8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Time in the Studio

You’ve compiled a list of songs, and you’re ready to head into the studio. Whether you’re recording at home or in a professional studio there are ways in which to make your time spent more efficient and worthwhile. By speeding up the process you not only rid yourself of excess expenditures, but also effort, time and frustration.

1. Get Prepared
Before heading into the studio rehearse the tracks you’re going to record with your band for a few days. Practice the full songs with solos, intros and any other extras you think you’d like on the track. This way there are no big surprises once you begin recording and less screw-ups due to people not knowing their parts well enough.

If you’re the vocalist, know your lyrics. Practice them, memorize them and even experiment with different keys to see what sounds best to you. This also includes preparing your instruments. Change strings or replace drum skins if you need to. Make sure everything is in good working order.

2. Be Healthy
While many artists claim that the use of drugs and alcohol help their creative process or sound, it’s likely you can find that space without them, and end up saving a ton of time. One tip for vocalists—avoid dairy products like milkshakes as they’re not good for vocal chords. Drink water instead. Make sure everyone is feeling good, no broken fingers or tennis elbow. Get a good sleep before recording, and don’t over exert your vocals. Everyone should be at their top performance level.

3. Get into the Right Headspace
Come together as a team. Prepare yourself mentally for recording. Remove distractions, even if this includes friends or family members, from the studio. While it’s nice to have them there, you’ll only be wasting more of your time. Concentrate on the music and your job.

4. Inform Your Engineer and Producer
Have a chat with your engineer and producers about what sound you’re looking for. If there are any other tracks or performers out there who have a sound you’re looking for let them know, as it will help them in the long run to get you exactly what you’re looking for. Play around with mic settings, amps and other equipment before recording to test the sound, instead of fooling around with it after every take—you may be doing this anyway, though.

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