January 28, 2011 3 Tips For Studio Pre-Pairedness
We have all been there, booking studio time then when the day comes we end up working out parts & dealing with issues that should have been taken care of before hand. The clock is ticking in the studio and money being used that could have been saved or used for what it was intended for… tracking the magic.
Here are some tips to make the most use of your studio time:
1. Your Going To The Grammy’s. Practice & Pre-Pair like it.
A. Give yourself 15min to practice each song a day. Don’t burn yourself out, it is important to maintain your sanity and stay focused on the song. Two Times through each song is a good goal. Do this each day for 1 week before the session.
B. Ask your engineer & producer what recording techniques they are going to be using in the studio prior to practicing. Polish up and make necessary changes before you get IN the studio. For instance: They want an off tuning method for your guitar… you should be practicing with that sound… no surprises going in, magic coming out.
C. Record your practices with a basic recorder just incase you do something that is amazing. Share it with your engineer or producer as soon as possible so they can make necessary changes if need be or to let you know if it works.
2. Have pre-production meetings with your team, often. This allows for issues to come up, techniques to be polished appropriately, the right gear & microphones to be rented and/or used along with knowing exactly what is going to happen tracking day.
A.Go over your tempo & recording schedules so you can time manage yourself for the day. Are drums the first day of recording? How many days recording drums; 1,2? Do you only have 1 hour to nail your guitar part in the studio? Are you trying a couple of different playing styles for each song? Have you rehearsed your vocals? Did you get a vocal coach? Ext…
B.Write out your music: Vocals and in the proper structure & Sheet music for your instrumentation or a chord sheet at least. If the producer and engineer know what is suppose to happen he can guide the session better and you’ll also be a professional.
C.Work out tricks & tweaks with you team.
D.Let your producer & engineer navigate the process adding to this list…
3. Have a clear head.
A.Don’t forget to sleep! It’s important.
B.Chill out on the drugs at least 4 days before the session. Your body will thank you and your music will reward you.
C.Take 20 minutes each day to yourself: Meditate, Sit in quiet; by a tree, at home, listen to ocean waves or nature music ext…
D.Eat at least one healthy meal each day, if not all meals. Stay off the junk food.
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Zaque Eyn is Founder/CEO/Owner of United Funk Organization & Funksville better known as Funksville UFO. While Zaque Eyns talents range from producing, sound engineering, music, fashion, events, marketing and business development; his approach to each project is rooted in successful business approach and strategy. He applies his skills and solid industry background to better even the most demanding of circumstances.
Zaque Eyn has worked with companies such as Jim Henson Studio, Neverland, Dave Weckl, KC Porter, Ashanti, Dennis Moody, Luis Conte, Skills, Lumitech, Love Parade, Laguna Sega, Dj Schmolli, Berkley Liberation Radio, Tutto Media, Freshly Squeezed TV, Thrice, Best Buy, Tom Kennedy, Steve Weingart, Gary Meek, Ray Yslas
www.unitedfunkorganization.com
studio | tagged grammy, recording, recording studio, tips
Reader Comments (2)
I'm recording soon and was wondering whether or not to practice before I go record, now you've answered my question, thanks!
A big thing when going into the studio is finding out if your going to be doing a lot of things to click tracks. A lot of engineers/studios want you to play to a click track (there are a lot of good reasons why) & it does take a bit of getting used to & if you can go in with your bpm & cheap clicks ready to go it can be infinitely helpful & maybe save you an hour of studio time per song.