8 Things to know on your first Recording Studio Experience
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- čas přidán 2. 08. 2024
- Are you going to record your first studio session with your band soon? There are a lot of things you need to know that will help you get the most out of it, and end up with something you're proud of. Our head engineer Adam Steel talks through 8 great tips to help you get the best record you can.
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Going on for my first studio session. This really helped. Thank you🔥
Tip for acoustic guitar players: Use coated guitar strings for studio recordings. Makes a world of difference when you plan on recording more than a few songs. I can go through a set of uncoated phosphor bronze in literally less than a day of recording. Coated phosphor bronze strings last me almost 3 weeks, under constant abuse from playing and recording. Also, experiment with different string gauges and materials until you find the right strings for YOUR GUITAR. Not for you, for the guitar you own. I used 80/20 bronze medium gauge strings on my Taylor for years because I just liked the brightness of 80/20 bronze, and I wanted some extra volume from a heavier gauge (Taylor recommends light gauges for my guitars). Well a while back I decided to experiment with a lighter gauge after a hand injury, and I accidently ordered phosphor bronze light and extra light gauges instead of 80/20. Tried to cancel the order, but it was already shipped, so Sweetwater (being the fucking gods they are over there) just offered to send me two sets of 80/20s for free. I strung up the phosphor bronze lights because they arrived first obviously...
Turns out phosphor bronze strings light gauge strings are easily twice as loud as medium gauge 80/20s on my guitar. Guessing that's due to some science reason related to the resonating frequency of the strings and tonewood (solid Sitka spruce and Koa back+sides in this case). And the difference in string life is pretty negligible when both are coated. 80/20 still keeps the brightness longer, but the gap is pretty narrow with coated strings. So I'm a phosphor bronze light gauge convert, needless to say. Highly recommended everyone try both 80/20 and phosphor, and try as many different string gauges as you can as long as your guitar can handle the higher or lower tension, until you find one that really makes your guitar speak.
Thanks for this Adam! We were recording our album ourselves in our practice space and my home garage studio, but then we hit a wall and went into a local studio to do the vocals. We have seven songs done and found an engineer that we can work with. We know a lot about recording ourselves, but it's kind of hard to engineer and perform at the same time. We may need to record three more songs at the studio and the we'll have enough for an LP. Or perhaps we could mix an EP worth of music and then finish up the other songs for an LP.
What If I'm a Solo artist, which I will be and decided to do a Studio record of my Original Songs. I only use Acoustic Guitar which I only have for now. Would they, the studio, provide the extra instrumentals such as drums, violins, piano and other stuff just to get the sound I want? or do I have to hire people to make that sound for me.
I have been thinking of recording my Songs soon but I'm still working up on a budget and I need more information before I head there because I don't to waste money of half-assed stuff.
You would talk to the studio about your needs and expectations, and see what services and skills are available
go sober. you might think a drink or smoke will help. it won't.
mike blue too true. I’ve been on both sides of both the argument and the desk on this. I get anxious with events and scrutiny, cannabis use helps with it, and can help me in creative processes, but NOT with accurate tracking. Unless it’s specifically a stoner rock tune with no click, save it if you can.
i'm saying this as someone who is high, always. tape doesn't lie. it's not tape any more but the result is the same.
Many bands fire drummers when they go to the studio for the first time because they can’t play in time. Everybody needs to practice to a click not only to sound good but the more practiced up everyone is the more time there is to make the songs sound the best they can. As a guitar player myself using a metronome at slow speeds helped more then anything. With how cheap recording equipment is now it’s a good idea to record the songs roughly even just using room mics for the drums so the band can do some pre production to structure the songs, listen to them and other bands u like and u will start to think this verse needs to be cut in half, only play the main riff once before the second verse because it gets boring then maybe it’s still boring so add a harmony to the riff, the last chorus all the instruments sound powerful but not the vocals so you build them up and add stuff. Ask people that aren’t musicians what they think. If the band doesn’t put the time in it will show on the songs.
When I recorded the rhythm guitars I learned early on just by doing research on what my favorite bands did to get their tones on albums and it was always a blend of 2 amps minimum. I also am really into chasing tone and only have a few guitars but they are all modified and before going into the studio they go to a luthier to get into the best condition possible. My amp I tried out a bunch of different tubes. Then when recording I used a different cabinet because mine didn’t sound right for recording, I used 2 different microphones on the cabinet so when recording one left and one right track there are 2 sounds on each side to blend and EQ. I also recorded a direct in (clean) signal on each side which I used for a modeling amp that I choose a Marshall I’m a firm believer in using a live amp but blending in the modeling amp with the live amp made a huge difference so basically the left side has 3 guitar sounds and so did the right it’s almost like how samples get blended into drums. Definitely take advice from the engineer and try things out. Don’t be that band that brings in a 75$ vocal pre amp and crap mic because you love the sound that’s just because u have been using it. Listen to songs the studio has made before picking a studio don’t pick a studio because they have the best or because they don’t have a ton of equipment it’s about the final product! There was an 18 year old kid in my area nobody took seriously because he had a bare bones studio with mattresses for a booth, windows computer but his work sounded better then 99% of the studios in my area.
Was this overdubbed? It's out of sync
No it’s a 5 year old video from when it was kind of difficult to tell. I should go back and film a new version of this
No no no. First dislike. Don't use new strings or drumheads. They need to be broken down first. Ok buy new. But use them for a week or so. You'll hear them stretch and go out of tune in the second take.
Couldn’t disagree more- sounds like you many not be stretching them in properly. I can have drum heads properly stretched before a full take no problem, same with strings.
I will change my dislike for a like. All other points are very good. But yea... Braking in new strings or drum heads can be time consuming, a headache, and the worst is realising it changes its sound during the mix later on.
@@adamsteelproducer yea first take is fine. Second third take will sound differet. Not to mention the 9th song of the album being recorded a week later.
Before the second and third takes you retune, and a week later you put new heads on again or new strings otherwise the sound would suffer
Know this is an old comment, but strings can be broken in in like ten minutes if you stretch them. Tune up, pull the string firmly away from the fretboard, retune, and repeat until it stops going out of tune when you stretch.
Also doesn't take long to break in drum heads, but I'd for sure use a fresh snare head unless it's only a day or two old. They wear out quickly. I play coated heads and if the surface of the head is shiny, it needs to be replaced before you record if you don't want a dead drum sound. For me, this is after maybe a week. Not only that, it's the most important drum as far as tone and tuning are concerned and dictate how the whole kit sounds.