1 Aim

• Demo or release?

2 Pre-production

• Tempos / click tracks

• Rehearsals

3 Gear

• Intonation

• Strings

• Amps

• Drums and drum skins

Aim

Decide whether you are entering the studio to record demos for yourselves to assess where your music is at, or are trying to achieve releasable quality recordings that you hope to get radio play. Make sure to discuss this with your recording engineer/ producer.

Demos for yourselves can be done quickly and cheaply. These will show you where the strong and weak points of your music are, and what needs more work. They are a very important part of pre-production for more serious recording, and prepare you for when you are ready to spend more money on a polished product. The more times you go into a studio, the more comfortable you become with the environment.

If you intend to release your recordings, then enter the studio with this in mind. Be fully prepared to take the time and effort that is required to produce recordings that show you at the best of your abilities. Remember, you want to impress people enough to buy your CD or come and see you play live.

Be realistic as to how many songs you can record in the period of time you can afford. Remember it takes time for you to set up and tune your gear- especially drums. You also need to allow time for the engineer to place mics, run cables and get it all working, then get record levels set and headphone mixes for you to hear each other.

After this is done, you will most likely need to play each song through three or four times and have a listen back to at least some of the takes. You may also want to get some rough mixes at the end of the session so you can listen at home, and decide which versions you wish to continue with. This all takes time.

Pre-Production

Make sure you know your material inside out. The recording of your number one hit is not the time to figure out that you're all playing different notes on that killer riff. Demos are an important part of the pre-production process- if you can't afford to enter a studio to demo, then at least borrow a tape deck from home and try recording with a couple of mics in you rehearsal space. This is useful for checking tempos and lengths of songs as well as a number of other things.

Tempos are extremely important. If you can get hold of a drum machine or metronome, use it to count in your songs so you can figure out the right tempo to each song in a more relaxed, less time constrained manner, and then use this in the studio to count in your songs. Two things can easily happen in the studio- one, you are full of nervous excitement and play all the songs too fast, or two- you try so hard to play everything "correctly" that you play it all too slow.

Playing along to a click tracks has become very popular as it makes editing in digital recording much easier, but the downside is that the music can suffer in other ways. The feel can change and any natural tempo changes will no longer happen, unless you program your click tracks to enact these changes. If you think you will edit songs a lot in the studio, then practice to a click track to make it feel as natural as possible. Remember, it is the drummer that will need to concentrate heavily on this, so be kind to your drummer. If you have access to a computer with audio software then perhaps create some loops that are more fun to play with, as opposed to the constant Bleep Bleep Bleep of a standard click track.

Rehearse as much as possible before it's time to record. If there are difficult passages of a song try slowing the tempo down until you feel more comfortable playing those parts, then you can bring the tempo back up to where you want it.

Gear

The quality of your equipment will make a huge difference to the final result of the recording. If you don't have good equipment then try to borrow or hire some nicer guitars or amplifiers. If you feel you gear is okay then the next step is to make sure it is set up properly. You can learn to do this yourself or send it to a professional to set up before you enter the studio.

Intonation of guitars is important. This ensures that after tuning to an open string, when you play higher up the neck, it is still in tune. The principal of this is fairly simple so read some books or send it to a luthier (guitar technician) to set up properly. A good luthier can make your average old guitar feel and sound like a newer more expensive guitar. New strings will give off a much brighter and fuller tone, and if you are in the studio for a long period of time then be prepared with multiple sets.

Amplifiers also play a crucial role in getting great guitar tones. A good valve amplifier will give a much nicer tone than a cheap transistor amplifier. As the valves overload and distort they add smoother and warmer harmonics than a transistor amplifier. Check out the gear that all your guitar heroes use- very few of them will be using anything other than valve amps.

Drums can be the most difficult instruments to get right in the studio as they are affected by so many factors. If you are unsure of how to get the best sound out of them then ask a more experienced drummer to help you out, or search the internet for a whole heap of tips. There are even devices to help you out with getting the right tension on your skins- oh, and make sure you own a drum key. Work with another person before you get to the studio to make sure you kit has no loose components that will cause annoying rattles and buzzes that are sure to become noticeable once a whole bunch of mics are placed around it.

Get new skins for the recording and tune them properly, and again when you get into the recording room. This will give a much fuller and brighter tone for the mic to pick up. Kick drums are a very important drum to work on. If you desire a clicky punk/metal style sound then your kick drum needs to sound like that in the first place- trying to EQ a dull, thuddy drum sound will never compare to a good sounding drum. A hole in the back skin to poke the mic into is very important for these types of sounds. Lastly, technique is critical with drums- a bad sounding drum hit correctly can sound better than a good sounding drum hit badly.

Practice, practice, practice...

Depot Sound is more than happy to discuss your project, answer any questions you may have or just give dependable advice. Feel free to contact Mark at the studio for assistance.