added Jan 15, 2008 -
Guitar Players: Strings! Make sure your strings are fairly fresh, and have stretched long enough as to not go out of tune during the "take of a lifetime"... If you can, show up to the studio early enough as to allow your guitars to acclimatize to the room's temperature and humidity.
Singers/Voiceover Talent: Bring Water...lots of it. As much as we all like sodas, coffee, alcohol, etc, none of this does your voice ANY good. Water quenches thirst and keeps the vocal chords loose (that IS why you are here, right?)
========Previous Studio Tips =========== - Make sure that you have ALL legal matters taken into account before sending anything off for mass production...this means EVERY t is crossed, every I is dotted, every song has a clearance, etc...Recently, some very unpleasant and embarrassing issues arose because of the technical details...these types of things can, do, and have create hard feelings, mistrust, and the dissolution of previously solid business agreements...when in doubt, listen to the people who are actually reproducing the materials - they can save your career.
That said, if you feel like you are getting a runaround, do not hesitate to take your business elsewhere...as an indie artist, you MUST feel and be in charge...
- Your Engineer Probably Knows A Bit More Than You: Like it or not, an owner/operator engineer in business for more than a week most likely knows the equipment he/she has, where to place it, etc. Listen to them...If they ask you to turn up or down, or to hit drums harder or softer, its for a reason. On the other hand, if a performer has a compelling reason to smash drums, distort amps to in indistinguishable mush, then explain your reasoning...A good engineer knows when to rely on equipment or when to rely of the human element...a great engineer knows when and how to rely on both.
- Like It or Not, Whatever The Final Outcome, Its What the Performer Did, Not the Engineer, That Matters: Engineers tweak, edit, EQ, enhance, mask, and all sorts of things..but if the performance was bad to begin with, no amount of engineering can fix it. There is more to the process of making music than owning mics and a computer...
More to come...so stay tuned
Please check out more of our tips, techniques, and things you need to know columns at WWW.IndieIslands.Com...
