4 Critical Preparations Before Your Recording Studio Session

By Author: Glenn Farrier
Total Articles: 123
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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!

The author of this article has expertise in audio recording studio. The articles on mobile audio recording reveals the author’s knowledge on the same. The author has written many articles on New Haven recording studio as well.