A Beginner’s Guide To The Music Studio
As an artist, working in a music studio can greatly improve the quality of the music you’re making. From the energy and knowledge you can absorb during pre-recording, to the acoustic treatment of the recording and mixing spaces, as well as the equipment in use for the post-production. All of these areas can be improved through the quantity and quality of input the creators around you have to offer, and a professional music studio will give you this opportunity. From my personal experience of training to be an engineer through my artistry, I can honestly say I learned exponentially whenever I entered another engineer’s studio.
The experts at New Wave Music LLC want to help you take your music to the next level and has put together a Beginner’s Guide to the music studio to inform aspiring and up and coming artists on how to get the most out of your time in a music studio.
Getting Started
Prepare yourself: Being unprepared for your studio time can end up being a huge waste of your time and money if you’re not extremely adaptable and quick on your feet musically. When I think of preparing for a day in the studio, a few key things come to mind. You definitely want some water to keep you hydrated and some snacks if it’s going to be a long session.
Bring all the essentials: Definitely have the beats you want to use ready to download easily. Make sure you’ve written your songs and properly practiced each one. Anything else that’s going to help you get in the zone and stay focused is a good idea to bring with you. Not having these few essentials will slow you down in the booth and throughout the whole studio process, which could end up in unfinished music due to lack of time.
Next Steps
Communicate: Talk to the engineer as much as possible. Share your ideas as best you can about how you like to record and certain effects you enjoy on your voice. If you’re not very in tune with making music yet, ask the engineer questions about the process and let them know you may need some guidance. We do the best as engineers to gauge an artist’s skill level and format the session accordingly but communication is key!
Have fun with it: Taking the musical process too seriously can end up making your music feel bland and a bit forced in the end. Creating is all about expression so when you step into the studio just let loose and be yourself! Remember that no one is perfect! Making music is a very complicated process and 99.9% of the time it takes a very concentrated team effort to put one artist on the map. Creating is fun but learning is what keeps us moving forward! If nothing else, you can gain a lot of knowledge during your time at a professional music studio. Make the best music you can, soak up as much information as possible and always strengthen your bonds with other creators in your community. All of this will serve you well as you step into the music industry.
Advice From The Pros
Accept constructive criticism: Remember that people are people and some have a tough time taking criticism. An established engineer has every right to feel they have the most complete musical knowledge in the room and therefore, they will be the one to say when the track is done. And sometimes taking criticism upon their work is not a person’s strong suit. Look to gain knowledge and understanding of your surroundings by getting in good with every engineer you work with. Challenging the man or woman in charge is never the best option when you’re looking to learn and build your skills.
Be patient: Always keep faith in your spark. Believe in your voice and your message. Enjoy the raw emotional expression that can only be achieved in a vocal booth! The process is the most beautiful part, please relish this! And learn, learn, LEARN!
Keep a very open mind: There will be ideas that don’t sit right with you immediately. But trust in your engineer(s) and producer(s), they know what they’re doing! Be assertive in your ideas and your vision, but be open to change, as sometimes a collaborative idea can birth even more options.
As the leading music recording studio in New Castle, Delaware, New Wave Music LLC aims to exceed your expectations. We’re all about building from the ground up. As an artist, producer, engineer, photographer, videographer, marketer, whatever your passion is, this is the place to create! We currently have one studio equipped to record vocalists and solo instrumentalists. We also have a team of producers constantly adding to our vault of beats. We can accommodate custom production sessions for artists as well as recording and mixing of vocals and instruments and the mastering of full tracks and albums. The production of instrumentals can be a concentrated effort with an artist to customize the elements of the beat to their own musical style.
Visit our website to learn more or contact New Wave Music LLC today.