The EM Poll

Recording on a Dime

Oct 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Sean D. Carberry

           

Back in the days of analog tape and acetate masters, artists typically made records in hours, not in months or years as is often the case in today's world of plug-ins and tubemic simulators. John Coltrane recorded A Love Supreme (Impulse, 1964), one of the greatest jazz albums of all time, in a mere four-hour session. Up until that time, most recordings were cut live, often with no opportunity to overdub. With that approach, how long could it possibly take to record an album?

Then came bands like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Steely Dan, who found a creative haven in the studio and spent increasingly more time there perfecting their recordings. Thanks in part to their example, it can take a ridiculous amount of time to churn out an album today. Of course, those bands likely also had the financial wherewithal to spend as much time in the studio as they wanted.

The luxury of “financial wherewithal” is rare, of course. As a recording engineer in the Boston area, I typically work with musicians endowed with great talent but little cash. That means most of my projects are recorded under the unforgiving glare of the ticking clock. Hence, I've become rather adept at engineering on a dime — sometimes even on a nickel.

Making a good record in short order is a challenge, but there are ways to help ensure success. First and foremost, keep in mind that this is a joint venture — the best engineer in the world can't make a great record in a hurry if the musicians aren't up to the task. I'll start by discussing pre-production tips for getting everyone organized. Then I'll explore the art of recording at warp speed, and finish up with some tips on mixing in the fast lane.

WORK CUT OUT

Most projects I record begin with a conversation that goes something like this:

“We have $1,500 and we'd like to record and mix and master an entire album. Can we do that?”

“Well, after tape and mastering expenses, that leaves about eight hours in the studio. I can handle that. Can you?”

Silence.

After getting through that fun bit of business, I instruct the musicians on how to make the most of their studio time: practice like crazy every waking moment until the session. After all, great records are all about great performances of great songs (pretty simple, huh?). Of course, great recordings and mixes are important, too. Then again, I've gotten some great sounds in my career, and they haven't all translated into great albums.

It is not unreasonable — or unprecedented — to cut an album in a day, but there's no way it can happen if the musicians can't lay down the tracks. I've worked on projects in which the band planned to record live and cut everything in a day, and then proceeded to spend the entire time unable to play anything worth keeping.

On the other hand, I once had a band come into the studio with a fistful of dollars that the musicians had scraped together with the intent of recording and mixing three songs. Once we got rolling, the group ended up cutting ten songs, which we recorded and mixed in eight hours. Granted, it was a power trio (guitar, bass, and drums) and we didn't do any overdubs. But the point is that the musicians were so well rehearsed that they nailed keepers in one or two takes. That allowed me to keep rolling tape, and when it came time to mix the songs, there wasn't much to do — we had captured everything live.

Another point I counsel bands on is not to rehearse in the studio. If you can't afford a lot of studio time, it doesn't make sense to spend hours figuring out song forms and arrangements while the clock is ticking. Bands need to get those issues worked out before setting foot in the studio.

One other important pre-production task is finding out exactly what the instrumentation is — you must know what you're going to be miking. Draft an input list before going into the studio so you can stay one step ahead of the musicians. In addition, always have a backup plan in case your first picks sound lousy. Anticipation is key.