top of page

RECORDING CHECKLIST

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THE STUDIO

MUSIC

​

  • Practice your parts to a metronome as much as possible. The better you can play, the better the result will be. 4 out of 5 takes should be usable.

  • Have all the information ready for you engineer

    • Singtitles

    • Song BPM, if there are tempo changes a MIDI-Map

    • Key

    • Tuning

    • Lyrics – either printed or on your phone

    • Demos

  • Song order is prepared

  • If you're going to use samples, make sure you've licensed it and have the best available WAV quality

COMFORT

​

  • Bring drinks, water, and snacks

  • Wear comfortable clothing

  • Bring your laptop & phone chargers

  • Be well rested, it's gonna be a long day

GUITARS

​

  • Learn to play all your parts to a metronome perfectly

  • Put as much aggression into the strings as possible without knocking the strings out of tune. The harder you strum, the heavier it's gonna sound

  • Make sure your guitars are intonated and properly set up by an expert

  • Everything works, no cracks, sizzle, or other technical problems

  • Restring your guitars! Ideally on the day before the recording

  • Bring at least 2 packs of new strings

  • Bring a LOT of picks + an extra 9v battery if you use active pickups

  • All solos, harmonies etc. are written and finished beforehand

  • Bring an Allen key if you use locking mechanics

BASS

​

  • Make sure your bass is intonated and properly set up by an expert

  • Restring your bass! Ideally on the day before recording

  • Everything works, no cracks, sizzle or any other technical problems

  • Bring a LOT of picks, you're gonna need them

  • Bring at least one set of new strings

MIDI - DRUMS

​

  • Make sure so send any MIDI files before the recording session, so the engineer can set everything up properly

  • Send the MIDI-Map you've used for programming the drums

AKUSTIK DRUMS

​

  • Reskin all your drums! Ideally on the day before recording

  • Bring an extra snare head

  • Bring one extra pair of sticks per song

  • If you're uncertain or inexperienced about tuning your drumset, tell the engineer beforehand. If that is the case, he can reach out to an expert before the session

  • Oil your pedals! No squeaking allowed

  • Get used to hitting your drums HARD, but try to hit your cymbals in a smooth, consistent way

  • No broken cymbals!

  • Do NOT play when your engineer is setting up mics, you run into the danger of hurting him, and then he might hurt you so just don't

VOCALS

​

  • Make sure you're well rested. No hangovers!

  • Bring your favorite kind of tea • Bring enough water

  • Have a good warm up routine. Recording puts a lot of strain on your voice and you should be prepared

  • All harmonies, lyrics, and parts should be written and finished before the recording

  • Bring your lyrics! Either on your phone or printed out

Download your Recording Checklist now to be prepared for your next studio session!

German

English

bottom of page