Doc J's Music Insider Guide: 37 TIPS TO SAVE MONEY DURING STUDIO RECORDING

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#1 Be sure to have all of your vocal and musical parts written and memorized, a few days prior to your booked studio time.

REASON: Not only does the recording sound less natural if not memorized, but having to record off your notepad is time-consuming and often requires more takes, meaning that you get less work done in the studio. Worse yet, writing lyrics does take time, so if you are paying for the session, you’d hate to waste half your time there writing songs.

#2 If you’re able to attend casual open mics or impromptu gigs, use them as opportunities to perform your new song, and record it live. You’ll be able to crowd-test it, see weak areas, and listening to playback of it will help more in the preparation process.

REASON: Hearing any kind of playback (and feedback from others) even if it’s live, will point out mistakes you are making and help you discover weak/difficult areas of the song. Knowing about these areas will help you prepare for them before you go to the studio, which will save you time. Likewise, crowds may simply not like the song, and you can determine if the song is even worth spending the money to record and eventually copyright.

#3 If you will be using a computer or sequencer, prepare all files and test compressed material before the session. Let the engineer know beforehand how and what programs your music/beats were created on.

REASON: One of the biggest tasks and complaints from studio engineers is “fixing” file issues. Depending on the software you get your beats from and sources where you get your sound effects, they may sound good on your computer, but are too compressed (and not high quality enough) to transfer into studio equipment. I’ve personally witnessed hours of studio time wasted while an engineer desperately has to re-EQ or remake sounds and beats, or worse yet have entire studio sessions cancelled. Many people know Souljah Boy started by creating all of his beats on Fruity Loops, but many people don’t know that 90% of his music wasn’t compatible in real studio equipment so Mr. Collipark had to recreate a majority of his music on actual studio equipment and instruments. Many of us don’t have this luxury.

#4 For live percussion, if you plan to use a click-track or metronome, make sure your drummer is comfortable playing to it, beforehand.

REASON: Not only is solo click-tracking for drummers pretty difficult to do, but it’s not the natural way they practice to play with their band, so there’s often mistakes and retakes. Likewise, band leaders often assume their drummer can do it without asking, and I’ve seen studio sessions cancelled midway through because the drummer didn’t know he had to record like that, and couldn’t do it.

#5 Rehearse more songs than you plan to record, and plan the order of songs you want to record.

REASON: Remember, you are paying by the hour, and any confusion is a waste of your money. Having a plan of what you want to do can make you more comfortable, and if you are able to work diligently and get into a groove, you may have extra time where you can possibly record more material.

#6 If you are booking a long block of time or late-night slot, take care of your body before and during your session. Eat well, stay hydrated, and get enough sleep.

REASON: Being inside a studio for long hours at a time can get tedious and exhausting, which is called burn-out. Both your vocal chords and energy can get strained, especially if you haven’t eaten or had a drink. You don’t want to be paying for a 6-hr session and either losing your voice or falling asleep halfway through it.

#7 Do a courtesy call the night before the studio session to all group members and the studio engineer, so no one forgets.

REASON: A studio is only a place (and equipment) for songs to be recorded, and is not responsible for studio engineers to be present, so it’s your responsibility. Schedules can get mixed up, and people can forget or oversleep, so make sure you remind everyone. If your booked engineer is a no-show, you may be able to argue and get your money back from his hourly rate, but you will still be liable for the hourly rate that you rented the studio session out for.

REASON: At most studios I’ve been to, your clock starts running when the engineer gets there, whether you’re there or not. If you are late, you will be wasting your own money.

#9 Read through your written agreement or call before-hand, to get accustomed to the studio’s cancellation policy.

REASON: In the case of an emergency, your studio session can be cancelled. Some studios have different policies regarding cancellations though, such as giving refunds only if they are given a 48-hour advanced notice of cancellations. Be sure to know what the rules are, because you would hate to still have to pay money when you can’t be there.

REASON: Recording good music is as much about emotion and personality – as it is about memorizing your lyrics. If you are not comfortable, these traits will not come out, and your recorded music will suffer. Additionally, people who are comfortable are able to work faster and more effectively. I’ve personally been present at Hit Factory Criteria in Miami when Bad Boy Records were recording in the late 1990’s – and they demanded a dark studio with very few lights on, red-flashing siren-style lights in every room, and video game systems set up in the lobby. As dumb as it sounds – it’s what made them all comfortable and work faster.

#11 Make sure you and the engineer have the same vision – go over the songs with him/her before recording. Before booking your studio time, ask to hear other material the engineer recorded; and if you have recorded a live casual version of the song, let them hear it.

REASON: Knowing exactly what you want and what you can and can’t do – can make an engineer’s job be much easier. If you don’t tell him though, it’s a guessing game, and he will do what he wants. If there’s a conflict of vision and opinions, it can lead to arguments and hard feelings later. When you are paying for your studio session, you don’t have the time to waste on arguing, or worse, you don’t want the engineer to walk out on you because you two couldn’t agree on something.

#12 For bands - use all new strings, cords, drum sticks, and heads – and bring spares!

REASON: Through wear-and-tear, equipment does inevitably break or get damaged, and since you are paying for your studio time, you want to eliminate bad luck happening the best you can. Plus, if something does still break mid- session, you’d want to be prepared to be able to fix it quickly.

#13 Find out the contact information and hours of the local music store and food shops close by, just in case…

REASON: Life is often filled with bad timing! Especially during long sessions - instrument spares can break, disks can get corrupted, people get hungry, females can get their periods, someone can have an allergic reaction, etc...so it’s always intelligent to know what other shops are near the studio, and what time they are open to. If something happens, and you can fix it quickly; you can still get some recording done in the time you paid for if you were prepared.

#14 Try not to use new gear, equipment, or programs that you have never used before, even if it’s “better than what you have”.

REASON: In professional studios, there are often lots of equipment stored away. Try to fight the urge to use something that you are unfamiliar with, but you’ve always wanted to use. You more than likely will not sound good, on something that you haven’t mastered yet, and surprises can cause problems and be time-consuming.

#15 While technical rendition is important, remember that it’s emotion and feeling that makes the best songs. Bring your personality and effort; don’t sound like you are just reading off your lines.

REASON: Like said before, you should have your music already memorized, so you can have the preparation to show off your emotion and attitude. Reading off your lyrics can often sound mechanical and lifeless, and definitely ruin the final output of your music.

#16 When you mess up a part while recording, don’t stop and start over, or get discouraged.

REASON: We are humans, and humans are not perfect. You will make many mistakes – but if you let the mistakes get to you psychologically, your music will lose its emotional and personality edge. Starting all the way over can also waste your time and burn you out quicker. Instead, check to see how the engineer can punch in the needed corrections.

REASON: Equipment and software do have limitations. You don’t have to fill every track on the interface; nor do you have to play loud enough to max out their speakers. Don’t try to force something that isn’t possible or that won’t fit. Not only could this ruin your final recording, but you could damage something in the studio and be financially responsible to replace it.

REASON: Remember you’re the one paying for the recording session, not them. Guests can distract you, talk too loud, sway your opinion on how the music should sound, or be a “yes man” when a criticism is actually needed. Additionally, per fire code, studios usually have a legal capacity, so if you bring a large entourage and the studio owner is there, he could stop the engineer and kick some people out, which would take some time out of your paid session.

#19 Get the sound you (and the engineer) want while recording the tracks. Never assume that you can fix everything in the mix.

REASON: There are some mistakes and issues that literally can’t be fixed in the mixing and mastering stage afterwards, when you aren’t in the studio. If it’s as simple as just re-recording something, or saying it differently; it’s worth doing while you’re there, so you can have a final recording that isn’t ruined.

REASON: Having out-of-key instruments will be reflected in the recording, and more than likely will require you to record again – which is wasting your studio time that you paid for.

#21 Unless you have unique effects, record individual tracks cleanly and add effects later.

REASON: Engineers are responsible to do “post-production”, which is done after you have left the studio, where an engineer can fix some issues, add effects, and mix down your song. Trying to sound a certain weird way, or waiting for the engineer to add filters and effects – can waste time that could be better spent recording more songs.

REASON: While sometimes it sounds good, doubling many layers of vocals can hide all the subtleties that make your song likeable, unique, and personal. It could create glitches and other errors that don’t sound good in the final mixdown, meaning that you may have to record the song again.

#23 Prior to recording make sure the studio has a secure backup battery, and make it clear that you want them to save throughout the work on your session.

REASON: Computers are great technology, but all of them have the potential to malfunction. Saving often can eliminate the risk of losing an entire recording, just in case something bad happens.

#24 Know when to quit for the day. If you or the studio engineer is tired, it will show in the work.

REASON: Like said earlier, especially long studio sessions can be tedious and exhausting. The more tired you get, the more mistakes you are bound to make. There is a point where you start to lose control and it will definitely ruin a recording, so if you’ve reached this point, it’s always better to stop, instead of creating a bunch of errors that you’ll have to waste more time (and money) to fix later.

REASON: Long sessions in a studio can strain your vocal chords and dry out your mouth, so having water can help with this. Ice though, constricts your vocal chords and stomach, which could lead to voice-loss or cramping. If things do get painful, drinking some hot tea with lemon and honey work well relaxing your vocal chords if needed.

#26 Always get a track listing of what you recorded and a copy of the accurate time log you have signed in on from the studio.

REASON: Anytime paperwork is kept, there’s always the potential for a mix-up or things getting lost. Having your own accurate copy can be proof in the case the mistake is not in your favor.

#27 Take note of what format you are listening to your music back at. Even listen to CDs that you are used to hearing on your home stereo to get an idea of how the studio’s system behaves.

REASON: Some speakers, like Dolby-digital surround sound, have technology to slightly auto-correct some levels, and distort the “true” sound. Most studios do not use Dolby speakers, so you get to hear a rawer and unaltered version of the music. It’s often a good idea to listen to the music on a few different sources, to get a better idea of how your fans will hear your music.

#28 Once all the recording is done, sometimes it’s good a take a day off and come back to listen.

REASON: This is one of Dr. Dre’s favorite things to do. Hearing a song over and over again, especially after the frustration of retakes, can burn-out your ears, and make you annoyed/bored of that song within the same day. A new day will bring a more attention, fresh review, and new opinions.

#29 As you review each mix, make sure you can comfortably hear all vocals, instruments, sounds, and effects. Tweak the mix on studio speakers (or headphones) at an extremely low volume, so you are clearly not disturbed, and then increase volume.

REASON: Mixing takes some patience to get everything correct, especially if you want radio-quality. Often times at how volume levels sounds clash, and instruments get drowned out by others. At a lower level you get less distortion, and can tweak different tracks more carefully.

#30 If compressed tracks are involved, pay close attention to their compression rates so you don’t lose sound clarity in the mix-down.

REASON: One of the #1 complaints from radio program directors when they reject a song because of quality is – there is too much compression that ruined the song. Compression can be done, but only in moderation. Usually one of the biggest mistakes that cause poor quality is when a compressed track is mixed down, and that mixed down song is then compressed again, so try to avoid doing that.

#31 If mixing somewhere other than the recording studio you recorded at, make sure the same speakers are used or the mix will sound completely different.

REASON: Like stated above, different speakers have a different sound output, and depending on the technology (such as Dolby digital), some will often auto-correct the sound that comes out. This does not mean though that the song’s error was fixed. Because of this, it’s always best to use the same speakers if possible, so you get the same sound quality.

REASON: Often times within a studio when you are pressed for time and tired, everyone begins to speak out of turn. An engineer getting five different opinions at once on how to mix will grow tired and get confused, which is only a waste of more of your time.

#33 If you are digitally collaborating with someone that is not local, be sure to know what software they’re using and what format they need, so there is no compatibility holdups.

REASON: While collaboration from afar is definitely doable, many types of software aren’t compatible and have conversion issues, so be sure to know ahead of time what the other artist will be recording his part on, versus what you are recording your part on. Find out what file format he needs, so you don’t create problems on his end that will slow both of you down. If recording on the same software isn’t practical, just have the understanding that tracks, files, and effects may need to be converted – and this could take up more time than you planned.

#34 Make sure the studio always saves the full session to file, so revisions and/or remixes can be made at a later time.

REASON: At smaller amateur studios, because computer space is limited, one of the biggest mistakes is that they like to only save the final mixed down song. Doing this is bad, because it doesn’t allow for tweaks and revisions to be made to individual tracks and vocals. Sometimes radio stations or labels may ask you to fix something before promotion, and you would hate to be told by a studio, “oh, we didn’t save the session, so we can’t fix it”. Worst case scenario is that you’ll have to book more studio time (and waste more money) to re-record the same track again.

REASON: I was once told by an honest studio owner, “whether can go wrong, will ultimately go wrong”. Vocal chords can give out, lyrics can be forgotten, people can get hungry, bad weather can knock out power, equipment can malfunction, computers can freeze, etc…all these things can be fixed but they will take time out of your session. One of the biggest mistakes artists make is expecting for a PERFECT session, and planning to do too many songs in one day. It’s great to plan, but be realistic and don’t set unintelligent goals – because when you don’t meet them, it will feel like a failure and set you back.

REASON: Understand what formats are playable, and where you will be listening to them/sending them. Typically, high resolution .wav, .mp3, or .aiff files on CD-R, DVD-R, or flash drive are the preferred format, however an audio or DAT are viable options as well. It all matters who is asking for what.

#37 Never leave the studio, without having the engineer make you dirty, clean, acapella, and instrumental versions of the song, and a safety master.

REASON: Should the original master get damaged or lost, or the studio closes or get burned down, you’ll still have a master copy of your music. The breakdown tracks of dirty, clean, acapella, and instrumental are all necessities in trying to send out for radio play and to DJs, so having them at your disposal is very helpful. Typically, if you forget and need these later, there will sometimes be additionally fees from the studio, to make them for you.