If you are going to be in the drum booth all by yourself get used to playing with headphones on.

If you move around a lot while you are playing, headphones can slip off.

That will screw up the track. You might want to do some research into that. Duct tape works to hold headphones on, but there's probably better solutions if you plan ahead.

You may have to use headphones even if you're in the same room. I've done that several times. You should be able to adjust your own monitor mix and they can probably add a click if that's how you roll.

Another comment about waiting around is apt, but a 10-hour session should give you more than enough time to accomplish what you're trying to do.

Both of my sessions were only for four hours, but that was no problem because we were well-rehearsed, so much so that none of the songs required a third take and a few were first-takes. That left plenty of time for overdubs, and in the first case, the engineer was able to start mixing during our studio time.

That's something to keep in mind: Mixing is often separate from recording. It may be included within your 10 hours, but that would cut into your recording time. That may not be a bad thing, as you certainly won't be as fresh at hour eight as you were at hour one.

In any case, relax and have a good time. Sounds like you'll be fine.

Al

Ok so I got some good questions to ask before heading for the studio! Thanks for the continued great advice!

Metronome in my ear makes me crazy... I tried it but I guess I better start practicing that. I do have presonus recording software on my laptop that can generate a click tone over tracks... I'll mess with that.

And...if the try to duct tape headphones on me that session is going end early. Hurting :)

For me personally I try and always go with an extra snare or two. Some sound better in a room than others. Some just record better. Aside that I try and bring exactly what I'd need kit & cymbal wise to maximize playing time. Maybe ( and this isn't often for me ) but maybe a different set of hats & ride if available.

Also been my experience that many engineers will work with musicians. So if playing together in a room helps, they can still record separately but you're all still together. Not sure how this particular studio is set-up, but I've personally done this.

Best advice I think is make sure to be relaxed. There's always a lot of sitting around waiting, which can be frustrating, particularly if you're ready to go and know all the arrangements etc, and the other guys don't!

Bring water with you as well - the air can get pretty dry in the studio, and after a few warm-ups and a take or two you really start to notice it.

Good luck and I think it's general consensus that we'd all like to hear the finished product!

The Band

Just circling back on this thread. Oh man... this studio stuff was really tough for me to do! We were all in separate rooms so all the visual cues we use when we play were eliminated. The guys in the band did not want to use the click track so I really struggled trying to keep steady time... Dang when you hear yourself on the playback and you are off rythmically it is so discouraging. REALITY CHECK and a brutal one at that. Bottomline... we are bunch of old guys playing the basement once a week and that is what we sound like. https://soundcloud.com/user-407227619

Jim - The band sounds just fine. Hearing yourself on playback for the first time can be a brutal slap in the face. Many years ago I started recording myself during gigs and then listening back the next day. It was humiliating at times, but that's how you learn to tighten up and eliminate rookie mistakes. There is no better way to clean up your own playing than listening to recordings of yourself. You're not alone by a long shot. The first time that many of us hear ourselves recorded it can be a real cringe-worthy moment and an eye-opener as to what we need to work on. Use it as a learning experience, but don't beat yourself up over it. Use the information to improve your playing skills.

John

Completely agree with Purdie. I've spent probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 hours in the studio and have never been completely satisfied with the final results. It's a very humbling experience, but it's just that: experience. Now that you've had your first session, you'll be even more prepared for the next time.

Thinking back to my first time (1989-90), oh Lord...it was my first time playing to a click, I couldn't hear it over my playing so the engineer used a cowbell sound and jacked it up so much it literally made my eyeballs shake with every hit, and it bled through the headphones into the mics! I was later kicked out of that band because my time was so bad. Nothing motivates you like failure, so I worked with a click for years to improve my time and for the last several projects I've been a part of, I play to a click even live.

My most recent time in the studio was 12 years ago. The acoustic guitar and vocal tracks had already been recorded, so I laid the drum tracks over them (very backwards way of recording, IMO). I was so off we ended up spending countless hours using the editing software to digitally move many kick and snare hits to be in time with the click.

It doesn't matter how many you do, every recording session is a learning experience. Your tracks sound good, that's quite an accomplishment for only 10 hours in the studio.

Great advice from Purdie and Vater. I'm no real musician like you guys. It has been 20 years since I recorded with a band. Back then it was guitar I was playing. If anybody heard that recording I'd deny it was me! I think drums are sooo much harder to get right when recording. Your playing sounds good especially considering the circumstances.

Preproduction is so important just like everybody had suggested earlier. All your band members need to be on the same page. If you were not in agreement on the click track then I think you guys started a little behind the 8 ball. Your engineer has to be part of that preproduction, too. If he needed to put you guys all in the same room to get you 'in the groove' together and deal with the mic bleed later then that is what should have happened.

First time up to bat you probably shouldn't expect a home run! It is good. Keep moving forward! Clapping Happy2

Thanks Fellas... Learning experience! We are working on writing orginal material for our next session (this is gonna be goodFalling Do) I'm putting my foot down on the click track. I bought a headphone splitter so we can practice with it for at least 30 minutes every week. And... We are going to record our practices so we can review. We got people asking us to play some gigs this summer for actual money... time to get it tightened up.band3. I like the idea of telling the engineer to put us in one room... even if we play that way just for the scratch tracks.