Recently I have seen a lot of activity on Facebook from recording studios popping up in and around Arkansas. I read their mission statements with great interest. 90% of them go on and on about all their modern gear, oodles of tracks, boutique mic pres, selection of modern microphones, brand new rooms, clean environments, cheap rates, and audio engineers who have just completed recording courses and certifications. I suppose that is all they have bragging rights to, so I dont blame them for the way they present themselves. However, they are omitting the most important part of the equation: It seems none of the studios have an engineer with years of experience in the field. I have maintained for years that Its NOT the gear... Its the EARS. If you are looking for a place to record, do your homework! Recording music, especially YOUR original compositions, is a lesson in creativity, patience, and comfort. If you are in your comfort zone you will be more creative. If you are creative (and the studio can capture that moment) your end product will be all it can be. In my experience, every musician that books recording time will be apprehensive at the very least. Especially if its a first-time session with the studio. It is MY job to (#1) make the client comfortable... whatever it takes..... (#2) pay attention, listen, and discover what the client is trying to accomplish without forcing my stamp on their music.... (#3) serve the needs of the song, not the artist (leave your egos at the door please).... (#4) be ready to hit RECORD from the get go. Sometimes the rehearsal take winds up being the best take. My philosophy after years of experience is to set up the band as if they were in rehearsal - Everybody playing at the same time - and get that feeling of spontaneity that makes the track click. I have learned that you CAN record the perfect track after a dozen or so takes, but the life is completely sucked out of the song. Yes, I CAN comp endless guitar solos into a single good solo... but I would rather ask the guitarist to do it until they do it correctly. Same for vocalists. Its okay to punch in something, but 32 cuts of a verse just proves to me the singer didnt do HIS homework, and now the band will have to (literally) pay for it. All of the most modern gear in the world cannot help a lackluster performance. When asked what I do for a living, I have often told people I am a professional :poop: polisher . . . Yes, I CAN help something sound better, but I must work with what is given to me. A recording session with great players who are prepared and willing to listen is the easiest of all to do! But those are rare. I have had years and years of working with young bands that have some good material but little experience in the studio. There is a lot of trust involved between the engineer and the band. Those players that have learned to trust me and can listen and learn from my experience wind up with a much better product than those that did NOT leave their egos at the door and insist that they know better than me. And finally, the REAL proof of a studios success is its reputation. I have taken great pains - sometimes eating production time myself in the process - to make sure the client leaves not only satisfied with the experience but feeling like they got a product that sounded BETTER than they themselves expected. This is why most of my clients return again and again to record here. They become comfortable with the studio and its method of operation (having eagles fly by while recording doesnt hurt) and with each successive session they are more prepared and I am more familiar with their vision. I beg potential clients to contact ANY of the bands I record about me or the studio. I am very proud of my rep. I earned it. Lastly- A critical step in this process is pre-production! Get with the engineer and discuss your vision. Get into his head and allow him to consult with you so you can be better prepared when you DO go in to record. The more prepared you are and the better informed you are about the studio and how it works, the easier it will be to get those creative juices flowing. If feasible, VISIT the studio and get the lay of the land. Any studio or engineer that is reluctant to take the required amount of time (hopefully without a consultation fee) does not have your best interest at heart. So! If you are looking around and considering a place to record, dont discount Cedar Crest Studio because its further away than a closer studio, or because their rates are cheaper (there is a reason for that - they need to get some experience at your expense), or because they have the latest recording gadget. Look for experience and a track record. Look for a suitable outlet for your creativity. Look for someone that understands and respects your vision. After all, its YOUR music and YOUR career, right?
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 14:59:59 +0000
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