MetroSonic Recording Tips

Here's a collection of tips and quotes from some of the best in the business!

"The combination of great vibe and quality control is what I look for.  Some studios invite creativity by the way they look and feel.  A studio that's well maintained, with a professional staff, allows unfettered creativity" - Tony Visconti **

Making a recording is a tangle of pragmatism, technology, alchemy and faith. As is the case with any creative venture, you cannot know what you'll get for your efforts until you go through the process; it's always a gamble. Having a plan and a budget can be really useful. Having the courage to change your plan and amend your budget as necessary can make or break a project for which the initial plan/budget doesn't seem to be working… Do you choose a professional studio and pay through the nose or go to your friend's bedroom studio and pay through the nose in a different way? Do you suffer through the dictatorial relationship with a producer or go it alone with a tyrannical bandleader or even more terrifying, try to approach it democratically?

How do you choose a studio? Do you need a producer? For that matter, do you even need an engineer?

Technology has certainly broken open a field that used to be closed to any but the lucky few who had somehow managed to get their foot in the door at a professional studio.

These days, if you can afford a computer and a scant few other tools, you can open a recording studio, and call yourself a recording engineer. In fact, many people are making amazing recordings in their homes by doing just so. The technology has really helped reinforce that notion that it truly isn't the medium, but the message.

On the other hand, there is fierce competition to make albums that sound interesting/good. And just because you own a computer, some music software, a mic or two and a couple of other pieces of gear, it don't mean a thing if you don't know what to do with the stuff. And even if you do own a couple of world-class mics and pres, and are adept at getting good sounds- do you have enough equipment to serve the project, as opposed to just enough gear to require recording the project in a less than advantageous way? For instance, can you cut your whole band at the same time? If not, and you go about recording one person at a time to a click, do you have any idea the toll that will take on the cohesiveness of your sound? Will the result sound anything like your band? For that matter, will the result even sound like music?

"The vibe is always better at a pro studio, where you're interacting with other professionals and the options for recording are usually without limit: Analog, digital, a great mic selection, and the service that only a pro studio can provide." - Elliot Scheiner **

A bona fide studio with a creative, attentive engineer can be entirely worth what might at first blush seem like an awful lot of money per hour. You can take a well-rehearsed band into a well-equipped studio, play simultaneously into world-class signal chains, in a room with good isolation and good acoustics, with good headphone mixes for all and cut a whole album in one day. It's not just a good idea, it's been done many times in the history of music recording, often to stellar results.. But you have to be prepared to make it work this way, and if you've never recorded your band before you won't know if you're prepared or not until you're actually doing it.

"Pro studios provide features that I can't get in my studio; acoustical ambience, a great sounding piano, a nice environment.  That makes artists feel comfortable and confident". - Joe Blaney **

Is it imperative to have a producer? Many believe the answer to this question is ultimately yes- production decisions must be made along the way and whether it is by one person or committee and whether or not this person or these people are explicitly being called "the producer" matters not. Musical decisions can be made quickly and effectively and the project can move forward quickly and decisively. There's risk in choosing a producer- will their vision ultimately serve the band's music/career?

Only time will tell.

The only thing better than working with a good producer is working with a good producer and a good engineer at the same time. There is a really good reason why throughout the history of recording, many of the best recordings have been made with a producer plus engineer team. Ultimately the two jobs are very different. However, your budget will decide if you choose to use both.

"The benefits of recording in a pro studio are many.  Experienced staff, the best equipment, good attitudes and quality relationships.  I find the right studio setting to be the most important factor.  It absolutely has a bearing on the creative vibe in the room.  A great technical staff and studio ambiance can transport you to another place." - Dave Hampton **

Ultimately, it is usually a band's budget that is going to dictate the project's parameters. Is it better to spend $5,000 on enough gear to twist yourselves into a pretzel, using techniques determined by the limitations of the gear and its novice operator, or would it be better to hire a bona fide producer, engineer and studio for a couple or three days? If you're embarking on a project with your band, this is what you need to do amongst yourselves- start talking over these issues now.

"Established studios offer great services; on-site maintenance, abundant mics and outboard.  Vintage gear and consoles are very popular but keeping them working is no small task.  When tech problems arise, there's someone to fix those problems quickly.  Client service is also important.  Artists and producers have a wide range of needs.  The studios that meet those needs are remembered fondly." - Julian King **

Please,view quotes from: ** Pro Sound News

Text written by Bruce Kaphan from The Deli article "How to get the most out of going into the studio". 

You may view the entire article here. 

Bruce Kaphan is a musician, composer, producer, engineer and occasional author living in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information please visit www.brucekaphan.com.