Sound Check

We have gathered some insite, knowledge, tips & advice from some of the best recording engineers in the business on each area of the recording process. Here's what they have to say.

 

Randy Burk--Stout Recording: Every engineer has a slightly different approach to doing basic tracks. First and foremost, the band needs to decide whether to do it live, in layers or in some
combination thereof. This decision may very well determine which studio you use. Most bands want to capture their live sound and energy. So I tend to do things as live as possible.In most situations, I put the whole band in the same room with no headphones.- No headphones? Sure! They can play as loud as they want and move freely. Adjust volumes according to the room.- What about bleed? Bleed is good. It will give the sound more ambience.- What about mistakes? With this method of recording, if one band member plays a bad clam, the whole band will do the take again.I can usually fix small mistakes by punching in.- What about vocals? Capturing a live vocal is one of the most difficult tasks. If it's a loud band, isolation and headphones may become necessary. Scratch vocals are an option, but that guarantees a round of overdubs. Some singers are not comfortable overdubbing. Each band is different. I adjust my recording methods accordingly.- Who monitors quality control? The producer.- Who is the producer?The engineer captures the sound. The producer manipulates the sound. The producer gets inside of the intellectual content (the music). The producer might suggest cutting the intro in half so the vocal comes in sooner. The producer hears a flat note and says, "Try it again." The band can produce. The engineer can produce. Everyone can co-produce together. Whoever does the producing needs to be credited and paid accordingly. The most important thing to do is to take time to listen. Listen to the playbacks carefully, several times if necessary. Listen for tone, timing and intonation. Redo and fix as necessary. Personally, I don't mind hearing a band play a song 22 times in a row. That's way easier than trying to fix a bad take.- Do you have any tips on time management in the studio?
Most bands want to move as quickly as possible. Bare in mind that one overdub each on ten songs could easily take half a day.Sketch out a flowchart of all potential overdubs.Set goals according to the budget. No matter what approach you take, the most important thing to do is make sure the recording sounds like a band. Don't forget to leave time to do rough mixes.

John Jones--"Thumper" Custom Drums: It's the norm for the drummer to be the first to arrive & get set up. You need to rely on the engineer to know the placement & angle your gear. You make sure that all your drums & cymbols are at the levels you want them adjusted before the engineer places the microphones. Then give your drums their last tuning. You also need to rely on the engineer for the final word on how your drums sound & any adjustments that are to be made. After demonstrating each drum sound, the engineer will actually record them so that you can hear them from where they are controlled. Concentrate on a steady in the pocket groove untill you find out what the recorded music will allow...you may have to compromise on your usual parts.