Musician Check List

This checklist is for all musicians who are planning to record at High-Pass Studio. It is your responsibility to thoroughly read through this check list and do everything that needs to be done prior to your recording date.

Important Notes for All Musicians

All musicians should get an ample amount of rest prior to the date of the recording session
Please don't neglect personal hygiene. We all have to live with each other in the same room. Please don't expose someone else to what you wouldn't like to be exposed to.

Drum kits are REQUIRED to be brought to the studio 24hrs prior to the recording session (this allows the drums to properly adjust to the new environment which helps prevent tuning issues)

Ensure you know exactly what you will be playing before you even enter the studio. All parts, arrangements etc. should be finalized in pre-production and drilled until they are firmly entrenched in the memory. Unless your music relies on inspired improvisation, it is always a better idea to write parts, commit them to memory and practice them religiously prior to engaging in any recording process whatsoever.

We prefer to bring in the minimum necessary number of people for each recording session. For instance, if the band has a lead songwriter and are recording drums, we only bring the lead songwriter and the drummer for that session, along with the drum tech and other necessary studio personnel. Having an entire band present at all sessions is counter-productive at the best of times, and it is to be avoided whenever possible. Everyone will get their turn recording and it is more likely that they will stay enthused about the process when they haven't been through every square inch of it.

Bringing friends/girlfriends/family etc. to the recording session ultimately affects productivity negatively and therefore it is not allowed. It is possible to maintain greater perspective and work flow when cutting out distractions from the outside world as much as possible.

Every musician should bring a capped or closeable water bottle to use when recording in the studio
It is advisable to bring your own favorite pair of headphones to the recording session. In-ear or closed back headphones only! If you do not own headphones a pair will be provided for you.
If you plan on recording to a click track (to ensure the tightest sounding performance) please have all of your tempo and time signature changes written out for every song

Guitarists & Bassists

Make sure your instruments are restrung 24hrs prior to the date of your recording session.
Since strings dull down quickly we commonly switch the strings over again after each day of tracking.
Make sure the intonation/sound of the instrument is okay. If possible get it serviced by a reputable technician shortly before recording.
Make sure to bring extra packs of strings, picks, and 9volt batteries (for active pickups)
Make sure to bring any FX pedals, capos, slides, or any other accessories you may need
It is also wise to bring at least one backup instrument that is restrung and ready to go
Make sure to install new tubes in your amplifier if it is tube powered
If your instrument has active pickups replace the battery the day before recording
If you are using any POD XT/X3 units please bring in your user patches onto a flash drive or external drive
If you have a Floyd rose (or similar type) bridge it is recommended to place some masking tape on the tremolo's springs on the back of the guitar. This prevents the guitar from buzzing during recording.
If you have locking tuners, bring an allen key of appropriate size.
Avoid using a floating tremolo loaded guitar for rhythm parts. The springs will make noise and the guitar won't hold tune and intonation as well as a fixed bridge loaded one.
If you are playing heavier material, make sure to DIG IN to the strings. Bring out that aggression with as little amp gain/distortion as possible. There is a middle ground to be had here between aggression and knocking the string out of tune, but with practice (and the right string gauge) it can be found.
Since guitarists are commonly the only players burdened with the task of recording multiple takes of the same parts on top of each other, we tend to nominate one rhythm player out of each band to record all the rhythm tracks on the CD. This is for the purpose of consistency, clarity and keeping the final mix uncompromised. Each player sounds different through the same gear, so it makes sense to attempt to keep the record as consistent and sonically ideal as possible.

Drummers
*For Live Drums*

Drum kits are REQUIRED to be brought to the studio 24hrs prior to the recording session (this allows the drums to properly adjust to the new environment which helps prevent tuning issues)

Bring the best sounding/best quality drum kit you can to the recording session
Check the condition of your falam pads and, if necessary, replace before the recording session
Re-skin the drum kit before you bring your kit to the studio
Bring extra sticks, a muting ring for the snare, and Moongel for the toms.
Oil up the pedals so that they do not squeak.
Bring a baseball cap (headphones can easily slip off drummers heads!)
Bring a REAL feather pillow for your kick drum

If a whole blanket is needed to stop the bass drum sounding out of whack, then there's something wrong with the skin, tuning, or the drum itself. This needs to be sorted out ahead of time. The most that should be needed is a feather pillow inside the drum.

Learn to tune your kit! And be ready to tune it up the day of the recording (for optimum results)

If you are not confident in tuning the drum kit towards your desired sound, get a reputable drum technician to tune it for you prior to recording, or on the day of the session.
If playing pop/rock/metal/fusion/energetic music, try to get used to hitting the drums hard, but the cymbals relatively soft. Be especially mindful of the hi-hats, as they always seem to be too loud, and never too soft on recordings.

Practice your parts to a metronome, unless you play strictly 'live' music like jazz, blues etc. In the latter case you should practice your parts and/or jam with the band as much as possible prior to the recording sessions.

Do not play your drums while the engineer is setting up mics around them. Their hearing is usually sensitive and fragile, and they will never react well to this (nor should they).

Once the drums are set-up and mic'ed, DO NOT MOVE THEM. If you ever need to adjust something, consult with the engineer first. Moving drums mere centimeters can completely change the way the microphones pick them up.

*For Drum Programming*

If you are planning on utilizing drum programming instead of recording live drums (smart choice!) I highly recommend writing out all of your parts in a notation or tab editing program that can export to midi. Good programs for this are: Guitar Pro or Tux Guitar. This will save you a lot of time and money during the drum programming process!

Vocalists

Bring your lyrics clearly written with any notes you may need
Bring a bottle of spring water and keep it at room temperature. This is the best ingestible vocal aid you can have.
If you have a microphone and/or a microphone preamp that you prefer to use - please feel free to bring it
If you bring your own microphone make sure to bring any shock mounts or mic stand connectors that it needs to operate
Rest up your voice and your body as much as possible prior to the date of your recording session
Bring any tea, honey, or any other vocal aid that you may need for your voice
Bring a list of what key each song is in (as well as any key changes throughout the song) encase any pitch correction is needed
You may be asked to repeat certain phrases a multitude of times in search of that 'perfect' take so make sure your voice is up to the task. If your voice is on the fringe then don't push it and inform the engineer when you need to take a break or end the session.
Bring anything you need, within reason, that will help bring the most emotion, feeling, and character out of your performance. This can be photographs, a picture of your favorite piece of art, a piece of jewelry that means a lot to you, ect.

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