SIX RECORDING MISTAKES TO AVOID
AT ALL COSTS
Not communicating Having good communication with your engineer / producer and fellow musicians about what you want is the key to , well , getting what you want . If something bothers you about the guitar solo or vocals and you never bring it up in the studio , you just have to blame yourself when you get embarrassed every time you hear it . So keep your brain fully involved in the study and don ' t hesitate to speak up if you think something is wrong . This is doubled if you are a self-producer .
Being out of tune This should go without saying . Before setting a track , tune your instrument . But even before entering the studio , make sure your instrument is in tune with itself . Proper intonation and tuning for all instruments will give you the best chance for a powerful track .
Mixing too loud We ' ll just say it : monitor at 85 dB or less . If you turn up the volume , your sound recordings could turn out bad ( they could even cause permanent hearing damage over time ). But seriously , it all sounds really loud . Mix at reasonable levels and you ' ll have to work to get a great-sounding recording . The Fletcher-Munson curves dictate that low and high
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46 highonscore . com levels decrease in our auditory perception at lower monitoring volumes . Monitor too high and you ' ll end up with a mid-range recording / mixing . On the contrary , when you monitor at lower levels , you will have adequate low and high frequency content .
Rehearsing Rehearsing is an important part of being prepared . A tight rhythm section , incredible vocals , and great solos don ' t just happen . You have to work to get it . So get the band together on a regular basis and rehearse the songs you will record . And of course , record the rehearsals . Everyone can listen and correct the course before going to the studio . That lick that leads to section B doesn ' t quite work . The rhythm track is solid , but it would be great if the guitar solo were in sync harmonically with the bass and keyboards on the switch . Rehearsals give your band a chance to fix the arrangement , improve their skills , and prepare for the follow-up session .
Not making a demo Sure , Steve Vai and his select group of world-class musicians could meet up and improvise a masterpiece of a track . But for the rest of us , having a proper demo is imperative . If you have booked a studio , time is money . And even if you ' re tracking at home yourself , having a blueprint to record the song is incredibly useful . You may not follow your demo to the letter , but at least you and your band will start to work . A blank DAW timeline is both agonizing and a huge waste of time . Having a full demo where you could test ideas without pressure is even more vital when you ' re recording in a commercial studio and time is running out .
Not being prepared or being on time Whether you are a professional musician , or just want to be , you need to act like one . That means taking care of business and arriving on time , or early , for professional commitments . Do the pros keep their bandmates and engineers waiting for them in the studio ? No . And before you ' re there , get organized . A good place to start is by bringing a demo of the song you are cutting . As discussed before , make sure you have a demo . Once the sessions are underway , don ' t get distracted . Take breaks , but keep them defined . Make sure the breaks don ’ t become longer than the recording sessions themselves . Time is money in life , even more so when it comes to recording music .