After all, who hasnt been profoundly affected by recorded

music? Listening to albums, the radio, and the great records

that have shaped your lifes experiences is likely what made
you pursue music as a hobby or a career and this is your
chance to contribute your own songs and recordings to
musics continuing history. Its an exciting place to be.
Theres also the rush of the creative process: you and others
contributing your talents to the arrangements; hearing the
project come together layer by layer, track by track; spending
days, weeks, and months building toward a finished product.
And, of course, when its completed, what you have stands
a record of your work quite literally. This recording will
represent your creative activity, the place you and your art
are at this moment in time, the things you were thinking
and writing about, and your abilities as a musician
forever preserved.
For all these reasons, it makes sense that you come in
mentally and physically prepared to produce the finest

recording you can possibly make. Part of this requires you

to assess your own abilities and identify areas where you
might need help. Do you need an experienced producer to
assist with arrangements or background vocal parts? Could
your songwriting benefit from an outside collaborator? Have
you worked in a studio setting before be it a pro studio or
home studio? Would you benefit from an experienced hand
in the studio?
It also helps to have a vision for what the final product is
supposed to be. Is this your first demo to try to get gigs?
An album you intend to sell to your fans? A project designed
to pursue licensing and placement in films or TV? These
decisions will help determine if youre better off working
in a project studio or heading into a pro facility or some
combination of the two. Whatever the scenario, and whatever
the intention for the recording, these 54 tips will help you
prepare, keep you focused, and help you emerge with the
best recording youre capable of.

Introduction | www.oasiscd.com

ensemble to record? Any and all of these details should be

worked out in advance and prepared for as much as possible.

PRE-PRODUCE

Pre-production can involve a number of things. Primarily,

it involves recording multiple versions of your songs in
rehearsals, studios, and live performances to nail down
tempos and identify parts or melodies that are working or
need help. If youre working with a producer, this is the time
to hash out arrangements and determine the optimal key of
the songs. If possible, its not a bad idea to multi-track songs
in this stage to get a feel for the process and to further
analyze and fine tune parts.

REHEARSE

It sounds obvious, but youd better plan to rehearse more

than you think is necessary. Make sure solos and overdub
ideas are fluid, vocals and harmonies are all well established,
and that everyone is comfortable playing and singing their
parts. Spontaneity can be magical in the studio, but that
doesnt mean your parts should be half-baked. Be completely
prepared, and that will give you the confidence to explore
the moment when the red light is on.

CLICK TRACK

If you are using a click track, whoever is playing to it (usually

the drummer) should be well used to playing along with it
and comfortable with the tones youll be using. Sitting in a
studio setting, whether project or pro, is NOT the time to
be learning how to groove to a click track. Also, plan for
any sections where the drums arent playing and make sure
whoever is playing in those sections is equally comfortable
sounding natural while playing along with a click. If you have
songs where the tempo or time signature changes, figure
out how youre going to handle that way before the red light
is on. If youre using a computer or sequencer, prepare all
sequenced material before the session.

PREPARE FOR THE DRUM TRACKING

In most recording sessions, if theres a drum kit or main

percussion part included in a song, itll be the first part
committed to record. Even if the drums are going to be
recorded first, you might also be tracking the rhythm tracks,
or playing along with the drummer to keep the arrangement
and feel of the song present. This could involve having the
band, or the primary rhythm instruments, record a rough
track to an audible click, and have the drummer record
while listening to that. Its a practical solution to giving the

SHARE YOUR RECORDINGS

WITH THE RECORDING TEAM

Circulate recorded versions of every song you have with the

producers, engineers, and performers before entering the
studio. Spend the weeks and months leading to the studio
date refining and critiquing the parts and the songs. Make
sure everyone is familiar with the material and style of the
band before your studio date.

HOW ARE YOU RECORDING?

Are you in a pro studio or working at home? Are you a

full band with a drum kit, horn section, or multiple back-up
singers? Are you recording everything at the same time? Are
you recording drums to a click track? Are you tracking the
drums separately but performing with the drummer to give
the drummer a feel for the songs? Is there a choir or large

Pre-Production | www.oasiscd.com

drummer a tempo, while also providing a guide through the

song and a groove to connect with if the entire band cant
track with the drummer.

BRING YOUR HOMEWORK

If you are bringing your own DAW sessions, bounce all of

your tracks to audio. The studio may not have the same
version of your software or the same plugins. Also, have
backups of any digital files youll need. Bring your hard
drive, but also bring a disc with your files in case your hard
drive crashes. Even better, send your files to the studio via
Dropbox ahead of time.

TAKE A MUSICAL SNAPSHOT

Before you hit the studio for a big project like recoding an
album, getting a chance to experience the studio setting
on a smaller scale and the people who will be involved
in the recording process can be an invaluable precursor
to recording. Maybe its recording one song in one day to
make sure the production/engineering team and the artists
are compatible, or perhaps its a four-hour live session to
record all the songs being considered for recording in one

10

HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF MATERIAL

If you are preparing for an album or an EP, you should

have two to three times the number of tracks you expect
to include on the record. That means having 20-30 songs
written, rehearsed, and ready if you intend to release a
10-12 song album. A 4-6 song EP should start with 8-10
songs ready to go. You might be surprised which tracks
rise to the top as the best of the bunch.

11

START FRESH

New drum heads, strings, reeds, and batteries are highly

recommended. And have back-ups on hand. Youll sound
better on record, and nothing dampens the vibe like being
on a midnight roll only to be stopped in your tracks
because your string broke and battery died.

12

START IN TUNE!

Tune the drums and all stringed instruments before you enter
the studio space. Its always best to have your instruments
checked for intonation as well. Theres nothing like a good
recording to shine the light on buzzes and intonation issues.

13

GEEK OUT

shot. The latter can help the producer and engineer get a feel
for how the band plays and provide a breadth of material to
choose from. The former can help expose any incompatible
personalities or problems before you launch into what can be
a long and intimate process.

Make sure the studio has the equipment youre going need
and the capacity to record the way you want to. In particular,
be sure their microphone selection is suitable for your needs.

14

MEET THE PEOPLE AT THE STUDIO

Meet the engineers, and make sure whoever is producing

the recording is a good fit.

KNOW THE RATES AND THE FINE PRINT

Make sure there are no mysteries about what youre planning

to do, how long you expect to be in the studio, what the

Pre-Production | www.oasiscd.com

rates are, and how the studio assesses any extra time or
additional requirements you need. Typically, a studio will
work with you ahead of time to make sure there arent any
surprises and to make sure they can accommodate your
project. Just be sure its all worked out in advance so its
not a topic that arises in the middle of your recording.

15

BUDGET EXTRA TIME AND MONEY

Whatever the expected costs and projected timelines,

always build in an additional 10-20% for both. Its way better
to finish ahead of time and under budget than the opposite,
and it almost always takes longer than you expect.

16

COME UP WITH A WORKING BUDGET

Based on your estimations of how many CDs and downloads

you can sell (based in part on past record sales, the number
of gigs you play, and calculations for how many CDs you think
you can sell per show), you can determine the amount per
CD/sale you can expect, how much youll earn, and what
youll ultimately want to keep as profit. This exercise can help
you determine the budget youll have to spend on the studio,
design, and CD replication.

17 COME

UP WITH A WORKING BUDGET,

VERSION 2

Another method of meeting your budget requirements is

to determine exactly what you want to produce, what the
studio time is going to cost, what youll be spending on
replication and CD production, and come up with a grand
total. Then, seek out a means (sponsorship, patron grants,
crowdfunding) to meet your estimated costs. Again, always
budget for more time and money than you think youll need.

18

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

Its easy to get swept into the excesses of sleep deprivation

and mood enhancers when in a creative environment, but
make sure youre putting your project and the recording
process first. Eat healthy, stay clean, get restful sleep, and take
breaks to keep your mind sharp and your ability to perform
at its highest level.

19

WATCH FOR FATIGUE

Be conscious of how long youre exposing your ears to

loud playback and room volume in the course of a long day
in the studio, and make sure youre not pushing yourself
to the point of physical fatigue to the detriment of your
performance. Sometimes its better to take a break or call
it a day than waste time and energy trying to nail that one
last take.

20

TAKE THE TIME TO CREATE A

RELAXED ATMOSPHERE

Whatever you can do to make the performance space

conducive to creativity and a relaxed working environment,
do it.

21

GET THE HEADPHONE MIX RIGHT

Every performer is going to want a different mix in his/her

headphones, and it could be different for different parts
or songs. Taking the time to get those levels right will save
time later on and help provide an atmosphere to support
optimal performances.

22

AGREE ON HOW TO HANDLE MISTAKES

IN THE TAKE

Depending on the instrument, where the take fits in the

arrangement (rhythm part, solo, etc.) and the length or
difficulty of the part, the recording team may prefer that you
play or sing through an entire part rather than stop and start

In the Studio | www.oasiscd.com

over every time you produce something other than a flawless

performance. Agree from the beginning how its going to be
handled. Oftentimes, the same part will be recorded multiple
times, and a composite of the best sections will make up the
finished track. Youre better off in those situations getting
through the entire solo or chorus, even if theres a flub, as
that bad note may be perfect on another take and there
could be plenty to use from the take.

23

GET THE BEST TONE RECORDED FROM

THE START

While there are effects and gear that can produce all kinds
of magic in the mixing stage, nothing will save bad tone,
excessive effects, or poorly recorded sounds. Get the best
possible and usually the cleanest possible sounds on
tape in the primary recording stage.

24

THIS AINT NO PARTY...

Decide ahead of time who you want at the recording, and

who you dont. Its always an exciting process to record, and
you might want to share it with your friends and significant
others, but too many people inside the studio can be a
disaster. Its a surefire way to invite distractions, tension, and
unwelcome opinions. A good rule of thumb is to severely
limit the number of guests in the studio during the recording
process, or perhaps choose one day where you let a few
extra folks in to join the experience.

25

28

TRUST THE PRODUCER

If youre in a professional studio, especially if youre not

a studio veteran, trust the instincts and direction of your
producer and engineer. Tones might sound different than you
expect on playback, processes might be different than you
expect, parts may be added or arranged differently. Try to
give up some of your expectations of how things have to
be and trust that the professionals in the studio have good
reasons for doing what theyre doing.

29

EXPERIMENT WITH MIC PLACEMENTS

In your quest to get the best tone, experiment with microphones and microphone placement before you record a take.
That also goes for where you place the sound source in
the room. Reflections off walls, depending on the acoustic
integrity of the room, can be beneficial or detrimental to
your tone. Sometimes you want to capture that resonance,
sometimes you want to place your microphone right up to
the sound source and eliminate the room sound as much as
possible. Take the time, and plan the time, to experiment and
get the tones right before you hit record.

30

TAKE PICTURES

You never know when you might need to re-record a part

or want to replicate the sound of a particular mic placement.

BACK EVERYTHING UP ALWAYS

Theres nothing worse than losing days and hours worth

of recorded material. Always back up your work.

26

STAY IN TUNE

Constantly check your tuning.

27

BE ENTHUSIASTIC

Even when providing criticism on a take or working through

a difficult part with a band mate or session player, keep the
tone enthusiastic and encouraging. Nothing kills a creative
vibe like someone being hyper-critical, uptight, insensitive,
or using language that doesnt promote an encouraging
atmosphere. Be conscious of what you say especially when
being critical of a take and how you take things others say
in the recording environment.
In the Studio | www.oasiscd.com

Take pictures once the mics are set and youre ready to
record so you have a reference if you need to re-create mic
placements at a later time.

Sometimes its necessary or desirable to add these effects

at the recording stage, but make a concerted effort not to
overdo it.

31

35

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Its easy to get enamored with the endless possibilities of

digital recording. With a virtually limitless number of tracks
at your disposal, you can get carried away trying to use eight
mic placements on a single instrument or adding more and
more layers to the arrangement. Be creative, but be aware
that complicating the raw tracks can make a serious mess of
your recording when it comes to the mixing stage. More is
very often not better. Get your best ideas recorded simply
and cleanly and focus on performing your best.

32

HAVE A REFERENCE

Have recorded examples on hand of tones and artists youd

like to emulate in regard to the sound of your recording.
Of course, major artists with major budgets can afford more
than youre likely to, so remember its always a matter of
relativity. But having an idea of how you want the instruments
on your record to sound will give the recording team an idea
of how to proceed. If youre working in a home or project
studio, remember to experiment and learn as much as you
can about different recording techniques. Knowing how
to properly mic a drum kit or an acoustic guitar, and what
changes in proximity and the angle of a microphone might
produce, are just a small part of what it takes to record the
sounds you have in mind.

33

CONSIDER RE-AMPING

The basic idea with re-amping is to take a recorded track,

send the signal to studio monitors or an amplifier, set up
a mic, and record the re-amped track. There are lots of
possible applications for re-amping, including adding
ambiance, amp swapping, and pure experimentation.

34

KEEP COMPRESSION TO A MINIMUM

You dont know precisely how a track is going to fit or what

exact tonal requirements will be needed at the time of the
mix when youre recording. Remember that the decisions
you make at the recording stage are going to remain with
that track for eternity. If you over-compress or over-equalize,
youre going to be stuck with it, so keep it to a minimum.

AVOID PHASE CANCELLATION

When using multiple microphones on a single sound source,

a good rule of thumb is to keep the second mic three times
(or more) the distance from the sound source as the
other mic.

36

MAKE A CHECKLIST

Youll need a number of things in the studio to help the

recording process. Make your own checklist based on your
specific situation and past experience, but heres a good start:
EXTRA BATTERIES for everything, including stomp boxes,
tuners, condenser microphones, active pickups, and
anything else.
EXTRA STRINGS for every stringed instrument in
the room.
EXTRA DRUM HEADS. Specifically stock extra snare
and bass drum heads.
MOVING BLANKETS. Moving blankets or any heavy
blanket can be used these to isolate microphones
and cover reflective surfaces to change the acoustics
within a room.
SPRING CLAMPS. These come in handy for holding loose
cables and to clip blankets to mic stands and tables.
EXTRA TUNING KEYS. Tuning keys always get lost.
Purchase a few of these to keep on your key chain.
DRUM DAMPENER. MoonGel, O-rings, and gaffer tape
are all useful for reducing the ring and decay of a drum.
MEASURING TAPE. Helpful for precision mic placement.
GAFFER TAPE. Better than duct tape in the studio
because it doesnt leave a sticky residue.
PILLOWS/ACOUSTIC FOAM. Stuffing a bass drum can
reduce resonance and bring out more attack.
CAMERA. Taking pictures of mic placements can save
time if theres ever a need to re-track or recreate
a sound.

In the Studio | www.oasiscd.com

CRITIQUE THE SOUND OF YOU MIX:

In your studio
On laptop speakers
In earbud headphones

37 KEEP

USING YOUR REFERENCE MATERIAL

DURING THE MIX

Return to the sounds and tones of other recordings to guide

you. Comparing your tones to the reference material in the
same environment (speakers, room, etc.) youre mixing in will
help keep things on track.

38

LET THE ENGINEER DO HIS JOB

If youre in a pro studio, have clear parameters as to when

youre expected to be part of the mixing process. Sometimes
its best for the band to be completely absent from the process until there are rough or nearly-finished mixes to hear.
Mixing is a progressive and evolving process. Having anxious
band members around critiquing every turn of the knob is
not conducive to getting work done well or efficiently.

39

In consumer headphones
In your car
On a boom box
On a component stereo system
Wherever else you can think of

43 MIX

MOSTLY AT LOW TO
MODERATE VOLUME

Do the bulk of your work at a moderate volume remember,

majority of listeners will not have your music at concert
volume on their home system or portable device. Crank it
up every once in a while to give yourself another perspective.
Its a lot of fun to rattle the windows with your recording
every once in a while, but dont get carried away with volume
in the course of the mixing process.

KNOW YOUR CONSOLE

If you are doing the mix yourself, be thoroughly aware of

how to use buses and groups to aid your efficiency and
mastery of the process.

40

RELAX ON THE EQ AND EFFECTS

The best engineers and producers know how to apply effects

and EQ and which to use when. One dead giveaway that a
project is not professional is overuse of effects.

41 KNOW

WHEN TO SCRATCH YOUR MIX

AND START OVER

Its not uncommon to lose perspective in the midst of a mix,

and sometimes the best remedy is to pull all the faders down
and just start over.

42

LISTEN TO YOUR AUDIO MIX IN

MULTIPLE LISTENING ENVIRONMENTS

Mix Down | www.oasiscd.com

44

RECOGNIZE AND AVOID EAR FATIGUE

You probably wont get a physical sensation in your ears

when fatigue starts to set in. Ear fatigue is more of an
inability to discern particular sounds, especially in the midrange. Everything starts to blend together, and it becomes
difficult to determine whether something is sitting correctly
in the mix. The best way to avoid this situation boils down
to your having an understanding of what the signs are for
you, and controlling what you do before, during, and after a
mixing session. Taking breaks and mixing at moderate
volume are both key to avoiding this issue.

45

TAKE FIVE

Taking frequent breaks is the easiest way to minimize the

likelihood of getting fatigued. Theres no hard and fast rule,
and you will find that some days you can roll for hours with
no ill effects, while other days youre questioning what youre
hearing two hours into the mix. A rule of thumb is to take a
15-minute break every two hours. Get up from the console,
grab a cup of coffee, get a bite to eat just make yourself
leave the control room and give your ears a rest.

46

WALK AWAY

Sometimes, putting a little distance between you and your

project-in-progress is the best thing you can do. Taking a day
or more away from your mix can give you an entirely new
perspective on the sounds and songs you spent so much
time recording.

47

SIT ON THE MIX

Once youve got your final mix on CD, spend a good week
or more with it. Play it again in all the different listening
environments. Take notes, compare tones, and compile a list
of changes. Dont get carried away with fixes and changes,
unless you discover a problem in the mix.

48

REALLY SIT ON THE MIX

You might find that initial problems you had with the mix
dissipate over time. Take a few days or a week off of listening
to your mix entirely, and give it one final listen before you
provide the producer and engineer with your feedback.

49

PREPARE FOR MASTERING

Mastering your project shouldnt be regarded as an optional

extra step. Mastering can add dynamics to a relatively flat
mix, increase the relative volume of your program and make
it consistent throughout, and balance the EQ of your mix.

50

FIND SOMEONE TO MASTER

YOUR PROJECT

Its a good idea to have someone else master your album.

Getting a professional to assess and adjust your mix in
an environment specifically designed to improve your
mixs sound is worth the investment. If you need help
with mastering, Oasis offers direct access to multiplatinum Frankford Wayne mastering at a decidedly
down-home price.

51 KNOW

WHAT KIND OF MASTER YOU

WILL PROVIDE

Digital masters are the most common these days when

manufacturing CDs. Oasis Disc Manufacturing accepts
CD-Rs, individual audio files (WAV, AIFF, etc.), and DATs.
Call us at 1-888-296-2747 to get more information, or go
to the Oasis website to read more and download forms.

52

GET ALL YOUR MATERIALS PREPARED

Get your text, credits, graphics and everything you want

included in your package together while youre recording.
Heres what we need to get started on your project:
YOUR MASTER. Make sure your master sounds and
functions exactly the way you want it to before
sending it to us.
YOUR PACKAGE DESIGN. We offer downloadable
design templates available for Mac and PC.

After the Mix | www.oasiscd.com

Oasis DesignWorks is always available to create

the perfect design to match your album. Go to the
DesignWorks website and download our Design
Information Form.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Form. This form
lets us know you own the rights to reproduce the
product youre ordering.

53

PROOF EVERYTHING

Take the same time, care, and effort to prep and proof
your CD materials as you did when you were recording.
Youve spent a lot of time and money getting your project
this far, dont let a typo or any imperfection creep in to your
project at this stage. Have multiple people, including folks
outside of your creative team, proof your package before
giving approval.

After the Mix | www.oasiscd.com

10