1. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!! Ensure you practice your song thoroughly in the days preceding your recording session. In the studio is not the place to be adding solos and deciding if your song needs a new bridge. The more prepared you are, the more relaxed you will be and it will reflect in your final product.

2. If it can go out of tune, it will. Guitarist, be sure to change your strings at least two days prior to your recording session to allow time for them to stretch. Don’t forget extra strings, picks and batteries if you have active pickups. Drummers, make sure your heads are in good shape and tuned up. What you can’t hear while playing live will be undeniably obvious when you hear the playback. If you have spares of anything then bring them.

3. Get plenty of rest. It may be fine to be groggy at the beginning of a gig. Adrenaline will soon pick you up when you’re on stage. The studio however is a marathon, not a sprint. Sometimes recording can be mentally grueling work. Ensure you are bright-eyed and bushy tailed the day of your session.

4. If you don’t need your posse, don’t bring them. Its great that you are finally recording, but only bring who you need to get a great recording. If that means bringing your girlfriend because she inspires you to sing better, then great, bring her. However, you probably don’t need to bring her three friends and your next door neighbor just so they can see an actual recording being made. Recording can take hours of tedious repetition so keep that in mind if you still plan on bringing anybody with you. Besides counting our ceiling tiles we do not provide entertainment for bored spectators. We are limited on space in the control room so please keep hanger-ons to essential personnel if any.

5. Don’t plan on smoking in the studio. Smoke residue coats delicate electronic components and greatly shortens the life of mics as well. If you must have a smoke then you can smoke outside, just keep in mind you are paying for your smoke break.

6. Drinking. We understand a little liquid courage may help in relaxing you to get your best performance. Hell, some guitarist play better when they are smashed out of their gourd. Just be sure to check with your group if you are one of those guitarist before you break open that bottle of Jack. Keep in mind, drunk or not, if you break it you buy it.

7. Relax and have fun. Don’t sweat the process. It is your song, you’ve worked hard on it and now is the time to let it flow. Everyone screws up when recording. If you do, then just stop and let us know. Do not wait until the end of a take to tell us you screwed up the first two chords of the first verse. It happens to everyone. Just let us know and we’ll start again.

8. Ask Questions. If you do not understand why we are doing something a particular way then feel free to stop us and ask. Our engineers are more than happy to explain the recording process. The more you understand how your song is being recorded the more comfortable you will be with the recording process.