There have been many a scroll passed down through the ages on “How To Get A Great Vocal Sound” or “…Drum Sound”…or…fill in the blank. But often overlooked is information on how to get a great performance out of a musician. In the end, the music is only as good as what’s coming through the microphones. So, here are tips that will hopefully help out on your next session:
Get out of the studio!
I spent many years working in a town where I didn’t know what I would be recording until I walked in the studio door. Most of the time, neither did the musicians. When you’re dealing with session musicians, this works fine. When you’re dealing with an artist or band that’s not used to seeing the studio as their office space, it’s an entirely different story. I suggest that some of your best time spent is actually outside the studio, getting to know the people you’re recording. Having dinner, coffee, tea, an adult beverage – whatever it is, get to know them. What movies do they like? What’s their family like? Where did they grow up? What do you have in common? All of this establishes comfort and trust. That way when it comes time to get behind the mic, you aren’t some random voice in the headphones. You are now new friends.
Make the technology transparent.
I have seen many a drummer get frustrated when an engineer asks them to move all their stands and cymbals to make room for the mics. Whether it’s mic placement that doesn’t get in the way or doing your homework and having everything line checked and ready to go when the client walks in, make their time in the room about the music. Nobody likes sitting in a booth while the engineer is patching something, putting out a fire, or “trying” 20 different things. Make the time between when they put the headphones on and when you hit record as short as possible. This avoids wasting valuable studio time, makes everyone get to work quicker, and if you’re lucky, it gets you home in time for dinner.
The mix matters.
Make what everyone is hearing in the headphones sound like a million bucks. If that means calling a break while you work up a rough mix for the singer to perform to, do it. People want to hear something inspiring in their cans, something that motivates them to deliver. Not a bunch of dry tracks with no depth.
A rough mix is still a mix with your name on it. Most people like to leave the studio with rough mixes from their long day or week’s work. They’re excited and want to listen to what they did while they make their way home. So give them something worth listening to – not just a “faders up” board mix. Throw some ‘verb on the snare, some compression on the mix, some delay on the guitars, make the vocal sound like Frank Sinatra. If what the artist leaves the studio with doesn’t live up to what they think they’re hearing in the studio, they are going to be disappointed. Then, they’ll play it for someone else and ask their opinion. In a worst-case scenario, they might even start to doubt what you’re doing. Not good! Give them something they want to play for people because they love it, not because they’re concerned whether its any good.
Getting a great performance isn’t difficult, it’s about establishing trust and setting the scene while providing comfort and ease for your musicians.