Any tips before going into the studio?
- Learn to play tight and in time, whether to a drum machine or with other musicians. Practicing to a metronome is always helpful no matter what instrument or genre you play. Start practicing to a metronome at least a few months before hitting the studio, not a week before.
- Drums are the backbone of any song, so they should sound great and not vary in time. A bad sounding drum kit is difficult to fix “in the mix”, albeit not impossible, it’s a bad habit to rely on technology for your own short comings. Borrow drums or cymbals from a buddy if you need to. We have drum techs that we can call into the session that work under their own rates, and will make your kit sound like a million bucks.
- Make sure all guitars have fresh strings and are properly setup and intonated. Nothing kills vibe more than a guitar that refuses to stay in tune. We have guitar techs we can refer you to, allowing you to sound your best.
- Line 6 amps never sound good recorded. Same goes for the Marshall MG series. Don’t even bother bringing them.
- Make sure you have the arrangement of the song figured out before getting in the studio, and that every member of the band knows what they’re supposed to be playing. We’ve heard “but that’s what I always play in practice” too many times to count. It wastes a lot of time. There will be a time for fiddling and experimenting later.
Besides tracking, mixing, and mastering, what other services are offered?
- Editing and mixing for radio play and distribution, drum and percussion editing, tick and sample based loop creation, AutoTuning (no, it doesn’t have to sound like T-Pain), analog to digital media transfers (tape or vinyl to CD)
