In business and in life, relationships are key. So if you’re hoping to build a rapport with your session engineer, and create a lasting relationship with the studio staff that you work with it’s important to remember a few things that will help the recording process flow smoothly:
1. Be On Time For Your Session
If there’s one thing that upsets an engineer it’s an artist being extremely late for their session. If you know you’re going to be late make sure to call and give the studio a heads up. And don’t stress it, life happens. The session will start when you get there, and because you gave the studio manager/engineer a heads up they may be willing to move the start time of the session to when you arrive so you won’t have to rush. Above all else, remember to respect the time of the people you’re working with and they’ll do the same.
2. Have your session files organized
The less time we spend looking for files, the better! Part of running a problem-free recording session is making sure that you can actually find your session files. That means as an artist or producer it’s SUPER IMPORTANT that you know where to locate any files that your engineer will need to access during the recording session.
Pro-Tip: The day before your session make sure the USB containing your session has properly labeled folders to find everything.
Pro Tip 2: Your engineer will love you if you already know the BPM & key of the song you’re working on. It saves a ton of time when getting the session started.
3. Know What You Want to Work On
By the time you’re ready to book studio time, you should have material that’s ready to be recorded. Don’t show up to the studio without a game. It’s a bad investment, because trust, a 2-hour session flies by quickly; and it’s a waste of time for your engineer to sit in the session as you figure out what you want to focus on. At the very least if you don’t have any lyrics prepared, be sure to bring some beats to vibe with.
4. Ask the Engineer If They Need Anything
Engineering is a labor of love that often leaves the person in the mixing chair sitting there for hours on end. If your budget permits, when asking the studio intern to pick up something from the store, or grab a meal ask the engineer if they want something too. They may say they don’t need anything but regardless, It’s a small gesture that goes a long way.
5. Book A Recording Session
These days it’s easy to record on a budget in the house, your homie’s studio setup, etc. but there’s nothing like an acoustically treated room that was designed specifically for recording music. If you truly want to make your engineer’s life easier, let them record you in an actual studio. It makes the mixing process THAT much easier because they don’t have to fix any issues that may have resulted from your recording vocals at home.
Signed,
The Drum Machine Addicts
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