Healthy Session Strategies for the Young AE

[jval]

I agree, this approach is the best when possible. I don't have enough space or mic selection to leave a kit and guitar amps / mics all set up the whole time, so what I've been doing lately is tracking all the drums first and then splitting things up from there. I also edit drums after each song as opposed to tracking all and then editing all at once... that way the drummer gets a break between tracks and there's not as much sitting around.

The main problem is definitely vocalists blowing themselves out. So I'll usually do maybe 2 songs on guitar and bass, then one or two on vocals, repeat. Definitely keeps guys from getting in a rut, including you. good thread.

 

[::XeS::]

Great post.
Another solution could be tracking drums for all the song and do song by song aproach for the rest.
Anyway this way to work is usefull when the whole band is in the studio...if you have to work with guys that have jobs or school, it's a little different.

 

[ahjteam]

I do a hybrid of those:

First we record scratchtracks against click (and basic drumloop) as liverecording with guitars and bass player (basically just 1-3 takes, doesn't need to be perfect and can have minor errors). If the band has a keyboardist and he/she uses a midi-keyboard, I tell them to record the midis beforehand to save time.

Meanwhile the band is recording the scratchtracks, the drummer sets up his kit and rough tunes his drums, then just prior to recording they get finetuned. Then the drums get recorded and the kit get disassebled when done.

Then I have everything else setup so that I can just change the input on the recorded channel and it's ready to roll. If there is 4 amps to be recorded, they are all miced up. And then there is a mic for vocals, acoustic guitar, DI-boxes etc. (I would have even the drums setup all the time, but I don't have enough room or mics)

Then the rest of the stuff gets recorded: first rhythmguitars, then bass, then leads and keys, then the rest of the shit like percussions. I spread out vocal recordings to as many days as possible, just to save the vocalists' voice. Max 3-4 hours per day.

 

[GeertSamuel]

Read the first paragraph...will read more tonight when I'm back from work...
Looks like an interisting read.

 

[whoispetty]

Great post Joey. I only wish I had the comfort of leaving my drums miced up for multiple days

I have to tear down after every session. I might try this with guitars and vocals though just to mix things up.

 

[reg3n]

Great stuff, thanks Joey, will read it tonight with a big cup of coffee

 

[Force666]

It sounds cool, but as a guitarist when I'm recording, once i'm "warmed up" I just want to keep going. I understand it breaks up the monotony, but atleast after you edit all those tracks of drums, youre done. I would hate to finish a song after a nice vocal session or whatever and then be like, "ah fuck, now I gotta edit another song". But I can definitely see how changing it up every once in a while is good for the soul.

 

[brianhood]

have you actually tried this yet joey? I thought about doing this before, but i rarely do full lengths, so i never felt the need.
I could definitely see myself hating life quickly if the majority of my recordings were full lengths like you though