First time recording session in a studio....help?

[spitfire52mm]

Probably a few things are going to happen...

The talent is going to have an awesome take and you're going to forget to hit record.

You're going to be extra slow with mic placement and extra slow while setting up in general .

You're probably going to clip something and have to redo it.

SOME kind of issue is going to come up in Pro Tools and you're going to have to say, "hang on while I read the manual and get this resolved".


You know what? Who cares if any of that happens. The talent should understand that you're new at recording people and that he/she needs to be patient.

You got the hard part down, getting the job! Welcome to the game and remember to have fun! =)

[Matti]

The studio has personel to show how they do it, connections etc.

Matti

[Sean TM]

just know how to do punch ins and youll be fine..hip hop is pretty easy...its the communicating with the talent to get what you want thats the harder part..imo

[soundawg]

No matter what happens... listen HARD with you ears, listen to yourself, and trust your feelings, at the end of the day - that's all you got. You have to go home and say to yourself...

"I did the best I could, with the situation I was handed."

If they hang you - or hoist you, at least you know it was cause you did what you thought was best.

Other than that, you do have some technical to look at...

Aim for recording levels approximately between -18 & -6.

If the mic doesn't sound right - change it - fast!

Move the mics around A LOT... let yourself and the musicians discover just how much difference a few inches can make.

If it doesn't sound right - keep working on it - from the source.

Have fun and enjoy the opportunity.

Soundawg.

[close/far]

So c'mon... tell us how it went!

[bbboy]

lol it didnt happen yet, its gonna happen like in....15 hours i guess haha. i just hope i know what im doing. thanks for some of the advice. and should i let'em know its my first time in a studio?

[Emi]

it´s hip hop, it´s easy, be calmand try to keep things under control even if you have to be slower.

If you want to tell them you´re new in the studio, it depend on you and how you see they take it. Most of the people would understand it, but every person is a diferent world.

You just try to do things as good as you can, and the most important thing is to stay cool.

Hope may help!
Emi

[88fingerz]

Advice: When...er.....sorry...IF something technical goes awry, try not to show panic on your face. Keep it internal, keep smiling and do your best to tackle the problem without sweating, swearing or sulking.

Listen more than talk.

Have fun!

[bbboy]

oh i'm saved. its postponed for two days later haha

im still a little nervous. i'm gonna try to look for stuff online talking about studio etiquette and procedures i guess. I just wanna be at least a little bit prepared

[JordanA]

Do you know any of the hardware at the studio? That is very important if there is a console and outboard pres/comps/eqs/patchbays.

[bbboy]

well when i went to recording school like two years ago we did have classes where they taught us how to use it and we did do a lot of hands on stuff

its been such a long time and i felt like i never really thoroughly understood everything. so thats a part i'm a little nervous about. he didnt say anything about mixing though. gah, i don't know, i'm gonna have to just work with what i know. i'm hoping theyre only gonna have me work pro tools lol

[SighBorg]

I don't really know any of that stuff really and i don't wanna look stupid.

You dont really think that the people running sessions smoothly got that way by not making mistakes do you? It's part of the process and by being in that situation you will learn faster than any school can teach you.

Besides this is the perfect starter session. It's Hiphop so setup is minimal. Problem teching will be minimal. You will get good practice at making takes and controlling the tempo of the session.

[JordanA]

Originally Posted by Kelly644

You dont really think that the people running sessions smoothly got that way by not making mistakes do you? It's part of the process and by being in that situation you will learn faster than any school can teach you.

Very true. My early awkward sessions taught me so much.

[Kayo]

If you’re a keen audio personnell, who’s concentrating on the job at hand, encouraging and helping people find solutions, then you should be fine in any studio. The initial stress can be a normal factor. But, even though you’re new to that studio, or new to studios in general, you can look like a pro.. as long as you help progress the session.

It’s not how many right things you do, it’s how many wrong you get.
At times, its best being seen than being heard..

GoodLuck for the future..
KAyo