Preparing for the studio

There comes a time in every band’s career when you realise that the bassist’s rusty four-track doesn’t quite live up to its intended function as a makeshift studio. What you need to capture the essence of your art is the real thing: you can’t beat it...
So you’ve managed to scrape together the money to pay for some time in a proper studio, hopeful that it will result in a demo which will lead to a major-label deal and international fame, fortune, and all the Spinal Tap moments you could ever dare to dream of. But for bands with ambition, it’s important not to stumble at the first hurdle.
Studio time is a precious commodity for any act. Many studios charge by the hour, often making for pressurised recordings. While those catering for bands at the demo stage have taken to offering daily or session rates, it doesn’t alter the fact that going into the studio unprepared or under-rehearsed can waste everyone’s time and leave you with a sub-standard product. As un-rock’n’roll as it may seem, the Boy Scouts had a point when they spread the mantra be prepared.
“I once had a band who were booked in for a weekend session,” recalls Gavin Ralston from Silverwood Studios. “I got a phone call from the drummer at 10am the first day, asking me did I have a drumkit, did I have any booze or hash, and could I pick him up from his house 10 miles away.” Talk about making a bad start to the recording!
The studio, located in Co. Wicklow, prides itself on some impressive equipment including a real piano. With over 20 years experience under his belt, Gavin is the studio engineer in Silverwood – a top class facility, which has seen the likes of Picture House, Porn Trauma and most recently comedian PJ Gallagher walk through its doors.
“I don’t know if it was his first time in the studio but he certainly didn’t act like it,” he says of Gallagher. “Pat (Devine, from the band Easy) and I did our work – and PJ just turned into Jake Stevens, which is his musician persona, and that was that.”
Silverwood certainly has had plenty of organised bands. Rising Dublin stars Porn Trauma, for example, showed just how how things should be done, preparing for their upcoming session: “We’ve already had a chat about what amps to use, what type of drum sound, whether to record live or separate, click track or not, and what overdubs the band wants – like harmonica, acoustic guitar and backing vocals. All that means that in the studio time, we can concentrate on getting a great take recorded, with no unnecessary pressure.”
Unfortunately it’s not always that straightforward with other acts. Marion McEvoy runs Panchord Studio, based in a cosy, converted attic in Glasnevin, Dublin. Specialising in trad music but available to all, her expertise (she’s also a sound engineering teacher) means she’s the perfect person from whom to take advice. And if there’s one point she wants to get across, it’s that bands should have every aspect of their songs figured out before the day they go into the studio.
“I’ve spoken to musicians who assure me that they’re prepared for the studio. But then they come in, an instrumental break comes up and they start arguing about how long it should go on for. I’m sitting there twiddling my thumbs, because it’s stuff they should have thought about before. That doesn’t make any sense.”
This is echoed by Kevin Sheahan from Orion Studios, Co Wicklow. The tranquil location of Orion and its residential character – it accommodates up to six people – are a real bonus, allowing musicians work away distraction-free. Still, people arrive in less than properly prepared on occasion.
“I had a band in once who spent at least half-an-hour on each song arguing about the chords,” he laughs. Kevin believes that an excellent way to figure out the intricate details is by recording yourself beforehand.
“Try to gig all the songs you want to record as much as possible,” he suggests. “Also try recording them at home, even if this means on an old tape recorder. This will let the musicians hear what works and what doesn’t.” Having worked with the likes of Frances Black, Nigel Mooney, Elvis – The Way It Was Orchestra and Kid Icarus, Kevin knows what he’s talking about...
Another meaty slice of advice is given by Gavin Linehan of Dublin’s Inglewood Studios, where Brian Rochford, Cut, SDM, The Ramparts have recorded. The studio is most famous for its Band Factory product (which offers the artist three demos, a fourth track of an interview, and a 600-word biog to take away). No pressure or anything, but drummers: it’s all on you! “In a studio, drums are the most important thing. If your drums don’t sit right, everything else will be off too. It’s vital that the drummer is well rehearsed and can work to a click-track,” says Gavin.
Click-tracks – essentiially metronomes – are what drummers use in the studio to ensure that the tempo remains consistent when they’re laying down the foundations of a song. Kevin’s advice is for drummers to buy a metronome and practice working with it beforehand. “Not all bands can do this and some people say that it takes all the feel out of a performance. But if a band can play to a click track it makes mixing and matching several takes possible, as well as keeping the beat steady.”
If a click-track really isn’t right for your style, you can always record all of the instruments together, to achieve more of a live feel.
“You have to decide which way you want to record before you get in the studio,” warns Gavin Linehan. “Engineers might set up a studio before the band get there, and live recording entails a different set up completely.”
Another important bit of prep is to make sure that your equipment is given a thorough healthcheck beforehand. Says Marion: “You might have a piece of equipment that’s fine for a live session, but then you come into the studio and it’s buzzing, or the drums need to be reskinned. Any fault with the instrument is going to be magnified a hundred times on record.”
With such gems of insight relayed to us all, the final and most important nugget is given by Linehan: “Bring lots of bananas, as well, to keep up the old energy levels!”
Thanks to Inglewood Studios, Orion Studios, Panchord Studio and Silverwood Studios