Help me manage the time to record full album in 5 days

[Teddyboy]

I have a band that will come from another city to record 8 songs for their album and the most time they can spend here is 5 days. I'm preparing myself for 15hour sessions per day.Fortunately, drums will be midi, so how would you schedule things for guitars,bass and vocals?

 

[crillemannen]

Don't be an idiot

 

[ArthurD]

If you can handle every nuances and details...
And if the musicians are great...
Don't do 15 hours straight. Rest.

 

[LBTM]

record 3 songs in two days, the 2 left in the third day and the next days record any overdubs left or rerecord the parts needed.
let them leave and email them the masters.

 

[topsoul182]

I like to do it song by song, itll give me a break so I don't have to listen to 7 straight hours of tracking rhythm guitars and it also keeps the other band members from being antsy

 

[RedDog]

Cocaine.

 

[DavePiatek]

8 Songs in 5 days? Prepare for hell, even if the band is good. My advice is to get scratch gtr/bass tracks before tracking/programming drums and use those to get the singer started on vocals asap. If you try to do 8 songs worth of vocals at the end, his voice is going to be shot. Alternate the real guitar and bass tracking with vocal tracking to spread them out over 4 days or so.

 

[Terminus]

Cocaine.

I was gonna say meth but yeah that too.

 

[Joshua Wickman]

I once recorded a full length in 15 days and it was a nightmare. I will NEVER do that again.

5 days is just not enough time for the quality people expect now. Maybe get someone to help you engineer and just track 24 hours a day with different members.

 

[BLUElightCory]

Do one song at a time.

That way, when they realize they can't get 8 songs done well in 5 days, they'll form a more realistic goal of doing 3-5 songs really well. They'll be happier with the product and you'll all be better off than if they try to do 8 songs and rush it.

In this day and age it makes a lot more sense to do smaller, higher quality releases than a hastily put-together full length. 3 great sounding tunes will do a LOT more for them than 8 rushed ones. If they can't hang with what else is out there, people will notice the quality difference and will move on to one of the other thousands of bands competing for their attention.

 

[LBTM]

or if they're a tight band you can live record them to a click track and do overdubs if necessary.

 

[Grå Värld]

In my old band we recorded 4 demo tracks over two 8 hour days but the trick was each person got 3 takes only and we had to move on to the next song. It worked because we rehearsed like muthafuckers and knew the songs inside out. The reality was the recording was demo quality. I agree with focusing on the best 4 songs and record those well. The EP is the new full length in this day and age. The band can build buzz and a fan base with the EP and return later if they want to record the other 4 songs. Take DI's and reamp later too. Also get them to send you their tracks and help them pick the best material to record.

 

[Sloan]

Depending on what they want, you can do it. My latest work had all instruments for 8 songs tracked in one day, then some vocal overdubs later. Bass+Drums live without click, reamped bass, rest overdubbed. also, it is not metal, so it didn't have to be superduperultramega tight


^uncle touchy

 

[AllanD]

Depending on what they want, you can do it. My latest work had all instruments for 8 songs tracked in one day, then some vocal overdubs later. Bass+Drums live without click, reamped bass, rest overdubbed. also, it is not metal, so it didn't have to be superduperultramega tight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15js_6dBhyk
^uncle touchy

That sounds pretty awesome!

 

[greyskull]

Tell the band that they better be practiced, have all parts dialled in and guide tracks recorded.

 

[Arsenu,]

I once recorded a full length in 15 days and it was a nightmare. I will NEVER do that again.

5 days is just not enough time for the quality people expect now. Maybe get someone to help you engineer and just track 24 hours a day with different members.

+1

 

[MattGrave]

Why are they coming for another state to record if they can only do 5 days?

 

[Uros]

Don't be an idiot

 

[Fox Mulder]

Don't waste time on pre-production while tracking, and you might be fine.

 

[mva801]

Well you never said they're going to be ultra tech-death or anything, so they might be able to roll through that many songs. ALL depends on the band. I've recorded bands with simple arrangements who could easily do that, and I've recorded bands with much more going on who could NEVER get that much done. You just have to be able to gauge that.

Also, what someone said before about starting vocals ASAP is absolutely true. DO NOT wait until the last day to start vox.