The day has finally come. You’re heading into the studio to record your song.

You and the band are brimming with excitement and full of creative energy to record this year’s big summer hit.

Only to find, guitars won’t stay in tune, the drummer can’t seem to find the tempo, and let’s not get started on the musical gremlins inside your pedalboard making all sorts of unwanted noises! ("BUT IT WAS FINE THIS MORNING!")

Let’s face it: studio time is precious both creatively and financially, and in order to make the most of your time there, here are three tips to get the most out of your time in the studio and ensure you set yourself up with the best chance to lay down that summer hit just right!

Keep Your Gear In Check!

Whether it’s new drum heads, new patch cords, or simply a changing of guitar strings, it’s important to be prepared for any situation. Making sure that all your gear is well-maintained for you to make the most out of your session will not only help ensure things run smoothly, but that extra bit of organization will make the day 100 times less stressful, allowing you to get in the live room and focus on getting the best take of your part, not wondering why that E string just won’t stay in tune!

Things to check before your next session.... For Guitars... New Strings, Intonation/Set Up, Patch Cables, Power supply, Amp

For Drums... Heads, Loose/Noisy Hardware.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Studio time is for recording; rehearsal time is for rehearsing!

Nothing kills a day in the studio more than spending two hours on that one drum fill the drummer just didn’t take the time to learn. Make sure you know your part inside and out so you can nail the take in a few runs and not get player’s fatigue. Not only is it unfair on the bandmates who took the time to learn their parts, but it can feel like money down the drain spending a good portion of your studio time on that one fill rather than developing other parts of the song or even recording a whole new tune!

Tip...

Practice with a metronome can be a massive bonus when it comes to playing along to clicks in the studio; give it a try before your session!

Plan Ahead!

Having a clear and realistic vision of what you want to gain from your time in the studio is essential for everyone involved. This could be a chat with the band on what you want to focus on when in the studio, or it could be talking with your producer/engineer about the sound and direction you want your song to go. This is great for producers and engineers so they can get the control room and equipment list set up ahead of time to prepare for recording session and create what you need for your song.

Bonus points for reference tracks too! A reference track is a song you would like your tune to sound like, whether that be sonically, the arrangement of instruments, or energy. It's a great way to communicate your expectations!

Studio time should be a fun and exciting experience for your project, and with the right preparation, it can transform your summer flop into a summer bop, leaving you satisfied that you made the best possible creation of your song.

If you’re looking to record your latest project, head over to our "Book With Us" page to record at Hamilton’s only ‘Class A’ recording room here at Halo Studios, Hamilton.