The studio can be one of the most fun, inspiring, satisfying, and creative places for a musician. It’s where you sculpt creations into unique pieces that embody your musical vision. If you’re a sideman, then the studio is where your sound and touch give something to the music that no one else can.
Here are some gear ideas to help make your sessions even better.
First, get a good metronome, such as the TAMA Rhythm Watch or BOSS DB-30. The Snark SN-2 and Korg Beat Boy are tuners and metronomes in one unit. Metronomes aren’t just for practicing rudiments or scales. For example, if you are in session and have to play a particularly hard riff, grab your trusty metronome, slow the riff down until you can play it correctly, and then bring it up to the speed of the track.
If you’re an iPad user, there are great metronome and tuner apps, and you can have all of your charts in digital form rather then having to lug around a binder or folder. It’s a cleaner all-in-one option.
Your client should end up with the exact sounds they were looking for, so be prepared with different options. As a drummer, show up with at least three snare drums and as many cymbals as you can fit in your bag. You can really change the vibe of a song just by changing the snare and ride cymbal. Various sticks, brushes, dowel sticks, and mallets can also breathe energy and life into a song.
If your client wants to use samples, then drum triggers let you play the sounds rather than having your drum sounds replaced. The ddrum Chrome Elite Tour Pack is a great pack of industry-standard drum triggers that are easy to use and set up. The whole RT line of triggers from Roland are fantastic and just work. For sounds, Roland’s TM-2 and the Nord Drum 2 drum synthesizer are just two of the many great options that can be used with drum triggers.
I strongly suggest you show up to your sessions with more than you think you may need. Being over prepared for a session is never a bad thing!
