Preproduction for a Recording Session
When starting a recording session, well-organized
preproduction can save your time and enhance your outcomes as well. Here are some tips that can help to organize
your preproduction.
Working with Song Lists
1. Make sure the
artist’s material is well rehearsed, and that the arrangement, tempo, words,
song key, and song form are ready for recording.
2. Establish the
song lists for the session. Get the
names, form, metronome markings, and numbers of instruments/vocals being
recorded in the session.
Room Setup
1.
Work with the artist to establish the best
recording room setup taking into consideration who needs to play together, see
each other, microphone leakage, etc.
2.
Create a drawing for your setup indicating the
position of the instruments in the room and the gobo arrangement.
3.
Get approval from the talent for your recording
room setup.
Creating the Sound
1. Ask for
reference material from the talent to help you determine the appropriate sound.
2. Work with the
guitar and bass players to create appropriate sounds with their amps.
Make
sure that they will be recording with new strings that have been on the guitar
for a
few days. Make sure they have a
supply of batteries for any active pickups.
3. Work with the
drummer to develop a sound for the kit through tuning, stick choice,
ancillary
drums (bring a piccolo snare to the session for example), etc.
4. All choices
for microphones, microphone position, microphone preamplifier, compressor,
etc. should be determined by the sound world.
Continuity and Sound Check
Remember, always have your continuity check finished before the sound
check begins. Continuity checks simply insure that all connections are working
properly.
Sound checks are used to position the microphones and add any
compression, filtering and equalization, or time processing where appropriate.
Finish continuity checks BEFORE the artist arrives!
Headphone Mixes
Once the sound checks have been completed it is now time to create the
headphone mixes. Always start headphone mixes with the core rhythmic
elements. For instance, with a jazz group, start working on the drums,
bass, and piano headphones first. For a
rock group it might be rhythm guitar, bass, and drums.
Once the core group headphones have been completed, then follow with all
of the ancillary instruments and vocals. Headphone mixes can be created “on the fly” in
real time as the musicians play or you can record a few minutes of them playing
and then worked with a looped playback.
If you are finished checking all the steps above, you are now ready to record!!
