So, you’re making a demo…

You’ve rehearsed a lot, and are ready to lay down some tracks at a nice, or not so nice recording studio.  You’ve probably like I did, paid a bunch of money to have someone engineer the demo and are really wanting things to go well.

Here are just some thoughts about what things to think about once you are ready to go and get everyone together to play.  I recorded some pop songs, and so these are the things that I had to keep in mind, but I guess that the process would be slightly different say if you were recording a hip hop track, or classical concerto, or anything in between.  But for us, it was all about planning…

ARRIVE ON TIME and READY

To me, nothing gets me more aggravated then not having the little things in place before I go and spend money for all the minutes that I’m at a studio.  Most studios charge by the hour, so every minute counts, and if your guitars need to be restrung, or people in your group show up late, it can be expensive and annoying.  My thought is to be overly prepared and ready, because inevitably, setting up the studio itself for a good sound takes time away from playing.  And if you are on a low budget like me, then it pays to have some things good and ready to go.  Here are just some things that I had planned and ready…

1. PRINT OUT A SONG LIST / MUSIC CHARTS marked with verse, choruses, etc.

Even if your band doesn’t need them, it’s a good idea for the engineer to follow them easily with lyrics and all so that she is on the same page as everyone else.  Not to mention at the very least, the engineer will know what to title the ProTools project.

2.  BRING A TUNER, CHANGE STRINGS DAYS BEFORE SESSION

Just do it, have it ready, with cables and everything in an organized place so that the quicker you can set up, the quicker you can get to playing.  No earrings (because of headphones), and no jangly pieces of clothing (because the mic might pick it up).  Everybody turn their cell phones off.

NOW PLAY

Hopefully, as you all are about to play, you’ve been rehearsing with the band by playing with a metronome.  Most likely you will play with one during the recording, so know who will count off the clicks and how each song will start and end.  So, if you are going to fade out a song once its’ mixed, you all need to know to keep playing at the end of the song so that there is enough to fade with.

Stay loose, and try to react to the players around you, and not focus too much on your own part.  Now is the time when all the rehearsing comes in, and if you have rehearsed in a way that it beneficial to the playing now, or if you didn’t rehearse enough.  Your own part should be second nature by now, and the differences between a good take and a bad one have more to do with feel with each other.

Also be very polite to your engineer.  I feel like people in the music world have to deal with too many attitudes and egos.  You generally will be able to get the engineer on your side by being nice.  Just a thought.