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Recording Studio Tips: How To Maximize Your Band’s Time

When you’re looking to record your band’s first album, effective and focused working is vital for making the most out of your time and money. Most bands cannot afford to spend months working on their first album and need to get as much done in only a few sessions. If your band has only played live gigs, it can be daunting stepping into a recording studio for the first time, and many bands find they don’t get much done in the first session. Our guide will help you tackle your nerves so that you can maximize your band’s time to get the most out of every session.

Research

Detailed research is a crucial part of the process when aiming to achieve the best possible sound for your band. Finding the perfect recording studio by researching what is available in your areas is essential. Many bands need a studio that is flexible and allows for 24-hour access due to working typical day or night jobs alongside building their music careers. Flexible access gives young bands the opportunity to work on their music at times that suit them without having to worry about finishing in time to make it to other commitments. If this is something your band needs, check out your local area to see if you can hire a recording studio from PIRATE.COM.

Aside from researching studios, you should also consider the engineer for the project. Many studios offer self-serve bookings and no longer provide an engineer when musicians book the space. If you’re an experienced engineer yourself, recording and mixing your own record will be fine. However, if your band doesn’t have a member who can do this, it’s imperative that you seek out a professional to ensure that you get the best recording possible.

Set Goals

It’s essential when using a studio to arrive with a concise plan of what you’re recording. Decide as a band how many songs you will be recording or if you are only there to record key aspects of specific tracks. Having a plan will help you prepare, as you will need the right tools to achieve your desired sound. Setting your goals will also provide you with an accurate idea of how much time you need to book in the studio in order to get everything done in an efficient manner. 

Be Prepared

Unless you have an unending budget to spend time experimenting in the studio, showing up prepared is vital for maximizing your recording experience. When working to a limited budget and timescale, it is crucial that you have all of the songs you wish to record written in full before you arrive. You should also have each song that you are going to perform memorized to perfection; this will allow you to get more done in less time as you will require fewer takes. 

Arriving prepared isn’t all about knowing what you are going to record and having the performances memorized; you also need to ensure that your equipment is well maintained and functioning correctly. Every movement, breath, strum, and sound will be recorded when you are tracking in a studio, which is why it is essential that your band’s instruments are tuned and ready to provide quality sound.

Use References

If your band has been experimenting at home and has some demos of your music, bring them with you as a reference to help achieve the same sound at a better quality; this is also something that you can add to an album for your fans to enjoy.

It can be challenging to put your band’s vision into words, which is why references are an excellent tool to help you communicate with your engineer and bandmates. Often bands are inspired by their favorite musicians, and there’s no shame in bringing along examples of what inspired your sound to help you reach the desired result at the end of your recording session.

Gig Mindset

Many movies depict a band’s time in a recording studio as an excuse to party, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Making a record takes time, concentration, and focus in order to deliver the best results. While there’s nothing wrong with the odd drink, rendering yourself useless is going to cost you time and money as you won’t be able to finish what you set out to do in the recording studio. Treat your recording session like a gig and maintain a professional mindset throughout the process in order to get the most out of your time in the studio.

Click Track

Many bands spend time at home getting used to playing with a click track in the background, as it can often be difficult to focus when you first hear the click track over the headset when recording. Due to sound separation, your band will most likely have to perform their individual aspects for each song alone, and it is vital that you all learn your parts without having to look to each other for cues. Often there are tempo changes during individual aspects, so it’s crucial that you communicate with your engineer so that they can change the click track tempo accordingly. Click tracks are a fantastic tool for helping bands get the perfect recordings, but there are no rules that say you need to use one if your band is confident that they can perform their parts without one. 

Social Media

An aspect that many bands forget is social media. Part of the process when you’re recording an album is driving up the hype amongst your fans to maximize your sales once you release your record. Documenting the creative process of your band will help you maximize your time in the recording studio. Take advantage of the marketing opportunity you have when in the studio, as most of your fans will never experience what it’s like to sit in a recording studio. Take pictures, create live streams, or even film one of your band members recording; there are countless ways you can document your time in the studio to show your fans behind the scenes of your band’s creative process.

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