Recording Update -Lessons Learned

We go back to the studio on monday to have them mix and master the Demo.
Once that's done, I'll be giving links out for everyone to download the songs if they choose.

This is the studio: http://www.baysiderecording.com/

So far, here's some valuable stuff I have learned:

Creating click tracks for each song was HUGE. Not only did we rehearse to them, but we recorded to them. I made each one with a spoken 'countdown' at the beginning and cut the clicks to the exact length of the song. While we did record to them, the engineer recommended letting us use their clicks next time. The pitch of the clicks I brought got lost easily in cymbal wash.

The first session at the studio should have had only one goal: To get the Drums recorded exactly like we want them. We took extra time to work on bass lines, and I stayed 2 extra hours to record doubled guitar tracks. While we will use the bass lines, recording the guitar tracks was a waste of money. Ugh.

I pre-recorded guitars, leads and vocals for the guys to play to along with the click track. We used the lead and vocal tracks, but in all reality, this was a WASTE of time. We would have been better served to have me just play and sing like we normally do since I should not have been tracking anyway.

Because I can record everything BUT drums at my place, that should have been our goal. Build the foundation on the drums and work up from there with bass, guitar, leads, other sounds, and then finally vocals.

We had the engineer give us a rough drum mix, and then separate tracks of the bass and guitars. Once I had those at home, I loaded them into my DAW and got to work.

So far I have spent 22 hours tracking guitars, and about 20 tracking vocals. I still have one song to sing, and a few touch ups to the others. Probably about another 10 hours.

It has been really great to do the vocals and guitar at home though. Singing into a condenser mic vs a stage mic is a different experience. It has also allowed me to develop the way I sing the song. Without time as a factor, it has also enabled me to make the guitar tone different on each song as well. Different - in a way that matches what the song is trying to convey. Tight and raunchy for an aggressive song, and brighter and less overdrive for a less aggressive song. I also mixed up which guitar and amp I used based upon the tone I was going for. And I even threw in a few acoustic parts.

YES, I have abandoned the idea that: what I record I should be able to recreate live. I went for the best art I could create. Unless we add a 2nd twanger and an acoustic on a stand, the live show will be different. At this point I don't think that's a bad thing.

When we do finally do an album, we'll be more prepared. Do the drums at the Studio, and everything else at my place.

Rock On!