| There are two stages to making a record. Recording, | | | | engineer before you get started. |
| then manufacturing. Each presents its own set of | | | | Once you're done writing, rehearse. If your band |
| challenges, and/but each can be done for surprisingly | | | | normally practices once or twice a week, practice |
| little money these days, as long as you know what | | | | three or four times the week before you are |
| you're doing and are prepared. | | | | scheduled to record. Play the songs you're going to |
| First, let's talk about recording. The most important | | | | be tracking over and over, until you can get through |
| consideration when making a record is preparation. If | | | | them flawlessly ten seconds after waking from a |
| you're not 100 percent ready to enter the recording | | | | deep sleep. |
| studio, don't. You will waste your time and the | | | | Ideally, you want to be able to record the songs live |
| engineer's, and every minute you spend in a studio | | | | in the studio, with minimal overdubbing. This won't |
| costs you money. So have your songs complete. | | | | always be necessary - and indeed, some genres of |
| Writing in the studio is for millionaires and people who | | | | music demand a precision that can't be captured in |
| aren't on a schedule or a budget. Write and arrange. | | | | that way-but it should be within your abilities as a |
| Record demos at home on computers if possible. | | | | band. Practice hard and make sure you are ready |
| This will not only help you get the songs together, it | | | | before you record. |
| will provide a reference version you can play for the | | | | |