You've got your gear, you've spent hours writing down notes and lyrics, and now you've got your eyes set on recording your hard earned material. Before you knock down the door of the nearest project studio, there are several things to consider. Let's talk about five crucial do's and don'ts to get you on the "track" to success (pun intended).
1. Learn To Talk the Talk
The first time I recorded a song, I was only a bright eyed, bushy-tailed 14 year old idiot. The engineers had to gradually get me up to speed on the language of recording. Fortunately enough, I caught on quick so it didn't interfere with the workflow. Before you consider recording, it's necessary to understand how to communicate with the industry. Reading up on the terminology and understanding the roles of the pros you will work with will greatly assist you. Here's a relatively painless glossary to get you started: Studio 11's Glossary
2. Hit the Rehearsal Studios... HARD
I know this seems redundant and I'm sure you and your friends have spent hundreds of hours in the garage meticulously working through your next album, but please hear me out. If you're just beginning your journey into the world of recording, chances are you haven't experienced an acoustically isolated environment like the ones found in studio tracking rooms. Getting into a sound treated rehearsal room is inexpensive and is chock-full of helpful tools like headphones, metronomes, and professional feedback (which is way more productive than the feedback from your guitarist's amplifier). By utilizing these facilities, your band can get used to the process, fine tune all of the details of your sound, and streamline your recording sessions. Which leads me to my next point....
3. holy S#!T, it can get expensive
The real reason why you want to work out all the kinks in the rehearsal room before you get to the real deal is cost. When it comes to record studios, you get what you pay for. Facility rental, audio engineer compensation, runner compensation, and gear liability fees are just some of the usual suspects compiled into a studio's hourly rate. For a pristine location with professional staff, these rates can surge up to $300-$500. So, you can see why wasting such precious time on a poorly rehearsed solo can be problematic.
If you're in the camp of utilizing this caliber of studio, it is imperative (that means 'really, really important' to all the drummers out there) to BUDGET. The key to budgeting efficiently is to consider the rule of thumb that a 5 piece band usually takes 5-7 hours to record one song. Determine how many songs you would like to record, and shop around for competitive rates that fit your budget.
If you're broke like the rest of us, it may be time to hit your local college campus and network to the thirsty Audio Engineering students there. Often, they will have resources like home project studios or access to their campus facilities to build their portfolios. As long as you observe some of their work to make sure it fits your standards, it can be a very economical solution.
4. Recording is only Step 1
While we're still on the topic of budgeting for your records, let me give you the basics on what happens once your job in the tracking room is done. The engineers recording your sound will give you the option of mixing and mastering the recorded material or taking it elsewhere to have it done. That ball is entirely in your court, but paying any more than $220 per (48 track) song to have mixed and mastered is a complete ripoff. What they will be doing is making sure your final product is loud, clear, and sounding just like the bands you idolize. It's a tedious process and it takes years to perfect this craft. When that's said and done you can go ahead and share your new music with your fans, reach out to venues, and get cozy with scouts at the label.
Stay clever, chaps!
