Editorial
Get the best results from your Studio Recording Session
4
IIMC Magazine Staff
Mark Lamdanski - Editor
Carol Riordan - Editor/Design
Kiva Johns-Adkins - Contributor of Behind the Music
Chancy Johnson - Contributor of Out of the Woodwork Music Review
Diana Barnes - Contributor of INN a New York Minute
Beth Fedornak - Guest Writer
Preparing for a Studio Recording Session can be an overwhelming task. Recording your music can be expensive and time consuming but it can also be a rewarding experience leaving you with a product you can be proud of for years to come; with careful and considered pre-planning you can put yourself in the best possible position to make the most of the opportunity.
Efficient Time Management
Getting ready for the studio session can be chaotic, especially if you’ve not organised things beforehand.
Have all of the songs written prior to recording. If you play in a band, allocate roles to all of the members so that people know what they are doing. Rehearsing at home will save you a lot of time and money.
Practicing will also improve your performance, which will affect the quality of the record. You should also be certain of the quality of the equipment. Guitar strings should be changed in advance. Waiting for something to go wrong at the studio in order to fix it will interfere with the session and is a classic case of “planning to fail”.
Have a Budget
Decide on a specific amount that you are willing to spend on the recording session and the production of your album.
Many performers and bands believe that they will be done with the recording session quickly. Quite often, the process is lengthier than initially planned. If you require more hours for studio recording than initially planned, then expect this to naturally inflate the initial cost as well.
Estimate the number of hours you will need and add a few more incase you run over. Make your budget calculations on the basis of these hours. It’s always best to have an idea of how much you “may” end up spending, rather than getting an unpleasant surprise at the end.