Top tips on your recording session recording...

(1)- Preparation & rehearsal

Time spent in preparation before your recording session is money saved! Make sure you and your musicians are as familiar with the songs as possible. Think about the intro and ending, about the verse and chorus order of the song. Make a note of the tempo used, have a chord chart ready. If you're unsure how to do this don't worry, our studio staff will be happy to help you.

(2) - the recording process

It can be a little intimidating recording for the first time. It is important that you make yourself at home in the studio, try to relax and develop a rapport with the studio staff (bringing biscuits can really help here!). We are here to make your recording experience as enjoyable as possible, and we want to help you to get your very best performance onto tape. It is amazing how your ideas develop and evolve during this stage, and the collaboration process can really add an extra dynamic to your original ideas.

(3) - the mix

All of the different instruments and parts that have been recorded will need to be blended together carefully so that the key elements can be clearly heard, and supporting parts compliment one another. It is at this stage that reverb, delay and other effects can be added. Never underestimate the importance of this stage of the process, this can make or break your recording success! As a guide, try and allocate up to a third of your studio time for mixing.

(4) - mastering

This is the final and arguably the least tangible stage of the recording process. It is however still a vital element in creating a professional sounding product. We will make small adjustments to EQ, compression and volume level, along with fades and general tidying up of starts and ends, to raise the overall level of sound quality.

(5) - artwork and packaging

The appearance of the packaging will form people's first impressions of your recording. A simple, clean design will often appear more professional than a very busy design. We offer an in house design service, together with a range of duplication options which we can talk you through.

(6) - number crunching, sales strategy

Studio recording can be an expensive business, however it is important to take a view over the whole project. How many CD's do you expect to sell? What price will you sell them at? Work out your potential return based on these figures. You are now in a better position to set a realistic budget for your recording without needing to cut corners, or compromise on quality.