How to Avoid the Most Common Recording Studio Mistakes at All Costs
Thinking of booking a session in a professional recording studio?
Well, get ready to pay through the nose! Rates vary around the country, but studio time’s never cheap.
That’s why it’s so important to know what you’re doing beforehand. After all, the last thing you can afford (literally!) is to make mistakes that stop you from getting the best band for your buck. Want some help with this key task?
You’re in the right place. Read on to discover the most common recording studio mistakes and how to avoid them.
Recording in the Red
Recording digitally? Trust us, you’ll want to avoid digital clipping like the plague!
It sounds horrendous for one thing, which is never ideal when you’re fronting the cost of studio time. Worse still, you can’t even do anything about it in post-production, meaning you’re stuck with it.
Do yourself a favor and record at lower levels. Keeping out of the red will prevent clipping from ruining your track.
Bad Cables
The cables you use might not be as important as your pre-amp or microphone. But they still play a big role in the overall sound quality of your recording!
That’s why we always recommend musicians invest in some decent cables from the get-go. The budget variety you can buy at Radioshack might be tempting, but they’re far from ideal if you’re gunning for the best possible sound.
Standing in the Wrong Place
We can’t emphasize this enough:
Your position relative to your microphone is crucial to success! So stop standing in the center of the room. Learn some more about acoustic treatment, place the mic’s diaphragm in line with your mouth, around 6 inches or so away from it.
Oh, and while you’re at it, make sure you have a high-quality mic. Thankfully, this isn’t something you have to worry about in the best recording studios. Yet it’ll pay serious dividends if you’re using a DIY home studio instead.
Rushing
Working under pressure can bring the best out of some musicians. For most of us, though, it has the opposite effect!
We recommend taking your time instead and expecting mishaps and setbacks to happen. Of course, this can be easier said than done when you’re paying for sessions in a pro studio. You’re up against the clock and time is money, which makes it very tempting to hurry the process.
Resist the urge! Ironically, slowing down is usually the recipe for success.
Avoid These Recording Studio Mistakes
Few things are more exciting than stepping foot in a recording studio when you’re a professional musician. However, the abundance of possible recording studio mistakes can soon turn that excitement into dismay!
Thankfully, it doesn’t have to. Keep these insights and solutions in mind and you should be one step closer to a successful studio experience. For more tips on this topic, browse the remainder of our blog today.
June Potter wrote this article on behalf of FreeUp. FreeUp is the fastest-growing freelance marketplace in the US. FreeUp only accepts the top 1% of freelance applicants. Click here to get access to the top freelancers in the world.
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