A: While today's computers offer singers and musicians a wide variety of choices and options along with great specs…the downside of utilizing them inside less than optimal acoustically treated environments normally translates into making poor sounding recordings. Recording open mic in a kitchen, garage or bedroom is fine for getting your ideas down quickly, but the major drawback of using them there is that it captures the room’s acoustical shortcomings to the recording as well, leaving your song sounding less than desired or anticipated. Often the end result is an unprofessional, one dimensional sounding recording.

Q: I know this studio with all the latest gear…would that be the best place to record?

A: Having access to all the latest equipment can certainly be beneficial…but remember, the primary focus of the recording studio should always be on getting the best possible performance from singers and musicians so the end results will yield the widest listening appeal and reach. All too often directives are focused on using the best equipment and studio and less attention perfecting playing skills and the songs themselves. Trying to fix a poor performance or songs with top notch equipment usually only worsens the deal.

Q: Why is sound and room isolation so important to my recording?

A: While this is not a ‘one size fits all’ answer…ideally a very quiet room with a low noise floor and a flat frequency response curve will usually reveal the truest results of what the voice, instrument or amplification signal actually sounds like. This is paramount prior to recording as these sounds often can’t be changed later on. Hearing an accurate sound source in turn makes for better decisions and adjustments, than a sound being affected by 'outside the room' noise and other unwanted influences.

Q: Why are the acoustics of a room so important?

A: When a sound is generated, it resonates as a sound wave. Much like the ripples in a pool when an object is thrown in. Depending on the room characteristics, certain frequencies may be depleted or attenuated in amplitude. Standing waves are delays caused by the physical dimensions and construction materials used in the space. Generally speaking the low end frequencies are much more difficult to control. Low frequency rumble in a room if not treated properly will translate into muddy bass and/or poor stereo imaging. Fundamentally having a room tuned to a flat frequency response curve will yield the least troublesome results and benefit with the most versatile uses. Boosting or cutting problem frequencies with EQ can often times help correct some of these differences.

Q: Is it better to have a new set of strings on a guitar before recording?

A: Yes. It always contributes to a cleaner brighter sound. Tuning and intonation will also become less problematic. Be sure the strings are stretched and broken in thoroughly. Always have plenty of spares on hand, there's nothing worse than interrupting a great session over a broken E string.

Q: Can you make me sound like my favorite recording artist?

A: No. And why would you want to? Primarily recording studios are built to capture and reproduce the truth. They're not designed to make people sound like someone else. But seriously, whom ever your favorite artist are, see what makes them so unique. Study the traits that make them appealing. Do they sing with heart? Do they have conviction? Applying certain attributes to your routine as a guide will certainly help you. But it's always better to strive toward being original. This will ensure your widest and truest audience.

Q: I have a karaoke machine…isn't that the same as a studio?

A: No. Not at all. While karaoke machines are a fun way of creating entertaining copies, they don't come close to a well produced studio version. You would be quite surprised and amazed at the difference.

Q: I have a really cool song…will recording it in a studio make it even better?

A: Music is subjective. It is largely a matter of personal taste and style preference. Opinions will vary from listener to listener. Performance factors in greatly as does the production decisions that are made during tracking and mixing. As a rule of thumb, a well crafted song with a strong memorable hook a majority of the time will leave the studio much more appealing than when it came in.

Q: What is mastering?

A: Mastering is the optimization or final 'adjustments' of your audio mixes before entering the replication and selling stage.

Q: Do I need to record in a studio in order to get my music on a CD?

A: No. However many reputable professional disc replicators have minimum quality acceptance standards and may not be inclined to accept a poor sounding master as their name would be on it too.

Q: What is mixing?

A: Mixing is the fine tuning and adjustment of all the individual recorded audio tracks blended together forming a final 2 channel stereo master version.

Q: What’s the advantage of blocked time over an hourly rate?

A: One of the biggest distractions during the recording process is the clock. The time always seems to run short. The more time you commit toward your project ahead of time, the lower the recording rate usually is. Having more freedom and time to experiment in the studio almost always yields the best creative results. You have but one chance to make a great impression with your music when it’s finished.

Q: Why do studios always frown when we bring along soda?

A: Soda, like heat...compromises the longevity of carpets and equipment greatly.

Happy recording! :) ~J Dan