Information.
It cannot be understated how important it is for bands to be prepared before coming into the studio to record. Organization and preparation is the key for any band wishing to get the best possible experience from their time in the studio. Remember! We are not magicians. For us to do our job properly you will also need to plan in advance.
Making sure your Equipment is set-up and working properly is the most important aspect of any recording session. It’s a good idea to re-skin drums, re-string electric guitars, bass and acoustic instrument a few days before the session.
Make sure you practice as a band as much as possible before any session. Sometimes it’s worth practicing with a click track and come to an agreement beforehand of the best tempo (BPM) for the song. Make sure that you have a clear idea in your head how you want the record to sound. Working with a point of reference can help aid the Engineer and Producer immensely.
The biggest mistake that most bands will do on a tight budget is to try and record too many songs in a fairly short period of time. Realistically try and aim for one song per day. Quality takes time. Patience in a studio is always a virtue!
Also if your working with a producer, make sure you’ve been well acquainted before the session. Try and help him and the Engineer as much as possible by giving them a demo or a point of reference.
Finally, recording studios are not places to be afraid of. If you follow these few simple steps, then the rest will naturally fall into place. Recording is a big and exciting step for any band, with the proper environment and people alongside who will work hard for you, together we can achieve the best possible results!
What is mixing?
Mixing usually happens once all the songs have been recorded and is an entirely different process to recording. The craft of mixing is all about controlling and balancing the relative levels of different instrument. It can also involve a number of different processes but usually involves dynamic processing, EQ’ing, and FX processing.
What is Mastering?
Mastering is the final process before the song is cut to disc. This preparation can include a number of things, but usually involves some sort of additional processing in order to make songs sound clearer and better. In addition to this extra processing, other tasks such as properly sequencing the song orders, cross-fade editing, and PQ coding takes place as well.
How this relates to you.
Often bands overlook the importance of mixing and mastering. Most likely the mixing work will be done solely by the in-house producer and he will often be in close contact with the band as he works on the tracks. A good mix can mean the difference between an average song and a great song.
On average a mix engineer will take between 2 to 8 hours depending on the amount of recorded material to mix. Complex mixes may even take 2 days to mix. With our large range of old analogue gear and new digital equipment we are specifically well equipped to make fantastic mixes.
Our main priority here at ironworks studios is to make the best possible records within a reasonable budget. Our biggest concern is our reputation and therefore we do our utmost to make sure that we have the best quality service and our clients leave feeling satisfied.