Independent Artist Website - Sound Decisions about Studio Recording

By: Greg Joes
Word Count: 1032

Now that you have had a general introduction to recording, specifically for tracking a live show, this Independent Artist Website will give you an overview of studio recording, from the usual rent-a-pro approach to setting up your own project studio.

First things first: You have to decide who is going to be the producer, even before deciding on the engineer. None of the later decisions about tracking instruments, recording vocals, doing overdubs, processing signals, or getting a final mix will mean Bo Diddley, to coin a phrase, if your bands three or five or eight members are arguing all the time about who sounds the loudest and what so-and-so’s girlfriend is doing in the vocal booth. Someone has to run the show.

This is even true for a solo act in independent artist, since in a studio leadership vacuum most seasoned (or semi-seasoned, or even just salty) engineers will step right up and make the decisions for you. If the band does not present a united front behind its leader, the whole process will be at risk. So, before anything else, decide

• Who will be the producer?
• What arrangements of what songs will be recorded?
• How much debate and democracy will be involved in the process,
• When the various deadlines are going to be set, and
• Why things are going to be run them way they are.

Now is the time for clarity, group cohesion, and common goals. Larger-than-life egos and delusional daydreams have to be left at the door (better yet, down the street) so that a workable, affordable, efficient, and effective plan can be developed — and pursued to a successful conclusion. Everybody needs to get on the same page (or play the same tune, or whatever metaphor you prefer). Now you are as ready as you are going to be, so what is next?

Well, as usual, it is about money, mostly, and time, too. What is the working budget? Can you afford (and do you want to afford) to go into a project-level studio at $30 an hour with engineer included? A pro studio at $50-100 an hour with engineer maybe included? To make these calculations, you need to have your songs down pat, know how you are going to record them (rhythm section together or dubbed) and how long all of it will take. If you are doing a three-song played that is one thing; if you are doing your debut CD with 11 tracks that is a whole other thing. For simplicity is sake, and to keep consistent examples from here forward, let’s go with your demo for now.

The whole decision process can take a U-turn if one of the band members, or a good (really good) friend, has a decent project studio set up — meaning pro and semi-pro equipment, a decent recording room, good microphones (and cables!), and so on. So, this is the second big decision, after choosing the producer, but it is not one that the newly christened producer should make alone. Once again, unanimity is vital.

Wherever you do the sonic deeds, if you are recording your drummer and bassist (and maybe a guitar or keyboard too) as a unit, which imparts an organic feel to the tunes, then you will need baffles, sound deflectors, etc., to minimize bleed. You will have to have headphones for everyone, good mics that are properly placed, quality cabling to minimize hum and pops, and so forth. If this is all starting to sound awfully complicated, opt for the best mid-level project studio in town, the one with good equipment and a decent studio, if not state-of-the-art. We were doing your demo, remember? Not your platinum-worthy debut.