This is the Bartertown website. It's not done yet.
Here's some handy recording tips:
Be conscious of ear fatigue. If you go to a loud concert the night
before the mixing date, you won't be able to tell what sounds good and
what doesn't. Also, even throughout the day, ears get more and more
tired. Remember to take a break every now and then. Otherwise, you'll
get sick of just listening for so long. That's also why we need to schedule a separate day for mixing.
Relax. There will always be set backs, and freaking out will never,
ever help. You just have to deal with any problems that come up. That
includes band members. If your guitarist just can't play his parts
right, any pressure you put on him will only make it more difficult.
Take a deep breath. Now let it out. We can always come back to
something later.
Don't change your strings immediately before recording. They need to stretch out a bit before they'll stay in tune, otherwise you'll be half a step flat halfway through the song. Also, if you're going to be singing, stay away from stuff that's bad for your throat: sugary or greasy foods, and dairy products. Tea with honey and lemon will clear you up in a jiffy.
Plan out any "problem spots" in a song before you record. If you're
laying down the drum tracks first, and there's a spot on the song
that's just vocals, you'll have nothing to cue off of later when the
drums drop out and there's nothing keeping time. We can work around
those things, but it helps to know about them beforehand. If you've
got your whole song charted out, verse, chorus, bridge, outro,
whatever, it makes it easier on the engineer to reference. Remember,
the engineer probably hasn't heard these songs before, so when you're
talking about "punch me in at pre-chorus B," it helps to have a chart
to look at. A lot of mistakes can arise from a simple miscommunication.
If you don't like how something is going, speak up. That's the only
way we can fix something. We might recognize the error and plan on
fixing it later anyway, but we might also just have a different opinion
about what sounds good. Let your own ears be the judge, and share
opinions openly without criticizing others'.
On a related note, ask questions about something you don't understand.
Don't feel embarassed about not knowing everything; we all have a lot
to learn. We can work together better if we're all on the same page.
Lighten up! If you're too serious about yourself, and you're angry at
your bandmates, you'll remember how recording was like pulling teeth
every time you hear your record. If you let everyone do their thing,
let minor mistakes slide, and enjoy yourself, your record won't be
painful to listen to even if there is a dropped note here or a slight
tempo change there.
Keep in mind the means of our studio. If you want attitude, hollywood,
exxxtreme, in-yer-face, super slick, or whatever, this might not be the
place for your band. We try to record bands or artists that can create
the sound they want and not rely on production to make them sound
good. There are plenty of small and mid-sized studios that wouldn't
mind accepting your money, if you want that "professional" sound.
Make sure your gear is in working order and set up the way you want.
There's nothing like recording a whole album and, listening back,
realizing you were using the wrong pickup. Also, it'll be difficult to
get a full Marshall-stack sound out of a practice amp with one 8"
speaker, so, bring the gear you love, or at least love the gear you
bring. We've got a workshop area here for minor repairs, restrings,
adjustments, and soldering, but it does add time and frustration to the
session, for us and your bandmates.
Read Steve Albini's article, The Problem With Music, care of Negativland. The article is basically a breakdown of the costs and benefits of a major label contract. It'll change the way you think about music. Check out Negativland's Copyright Law section too, it's awesome.
email Morgan
