You’re ready to make a record. You got the songs, the lyrics, and the arrangements. It’s time to get started, so what should you be considering… how, when and where you are going to record your songs?
First, no matter how basic it may seem, you need to ask yourself the following questions before making that decision. Think of it as a checklist.
(1) What is your purpose for making your recording? – Write down your reasons for doing the recording and how you expect to use it. There are many different reasons for recording your songs, all of which demand different levels of final quality, equipment, and real estate. For example, if you plan make “master quality” demos to show your songs to record companies, TV & Film producers, or other professional media companies, then the quality of your recordings must be the highest you can afford. If on the other hand, your music will merely be used for your own demo purposes, then the considerations of “how, when and where” will be much less demanding. Know where you are going and it will be a whole lot easier trying to get there!
(2) What will you be recording? – My suggestion is to sit down and map out in detail, the tracking, overdubs and vocals you plan to capture in your sessions. Some of this may seem obvious but before you start your project you must first decide what you are going to record, then you can figure out how and where to do it. For instance, if you need to record live drums at the same time as acoustic piano then your project studio most likely will not have the isolation areas nor the mikes, pre-amps and inputs necessary to pull it off. If, on the other hand, you are using primarily midi instruments and direct recording then it doesn’t really matter.
(3) What is your level of expertise and your learning curve to accomplish it? – Let’s suppose that you have a real opportunity and you don’t want to blow it. On top of it, there is a time limit and then that window will close. Be honest… are you experienced enough to make it happen by yourself? Have you mastered your equipment, or are your still learning your software? Do you think you can keep your objectivity or do you need a producer or engineer’s fresh ears and prospective when things get tough? Answer these questions and you will gain a better understanding of what you need to do to get the job done. Remember, you only have one chance to make a “first impression”. Make it count.
(4) What are your budgetary considerations? - Ah, the age-old limitation…money. Here is where you are going to have to be creative. Before you begin writing checks and booking studio time, after you have mapped out the stages of your production, assign costs to each of them. Be realistic, if you have a shoestring budget, unless you have “pictures” on the studio manager, it’s probably not going to happen at a commercial facility. But remember, there are times when business is slow, the studio is wide open or the graveyard shift can be had during odd hours. These are cash deals waiting to happen. It’s ok to shop around and negotiate. You’ll be surprised what you get.
(5) What equipment will you need to make it happen? – Again, make a list. Be practical from both a monetary and technical standpoint. Are you going to be ok with a hard-disk system, a couple of inexpensive mikes, a closet to do your vocals and some trial plug-in or do you need something more exotic? Don’t be fooled though, big studios with large equipment lockers don’t always add up to the most incredible sounds. Remember that just because a studio is a “commercial” one doesn’t mean that it is good. There are many types of recording studios with quality ranging from “demo” to “medium” to “off the charts”. In your planning you should keep in mind that the most expensive studio isn’t always the best. At the end of the day, a great engineer can make a mediocre studio sound amazing but unfortunately the opposite is not true.
(6) How important is a live room with great acoustics to your recordings? In past incarnations of recording, the only choice for musicians was to play together in a live room when laying down their basic tracks. There were no samples, no digital plug-in and the only way to get ambiance was to record the room right along with the sound from the instrument. Today, samples of room acoustics can be used to create a “synthesized” approximation of the real thing. Again, this may be academic if you are recording midi tracks without a lot of live performances. Choose your “where” accordingly based on your needs and your budget. I’ve used both successfully but to my taste, there’s nothing like the sound of a “classic” drum kit being played in a well-designed room.
(7) If you give it a go by yourself can you retain your level of objectivity? - It’s tough enough for professional producers to evaluate, make decisions and remain in an objective state of mind when they hear the music over and over again so many times. But I believe it is much harder for you as an artist to do so if you are evaluating yourself. It’s like looking in the mirror and attempting to see yourself as others see you. So, if you can afford to obtain the services of a professional producer or engineer at a commercial studio whose taste you trust, you will be far ahead of the game. How you go about choosing them is a different discussing.
In summary, your recording plan is like a roadmap. You wouldn’t think of trying to drive to Paris from Rome without a detailed map. So why would you leave the recording of your music to chance. The worst mistake you can make is running out of money (yours or an investor’s) before you hit the finish line or missing your deadline because you don’t have the experience level to do it yourself. Obviously money is a factor as it will always be but if you are creative, you can find your way around the problem and end up with what you need, when you need it. Always think you can do it and never say no. A positive attitude can work wonders in making it happen.
