First full project aid required hehe

[Mewle]

Hi guys,

I originally posted this up in the live metal drums thread

This has to be the best forum ever.
Lots of knowledge and opinions that I just ain't come across anywhere else.

I'm recording my own band soon for a promo e.p. and we want as mint quality as possible on our budget. We're getting a studio for as many days as it takes for around £60 -
£80 per song(one time only special 'we're friends with the owner' deal). My dilemma is that I've never been in charge of a whole project before and so many things are bound to go wrong(I like having hair so I hope you guys can help a little).

Our drum session is booked we have four days(five if needed) to prep the studio, set everything up, and do 5 tracks. I'm planning to trigger the kick and snare, purely because with my lack of experience I don't want these key elements to be utter shite. I'll be using md421s over the toms and a pair of sE1a's(not matched - is this any problem?) for overheads. I'll be using the studios own hi-hat mic(not sure what it is) even if it's just for what OzNimbus said about forcing me(yep I am the drummer) to not hit the hats to buggery whilst tracking.

Do you guys see any obvious "whoa thar, you don't wanna do that, boy!!" issues with how I'm planning to do the drum session??
Any suggestions, anti-noob comments or offers to record us instead at the same price(hehe) are welcome.

Thanks In Advance(this be my first(ok third now hehe) proper post on any forum ever, so if I screwed up and broke some forum rules I apologise profusely!)

one last thing the first CD I mixed for us is up on the myspace linked to my profile. the player doesn't do it full justice but we want to blow it away in the clarity and heaviness stakes.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

If you have the available tracks I would mic the kick and snare as well as having the triggers. Just IMO.

Make sure you replace your heads and tune that shit up right!

 

[colonel kurtz]

man, i would absolutely, positively, LOVE to have 4-5 days to get down 5 drum tracks

it's usually like 4-5 hours for me

 

[Mewle]

I understand that 4-5 days is a bit lavish but between my experience(or lack of) and the results we want, I think I'd rather expect the worst but possibly end up with a day or two spare. hehe. Playing wise it shouldn't be an issue, the songs are fresh but well practised by all of us, it's just the weird stuff all the experienced guys on this forum have had crop up over the years like phase issues, mic placement issues, room issues(it's a rectangle for a start) and I'm probably gonna get all that flying at me.

Also I need to blow our last three track demo completely out of the water. I had to take it home and mix it myself because the two studios we did it at couldn't give a flying monkey chuff about making it sound as pro as possible. oh and just incase you wondered about the mix on the myspace tracks, it was mixed on a first gen Alienware running Cubase sx3, and run through an old LG DVD/stereo combo's aux channel into some whack high street speakers.

I don't thinks it's all that bad considering

 

[ahjteam]

Also I need to blow our last three track demo completely out of the water. I had to take it home and mix it myself because the two studios we did it at couldn't give a flying monkey chuff about making it sound as pro as possible. oh and just incase you wondered about the mix on the myspace tracks, it was mixed on a first gen Alienware running Cubase sx3, and run through an old LG DVD/stereo combo's aux channel into some whack high street speakers.

I don't thinks it's all that bad considering

Its not the tools, its the result, that matters.

 

[Pete The Elite]

Make sure that your drums have "studio rings", makes such a differnece

 

[Sloan]

spend that whole first day just getting good sounds, moving mics, etc and don't worry about finishing a song, then just concentrate on performances the next few days without having to worry about tweaking mic positions and all that shit.

 

[Mewle]

I really appreciate the suggestions and feedback. A lot of what you guys have said, and also the replies to the post I put on OzNimbus' "drums for metal" thread, have been the sort of common sense things that I have really needed!!!! Like I say as a first project I'm gonna end up neck deep in 'COMMON SENSE ISSUES'