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Booking studio time can be a pretty onerous expense, running into tens of
thousands of dollars. This puts hiring a professional audio recording studio
out of the reach of most up-and-coming acts. However, there are many other
spaces that can serve just as well, if used properly. Generally, any room that
offers a reasonable amount of floor space and is insulated from outside noise
would do - the proverbial garage, or a church, finished basement or living
room are all suitable candidates for achieving great recordings. The ability
to have mobile audio recording set up, using a digital audio work station,
come to you can decrease your cost significantly.
There are a number of preparations that are essential to make your recording
session go as smoothly as possible.
First of all, make sure that your instruments
are in good working order and pay special attention to the condition of your
drum kit. Drum tuning can greatly help the overall sounds of your record. Make
sure to pack your drum key, so you can adjust the tension of the rods (it's
recommended that the rods be tightened or loosened a couple of turns at a time,
in a rotating order, like the process of securing fastening bolts on a mechanical
housing). Also, don't forget equipment you may need to modify the sound of
the drum: if a drum has too much resonance, it can be muffled with a number
of techniques, such as duct tape or specialized dampening pillows, even band-aids
can come in handy.
Second, make sure to rehearse before arriving for your session or at least
have a rough game plan regarding the songs you would like to record. Studio
time can be expensive, and the more you practice or make arrangement decisions
beforehand, the less time and money will be spent. This applies even to bands
that have played together for a long time - you may know each other well, but
a new composition could test your skills in unexpected ways.
Third, if you are a vocalist, make sure that your voice is in good shape when
the time comes. Practice your vocals, but don't overstress your cords. Stay
hydrated, and do research on likely allergies, seasonal colds and other disruptions
that could rear their heads around the time when you're scheduled to get in
front of the microphone. If you're a smoker, try to lay off in the run-up to
the session. Singing is a physical act, and the better shape you're in, the
better your studio performance. Remember that professional-grade microphones
will pick up every rough edge and false note; things that may pass in a bar
setting will stick out when recording.
Fourth, if you have decided to record music in a space
other than a professional recording studio, there are additional considerations
when it comes to acoustics. First of all, before hauling in the recording
equipment, test out the acoustics of the space, the way sound echoes off
the walls and ceiling, and the way instruments blend in the setting. There
are products that can affect indoor acoustics, such as audio blankets that
can absorb sound and reduce the cacophony and clash of echos in an ill-suited
indoor space. Instruments can also be isolated from each others with acoustic
dampeners or "go-bos" (go-betweens).
It can be intimidating for a band to make the step and commit to recording.
However, New Haven recording studio Satellite Sounds Recording will work with
you to arrange a session that delivers quality while keeping costs affordable.
With careful preparation, you will have every reason to expect that your personality,
skill and ideas will sound just as good on a recording as they do live, likely
even better!
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