The audio recording market is saturated with Digital Audio Workstations, plugins, and gear that does everything except make coffee for you. In this day and age it's easy to spend a great deal of time and $$ on a recording project. It's not always about how much gear you have, or how much money you spent to purchase it. There are plenty of talented and skilled engineers out there who may not have major artist credits to their name, who can record and put out amazing product. Choose your gear, your engineer, the studio, and your songs wisely, and you can maximize your time and budget to get A+ results in the studio.
Do your "homework."
The old saying, practice makes perfect definitely applies. So, practice, practice, practice! This step alone will save you $ in the recording studio. Rehearsing at home, in the garage, or at a professional rehearsal studio is always cheaper than paying for time and being on the clock in a recording session while trying to figure out parts or arrangements. Let's say your band has 10 original songs, but you only want to record 5--practice those 5 songs until you can play them in your sleep. The fewer takes, and the fewer fixes you have to do in the studio can also save you big bucks on your tab!
Evaluate your songwriting skills and song arrangements.
This is really where your song begins. Start with a well written song and a great arrangement and it is more likely that everything else will fall into place. Not everyone is a great songwriter from the get go, and everyone has the opportunity to learn and grow into it. If you have the chance to work with a producer, they can help you fine tune what you already have as you get ready to go into the studio. If you are more of the DIY type, there are many songwriting organizations both locally and on the internet. Many have meetings where you can play and have your songs critiqued. Play your songs for friends, family, on a street corner, and ask for feedback. Reactions from people can be crucial, and can tell you if you hit the mark you were aiming for with the songs you wrote. Don't be afraid of a little constructive feedback, it will help you become a better songwriter!
Find an Engineer/Producer that you "click" with.
This is another crucial part of the recording equation. Meet with and interview your potential engineer. It's like a job interview, only you get to ask the questions! Listen to music they have recorded and produced. Ask if they have recorded other projects similar to yours. Remember--you might be spending a lot of time with this person, make sure it's someone you can stand to be around!
Remember, nothing is perfect in the creative process. Give yourself the tools and the opportunities to create great music. We hope you find these helpful. Feel free to comment, we welcome your input!
Written by:
Britt-Marie Trace
Do your "homework."
The old saying, practice makes perfect definitely applies. So, practice, practice, practice! This step alone will save you $ in the recording studio. Rehearsing at home, in the garage, or at a professional rehearsal studio is always cheaper than paying for time and being on the clock in a recording session while trying to figure out parts or arrangements. Let's say your band has 10 original songs, but you only want to record 5--practice those 5 songs until you can play them in your sleep. The fewer takes, and the fewer fixes you have to do in the studio can also save you big bucks on your tab!
Evaluate your songwriting skills and song arrangements.
This is really where your song begins. Start with a well written song and a great arrangement and it is more likely that everything else will fall into place. Not everyone is a great songwriter from the get go, and everyone has the opportunity to learn and grow into it. If you have the chance to work with a producer, they can help you fine tune what you already have as you get ready to go into the studio. If you are more of the DIY type, there are many songwriting organizations both locally and on the internet. Many have meetings where you can play and have your songs critiqued. Play your songs for friends, family, on a street corner, and ask for feedback. Reactions from people can be crucial, and can tell you if you hit the mark you were aiming for with the songs you wrote. Don't be afraid of a little constructive feedback, it will help you become a better songwriter!
Find an Engineer/Producer that you "click" with.
This is another crucial part of the recording equation. Meet with and interview your potential engineer. It's like a job interview, only you get to ask the questions! Listen to music they have recorded and produced. Ask if they have recorded other projects similar to yours. Remember--you might be spending a lot of time with this person, make sure it's someone you can stand to be around!
Remember, nothing is perfect in the creative process. Give yourself the tools and the opportunities to create great music. We hope you find these helpful. Feel free to comment, we welcome your input!
Written by:
Britt-Marie Trace