SOME STUDIO TIPS
All backing tracks should be supplied on a USB stick or alternatively emailed in advance.
All stems for mixing should be provided in .WAV (wave) file format or Apple AIFF format, recorded preferably at 48 KHz or 96 KHz sample rates. We can also accept stems recorded at 44.1 KHz.
You can provide demo tracks or reference mixes in .mp3 format.
All backing tracks and stems for mixing must be clear without clicks, pops and thumps. Extra time spent by us to clean up your recordings will be charged separately.
Ensure that you have all the songs written and parts figured out and assigned before coming into the studio. Don’t waste valuable studio time and money on things you can easily do at home or at your own rehearsal space.
If you are sequencing tracks or using beats, have them ready to go on a USB stick or a removable hard drive before coming into the studio.
Practice, practice, practice ! The tighter your songs are, the smoother the recording will be and the better the end result.
Come into the studio well rested, clear headed, and ready to work. Recording is a physically and mentally demanding process. Bring plenty of water and food.
Bring in your own rig. If you are a guitarist and want to capture the sound you get from your guitar, pedals and amp then be sure to bring your entire setup. Experimenting with studio instruments, amps, and pedals is fine if you are not set on what you want for a sound, but put a time limit on it. Let the engineer and producer, who are much more familiar with their own gear, assist you in finding the sound you are looking for.
If you are working with a producer, give them a demo of the songs you want to record in the studio. Discuss production ideas ahead of time, and set aside reference mixes that serve as good examples of production styles you are striving for.
Make a budget of how much money you have to spend on your project. Estimate how many hours you think it will take to complete your project in its entirety. Most artists and musicians grossly under estimate how fast they think they can record their project. Depending on the band, a full album of 10-12 songs can take anywhere from 50 hours on the low end up to 250 hours or more on the high end. Variables to consider are how much recording experience the artist has, how long the band has been playing together and how elaborate of a production is desired.
Mentally block out all of the gear surrounding you. Stay relaxed and perform naturally. Put emotion and feeling into your musicianship.
Stay focused. The studio is an expensive place to party. Refrain from drinking and other recreational activities. We have a "no - alcohol consumption" policy at the studio. Don’t invite guests to your sessions – they will only serve as a distraction and may try to inject their opinions. Avoid unnecessary phone calls. Stay focused on the task at hand.
Do more than one take of every song, but limit it to 5 takes. Odds are if you haven’t hit the performance you are looking for in 5 takes, you are not going to. Move onto another song and come back to that one if time allows.
Listen to each take of your recording before moving on. Do not assume a take was good enough without listening to it just because “it felt right”. Get the sound and performance you are looking for. Don’t assume that you can fix things in the mix.
Tune up in between each take.
Consult with the engineer and producer before recording with effects.
Defer to the engineer / producer in terms of recording process and performance quality. They are much more experienced in a studio setting than you are and have finely-tuned, objective ears that can hear things you may miss (i.e. flat notes, bad chords, tempo changes, etc.).
Listen to the mix at a moderate volume.
Keep chatter and noise to a minimum. Listen attentively to what is coming out of the monitors. Don’t distract the engineer and producer or one another.
Take small, five or ten minute breaks between songs. Go outside or to another room where it is quiet to give your ears a break.
Mix down sessions should be limited to 8 hours to ensure your ears stay relatively fresh.
Listen for random noises, such as lip smacking, foot tapping, digital crumbs, etc. These annoyances will be amplified when compression is added. Listen for them with headphones and remove them as you discover them.
Listen for the overall balance between instruments. Think about the song as a whole. Not every instrument can be front and centre. Mixing is about compromise. There is a natural tendency for musicians to want their own levels to be raised even when it may not be what the song calls for. Do what is best for the song as a whole.
If the entire band is present at mix down sessions, appoint a spokesperson to be the liaison between the band and the engineer / producer. Discuss your mix ideas amongst yourselves before coming into the studio and convey them to the engineer at the beginning of the session. Work out differences as a band, and don’t put the engineer in the middle as a referee.
Trust the engineer / producer ! They are much better trained to mix your record than you are. Don’t expect to get each mix right the first time around.
Bring home .wav files of your mixes and listen on as many different stereo systems as possible – especially boom boxes, moderately priced home stereos, and car stereos. These are the places people are most likely to listen to your song. Experiment with different volumes, but be sure to include low volume. Make notes of your observations and bring them with you to your next session so you can tweak the mix.
