Make the Most of Paid Studio Time
Musicians know how precious [and expensive] paid studio time can be. Check out these tips for help maximizing your investment and getting the most out of your studio hours:
- Know your music’s BPM [beats-per-minute] + tempo ahead of time [use this tool to help you out: http://www.beatsperminuteonline.com]. [Knowing this in advance will save you precious time, as some artists wait until they are in the studio to figure this out.]
- Make sure that your song structures and lyrics are SOLIDIFIED. [Do not try to make last-minute alterations in the sound booth.]
- Print out your lyrics and/or chord charts. [Even if you have these memorized, the less that your brain has to focus on while recording, the better. Plus, you may get confused while attempting to mentally track where you are at when it comes to specific time stamp punch-ins.]
- Practice, practice, practice. [If you think that you are ready to record, practice some more. Recording in the studio adds an extra element of stress that can throw off even the best of musicians. Practicing in front of others is a great way to help overcome some of these nerves.]
- Warm up beforehand. [This goes for vocalists AND instrumentalists.]
- Practice to a “click track” / metronome at home. [Click tracks can be difficult to record to. Make sure that you are comfortable playing with one – particularly one that is being routed through headphones or earbuds.]
- Practice singing / playing with headphones on. [Run your vocals and/or instruments through an amp with a headphone jack or a simple DAW (like Garageband) in order to become accustomed to hearing oneself routed through headphones.]
- *DO NOT BRING DISTRACTING FRIENDS / FAMILY MEMBERS TO YOUR SESSION [no matter how much you love them].
- Once you are in the studio, relax. [You got this!]
For more studio tips, shoot me an email at alisha@alishaperu.com.
Cheers!
| Alisha Peru | www.alishaperu.com
Photo: @jonathanvez on unsplash.com
