- 1). Examine the arrangements of your songs before booking studio time, to make sure that you're making the most of your material. Even a slight change in a song's structure, or a change in instrumentation, can make a song shine. Playing songs live is totally different to recording them, and any flaws in their arrangement will be made apparent under the scrutiny of your producer and engineer.
- 2). Rehearse the songs until you and your band can play them with confidence. Studio time is expensive, so you want to make sure that when you're on the clock, you're ready to play.
- 3). Contact the studio and book studio time. Explain what you'd like to accomplish and get a price quote in writing. This price needs to outline everything that is included, such as the number of studio hours per day, whether a producer will be included and how and when the money will be paid. This will help you avoid any misunderstandings, and help ensure that the album will be completed to your satisfaction without any unforeseen extra charges.
- 4). Buy supplies before the sessions. Make sure there's a plentiful supply of spare strings and drumsticks in the studio, so that you don't have to leave to buy replacements. Re-string guitars and have the drummer replace and tune the drum heads beforehand, so that the instruments sound their best, and string and drum head breakages will be minimal.
- 5). Be professional. This means showing up at the studio well-rested and ready to perform. There are people who might think it cool and somehow "rock 'n' roll" to show up late with a hangover and a lackadaisical attitude, but the studio staff certainly won't be impressed. Not only that, the quality of your album will suffer.
- 6). Play from the heart. Unlike home recording, you don't have to worry about operating recording equipment, so you're free to concentrate on your actual performances. Use this to your advantage and sing and play with feeling. This will have a bigger effect on the quality of your album than the fact that you're using a state-of-the-art recording facility.
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