Going into the studio can be both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Here are a few tips to make sure you're fully prepared and get the most out of your studio experience.
Guitarists and Bassists
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Change your strings the day of or the day before going into the studio. At least 99% of the time, fresh strings will sound better and stay in tune better than old, worn out ones, and those strings that have been on your instrument for 3 years (I’m looking at you bassists) probably aren’t going to cut it.
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Bring a few extra sets of strings. Strings break, and they wear out. You’ll likely need extras.
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If you’re using thin gauge strings, consider using thicker ones. They’ll have more stable tuning.
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Get your guitar setup / intonated. This is extra important if you changed string gauge.
Drummers
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Change your heads just before going into the studio. Those ancient heads with half the coating worn off aren’t likely to sound so good. If you’re not sure which heads you should buy, ask me, and I’ll give you some recommendations.
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Don’t forget the resonant heads! They last a lot longer, so they often go ignored by many drummers, but they play an important role in your sound, so if they’ve been on your kit a while, now is a good time to swap them out.
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Tune your drums. They’ll likely need to be tweaked in the studio, but getting them sounding great in advance will make the process go a lot faster. If you don't know how to tune your drums, you can check out this video HERE.
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Remember drum sticks! This sounds pretty obvious, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen drummers forget drum sticks and then not be happy with the ones available at the studio.
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Bring extra snare heads. Sometimes one head will last the whole session, but if you’re a hard hitter recording a full length album, you might go through a couple.
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If you use a double pedal or just really like your kick pedal, it's definitely worth bringing. The studio might not have one you like.
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Same goes for your throne. There's nothing worse than sitting on an uncomfortable drum throne all day.
Singers
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Bring lyric sheets. Have them typed out with the full form of the song. This means every time there’s a chorus, write the chorus out. Don’t just write it once at the top.
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If you have any special teas or other beverages or snacks that help your throat, don’t forget them!
Everyone
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Know your parts! This is another one that sounds obvious, but not knowing your parts and how they play with everyone else parts can be a huge time waster in the studio. “Wait, that’s what you’re playing? But that doesn’t work with my part!” This happens all the time and can easily be avoided. Recording a demo (even just with an iPhone) can really help here.
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Rehearse to a click track. If everyone can play well to a click (especially the drummer, but true of everyone), the session will go much more smoothly.
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Know the sound you’re looking to achieve. I had a band come in once telling me they wanted an old school, mellow indie vibe, but it turned out they really wanted a modern, massive rock sound. This ended up being a nightmare and could have been avoided if they knew they wanted a huge modern sound in the first place.
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Show up on time! There's a lot to get done in the studio. Besides being disrespectful to the producer or engineer who are waiting for you, it's also wasting YOUR time, forcing you to rush to get your songs done.