hints

TIPS FOR SINGERS

Do you want to get the best out of your studio time?

Tip 1: Don't drink! I'm not suggesting you join AA, but in the studio it is a good idea. Alcohol affects your vocal
chords and it has the tendency to tighten them up. Milk and milk drinks are also worth avoiding, as it will put a lining
on your throat and vocal chords, preventing you from reaching your full range. Lemon, pineapple and apple juice are
good for clearing gunk from your throat.
While there are some singers who swear their voice is enhanced by smoking 10 packs of cigarettes and a six-pack of
beer, the reality is this will seriously limit, and in some instances, permanently damage, the range and strength of
your voice. Your voice is an instrument, and needs TLC.

Tip 2: Learn how to sing. And practise. There are many singers who have great voices and have never had a lesson,
there are also many great singers who still have lessons. A singing teacher should be able to teach you all you need to
know about hitting the note you want, rather than sliding up or down to it. The most common problem is sounding
flat at the end of each line. This is caused by running out of breath, so invest in a good singing teacher who can show
you ways of improving your breath control technique. While we're on this subject, you should also learn techniques to
preserve your voice. You can do some quite serious damage unintentionally and unknowingly, but there are
techniques you can learn that will enable you to sing for much longer periods with less strain on your voice. Warming
up your vocal chords by singing quietly and singing scales (ie low to hi notes then down again) will loosen up your
vocal chords and allow you to hit the big notes and help prevent damage to your voice.

Tip 3: Work out your vocal parts in advance. A certain amount of magic and inspiration can happen in a studio, but
don't count on it. If it happens, great, but if it doesn't, you could be in trouble. The same goes for backing vocals and
harmonies. If you intend backing or harmonising with yourself, record your parts on a cassette and practise with that.
When rehearsing, do so in pairs. The whole band should take it in turns to listen and play. The drums and bass should
play together while the guitarist and singer listens. Then the guitar and bass, and so on. This will reveal any little
problems that you would probably miss when playing as a full band.

Tip 4: Know what you want to achieve in advance. Studio rime can run away from you and end up costing a small
fortune, remember studios aren't designed to be playgrounds for the lazy or uninspired, although many a band has
discovered this the hard (and expensive) way! This is an important tip for any band starting out – the more prepared
you are before you go in to record, the more time and money you have to spend on the improving the quality of your
work. A great deal of time is wasted when you stop to think about what songs you're going to record, or how many
bars are in the solo, or the intro/outro. If you are well rehearsed, in control and focused you will reap the benefits,
achieve goods results and save some $$$. The whole Studio experience will be more enjoyable and rewarding the
more hard yards you put in beforehand.

TIPS FOR GUITARISTS

Tip 1: Tune and check the condition of your guitar. You don't need the most expensive guitar in the world, but the one you are using needs to be in
good condition, And tuned. Its a good idea for all the guitarists & bass player to tune up with the same tuner, not a $20 freebee in a Christmas guitar
& amp special, but a quality tuner - although they are a natty electronic device, the tuning reference can vary ever so slightly from tuner to tuner.
Regular checks are a good habit to foster. Check the guitar lead jack. Over time they become loose and this leads (pun intended) to buzzes and
crackles. If in doubt invest in a professional quality lead, they will last you for years and years. The most common cause of crackles and unwanted
noise is due to the 'old faithful' guitar lead that you have used religiously since your grandfather gave it to you on your third birthday. You don't
have to throw it away, just 'forget' to bring it to the studio. Also check if the earth connection is solid. A great deal of that amp noise you've been
hearing for a while could be a bad earth from your guitar. A little solder could be all that's required to fix it. The easiest way to check for a bad earth
connection is to ask: does the noise increase when you aren't touching any metal parts? If it buzzes when you aren't holding the guitar, then you
have an earth connection problem.

Tip 2: Check your amp is in good condition. Amps become noisy over time, particularly valve amps. A great deal of time can be spent in mixdown
muting out hum and extraneous noise. Often all that is needed is to make sure the valves are seated properly. If the valves are worn out, the money
spent on new valves is well worth it, as they sound better.

Tip 3: Know what you want to achieve in advance. Studios aren't designed to be playgrounds for the lazy or uninspired, although many a band has
discovered this the hard (and expensive) way! This is an important tip for any band starting out – the more prepared you are before you go in to
record, the more time and money you have to spend on the improving the quality of your work. A great deal of time is wasted when you stop to
think about what songs you're going to record, or how many bars are in the solo, or the intro/outro. If you are well rehearsed, in control and
focused you will reap the benefits. The whole process will be more enjoyable and rewarding the more hard yards you put in beforehand.

TIPS FOR DRUMMERS

TIP 1: Practice to a click track before you record. Drummers' tempos will vary. But fear not – practising to a click track won't turn you into a machine!
The advantage is that it will keep you closer to the desired tempo. Plus the engineer will appreciate if you know the tempo in BPM (beats per minute)
before you get into the studio. The easiest way to work out BPM: count the number of bars in 15 seconds, then multiply that by four (this determines
beats, for example, if the song is 4/4 time) then multiply that by four again, giving the number of beats in one minute.

Buy a metronome and practise and practise until you are totally comfortable using click tracks. For some people, a drum machine is a better option
as it offers a choice of sounds. If you have tempo changes you can program them in so you are right on the button every time. This will not only
make you a better drummer, but will cut down the time it takes to record your parts, and that will save you money.

Tip 2: Make sure your kit is in good condition. Can't stress this enough. A squeaky pedal can be very intrusive, but easily fixed. Clean your cymbals
– they actually sound better when they're clean! Old skins will sound dead. I know they are expensive to replace, but so is recording, so logically,
why spend all that money to wind up with a product that could have been better? If your budget is tight, buy them one at a time but don't use them
until you are ready to record. Make sure the skins are tuned – many unpleasant overtones are produced by out-of-tune drums. If you don't know how
to tune them speak to an experienced drummer who you regard as having a great sounding kit. Your studio engineer should have an idea also but
remember time is money in the studio, if your all set to go when you arrive in the studio with a drum kit that is tuned, squeak free its a quicker
simpler matter of setting up and allowing the engineer to sort out those microphones and capturing that awesome drum sound. Some professional
studio have a kit that they use for recording and this may be available for hire. That would be worth while looking into as it would no doubt be a
professional kit, tuned up ready to go and the time it would take to get your kit sounding 100% and even tuned that $50 or so it costs to hire a pro kit
may cost you more than that to achieve a satisfactory result from your old kit. A thing to remember is though, when hiring any instrument for studio
use you'll be up for any breakages (skins, sticks, strings, etc,etc) that may happen when that instrument is in your hands.

PREPARATION : PREPARATION : PREPARATION = $$$ SAVINGS