GENERAL STUDIO ADVICE

The most important thing to do before booking any studio time is decide exactly what it is you want to achieve with your recording. Do you want a demo to get gigs? Are you looking for a record deal? Are you recording tracks to be released either independently or through a record company? Whatever your intentions, if you don't get a good recording you will not be happy. If you have your agenda and your budget firmly fixed before going in to the studio, it will be easier to keep things in perspective, and make sure that the end result is what you were looking for in the first place. It is likely that many of you will have been in the studio before, but its still worth going over a few of the basics.

1. Have all your tracks well rehearsed before showing up for your session. Make sure your arrangements work and that the whole band knows them well. A band needs to be tight.

2. Make sure all of your instruments are in good order, and don't have any nasty rattles and buzzes when you play - recording tends to highlight any imperfections that may go unnoticed in a live situation.

3. Allow enough time for setting up as well as actually performing.

4. Guitarists, bassists (and all stringed instrument players) - change your strings a couple of days before coming in to the studio, and play them in a little - and don't forget to bring spares! Some studios will have spare strings etc., but even if they do, they may not be the right type or gauge.

5. If you are going to use any of the studio's equipment (e.g. amps, drums etc), make sure its right for your sound. If you're unsure, bring your own just in case - no studio will have all the right gear for every musician.

6. Be open to suggestions from the engineer, especially about sound and tone - most likely they know when something is going to work as part of a mix - and they may hear things that you or your friends (or your fans) may not notice! Another pair of ears can always help lend fresh perspective

7. Most importantly SPEAK TO THE ENGINEER before your session. Let them know exactly what you are looking for, and ask any questions you feel are important. Most studios will be happy to discuss your project, to make sure you are getting what you want. Remember - engineers take pride in the recordings they are involved in, and no one likes to have dissatisfied customers!

8. If you have made any previous recordings (at a gig, in the house, or at another studio), bring them with you to let the engineer hear. Even if you are unhappy with the recording, its just as valuable to hear what you DON'T want to sound like as what you do want to sound like. Also, if you have recordings of other bands that you like, it can be worthwhile bringing them along, to point out any part of their sound that you want to achieve in your recording.

Studio advice for Guitarists (Electric, Acoustic & Bass

1. Most important - make sure your instrument plays well and sounds good. It is worth while having your guitar professionally set up by a specialist. If you haven't had this done before you'll be amazed at how much easier it is to play, and how nice it sounds - all the buzzes should be gone, and the notes will ring true. A badly set up instrument will not play in tune and make it impossible to get a good tone for the recording.

2. Change your strings a day or so before you come into the studio - they need a little time to settle in.

3. Remember essentials such as pics, capos, good quality cables, spare strings etc.

4. For acoustic guitars especially, if you don't have a great sounding instrument, try and borrow one for your session. Make sure it suits your playing style - just because it's a more expensive guitar doesn't mean it will sound better!

5. Acoustic guitars sound much better when mic'ed up than plugged in (or at least they ought to!), so don't worry if you haven't got a great pickup in your guitar. Most studios will record an acoustic with a sensitive condenser mic or two, occasionally taking an additional feed from the pickup for certain types of sound.

6. Electric guitarists - be sure and check the studios equipment before you show up. If your sound relies on pedals and effects boards, bring them with you. Even if you end up using effects from the studio, its best to at least let the engineer hear the sound you are trying to create - it may be impossible to get your sound any other way.

7. Same goes for amps - unless you're unhappy with your amp bring it with you. You may end up using the studio gear anyway, but its best to start with what you're used to.

8.Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to turn you amp up to “11”, surprisingly with a good sounding amp “2-5” is all you need. A lot of studio guitarist actually use small practice amps with tiny speakers to record, but in my opinion there is no substitute for a Marshall, Peavey or Mesa-Boogie with good 12” celestion speakers.

9. Check your tuning often, preferably before each take. Out of tune guitars never sound good!

Studio advice for Drummers

1. Speak to the studio before deciding whether or not to use your own kit. Sometimes the studio has a great name kit, but it just doesn't give the sound you're used to. Similarly, your own kit may sound great live, but not be suited to recording. Often the best option is to bring your own snare and cymbals, as these tend to be to personal taste and integral to your sound

2. If using your own kit, make sure you have suitable (and preferably fairly new) heads for the recording - usually dry 2 ply heads for less ringing (don't use the ones filled with oil as they tend to make the drums sound like soggy cardboard boxes when recorded!). Make sure the front skin of your bass drum has a large hole for microphone access, or even better, be prepared to remove it completely if it doesn’t have a hole.

3. Be prepared to spend time tuning the kit - if they sound good in the room then they will sound great on the recording. Tuning the top AND bottom heads and making sure the toms especially are in tune with each other. It can take quite a while to set up the kit and the mikes (after all its not just one instrument but a whole collection, and its not unusual to have at least 7 microphones on the kit) but the drums are the backbone of the band, and spending time getting a great drum sound will really enhance the whole recording (and make mixing a whole lot easier)

4. If you have doubts about recording with headphones on, practice at home with a few favorite CD’s so that you get used to listening carefully for changes without losing all musical feeling!

5. Click 4 times into every song as a marker for later overdubs and a cue for the other band members. Unless the track you're recording comes to a dead stop, let the cymbals ring out before putting down your sticks, breathing heavy sighs of relief, or shouting at the bass player - the natural decay of all instruments is important for a good end to a song.

Studio advice for Vocalists

1. If you have any doubts about lyrics, it’s not unheard of to bring them along as a safeguard. If your really into the moment, you’d be surprised at what you forget.

2. Bring plenty of water and take very good care of your throat before and during the recording. You’ll be glad you did when you’re not listening back hearing a bunch of sour notes.

3. Practice your breathing in between vocal passages, some peoples “air intakes” are even louder than their voice and it can be very hard if not impossible to correct after it is recorded.

4. If you have songs that are part scream/part sing, consider doing them separately, it usually produces a better end result.

5. If you occasionally mumble or have a tendency to run words together while playing out live, work very hard not to in the studio because you will be hearing this particular performance many, many times and so will your fans.

6. If it’s possible avoid caffeine (makes the muscles and vocal chords tense up), dairy products (produces an abundance of phlegm), too much sugar (dries out the throat) and try not to smoke more than you would any other day (obvious).

Recommended Accessories for Recording:

From experience these are the things that can make or break a recording. I listen to peoples equipment for a living and I also listen to horror stories about faulty equipment and get a chance to hear new things and geek out about how great they sound, so this isn't just my opinion, it's a compiled list of many people I've worked with.

Good:

-Evans genera 2(or other single ply) white coated drum heads for toms. They have a sharp attack that will cut through in the mix and never sound bad. They are also loud even if you don't hit hard. We can always use drum goo or the good old toilet paper/duct tape scheme if they ring too much.

-Try out cymbals before you buy them, avoid overly "harsh" cymbals. Usually these are the thinner, trashier sounding ones. There's nothing like an 18" thick crash. Think thick, as a plus they'll last forever.

-Hit the snare & tome hard and concentrate on doing this even with fast fills. Same deal with the kick drum. Cymbals don't need to be hit as hard because they already cut through the mix being the only thing that has frequencies that go above everything.

-Knowing how to tune your drums so I don't have to humble  you in front of the rest of your band. Not much sounds worse than drums that don't have their top and bottom heads tuned right. Information on this is easily "googled"

-Having a good point of reference for your sound. This applies to guitar, vocals, bass, drums and whatever you play.

-NEW strings. If you tune low (C or B tuning) get heavy gauges and get use to them. Light gauge strings will make your intonation sound off on each fret because they "give" too much with low tunings. I recommend GHS Zakk Wylde Lows, GHS Zakk Wylde, GHS GB Lows. Reference gauges for other brands would start at .70 or .60 for the lowest string. Same goes for bass, though obviously heavier gauges. Be prepared to turn your bass knob down after getting these strings.

-Quoting myself from above "It is worth while having your guitar professionally set up by a specialist." Tell them what tuning you normally use, what gauge strings you want  and when you get it back it will usually play better and sound better and most certainly the intonation will be right on and that's what you need in the studio. Many people that have recorded here end up using the same guitar between two guitarists because the intonation differences between the two guitars are enough to put them out of tune with each other. This is only after arguing that the tuner "says your in tune". It usually will. To check your intonation, tune it normal with open strings to a tuner and then hit the 12th fret harmonics and look at the tuner again. If it shows flat or sharp for any of the strings there's a good chance your guitar needs attention at the local music shop.

-Usually when your adjusting your amp you'll be standing with your ears above the guitar cabinet. When your setting up your rig for recording put the volume at a tolerable level and get right in front of the speaker cone. This is where I'm putting my microphone so that is the sound your after.

-Speakers that sound great: Celestion Vintage 30, Celestion Seventy80, Celestion greenbacks. All very velvety smooth, not harsh.

-Speakers that are "Ok": Celestion 75's, Eminence Red Coats.

-Guitar/Bass pickups: Anything (almost) made by EMG, Gibson, Seymore Duncan (most)

BAD:

-Anything that sounds bad to you needs to go to the pawn shop where it belongs.

-ALL hydraulic drum heads. This is a bad sound issue beyond what might be considered personal preference. These might sound good to you at practice, but have you ever hit a tom with a single ply head right after you hit an oil filled head? It's the difference of night and day.

-Guitar/bass: Dirty strings, bad pickups, bad intonation, warped necks, improper string gauges, buzzes, hiss, cables that are falling apart.

-Any speakers that are co-branded "Designed By" or "Made Special For". Line 6 does this for a lot of their combo amps.

-Using an amp modeller (Line6 POD, Digitech GNX) through an amp with the speaker emulation on. Essentially your are running a 12" speaker through a 12" speaker. The result becomes Lo-Fi mud. You will only need the speaker emulation if you are recording direct.

-Screamers: Wrapping your hand around the ball of a microphone looks cool on stage, but it destroys the mic's pickup pattern. It's the equivalent of using a Radio Shack mic. You will be screaming into a large condenser mic in the studio that you cant touch. I know it's your sound so I will let you try both a live mic and a recording mic and let you choose what sounds better. More often than not screamers end up picking the "studio mic" after hearing an example of their own voice.

Basically there are some cheap things that actually sound great like Marshall MG series solid state heads and Ltd guitars. I once played one of Schecters most expensive guitars at a local Guitar Center and put it down only to find a Squier Telecaster at a 16th of the price that played better AND sounded better, you never know until you compare things side by side. Otherwise it pays to have high standards and use your ears when making decisions. Not just for recording, but for the sake of respecting yourself as a musician. Thank all of you who actually care enough about quality to have read all of this. I would also like to thank all of the wonderful musicians that are geeky enough to talk about their gear and why they use it, the dudes from Dividian, Fleshbane, Gravity Hill, Lowjack, Among Thy Saints and Anubis to name a few.

~Joshua S. Zaring, Z.P.