Are you a new artist looking to finally get your music recorded? Then it’s time get in the studio and get started, but there’s a lot to consider about the process. Choosing the best music studio for your production is key to putting out great quality tracks you can share. Your choices range from small home studios to large pro studios, all claiming to be the perfect studio for you. So how do you choose the right one?
In this article we will cover some basic tips on how to go about selecting the best recording studio for your musical needs.
Tips to choose the best Recording Studio
If this is your first recording session, then there’s no doubt some pressure on making sure it’s the best it can be. Figuring out which studio to go with can be a headache. However, if you follow a few guidelines the process can be so much easier. Here are some important things to look for…
- The Facility – Have a look at the facilities before you book it. Is the space big enough and comfortable to be in? Depending on the duration of your project you may going there several times a week for long hours, so you want to find a place with good equipment, staff, and some positive energy to help boost creative flow. If for some reason you are unable to visit the studio beforehand, listen to samples produced by the studio to see if you like the sound.
- Experience level of the engineer – Having a qualified sound engineer to produce top quality results is everything… A more experienced engineer will do a better job faster than a less experienced engineer. Your engineer will have a greater impact on the sound and cost of your recording than any other variable. Try to choose an engineer with expertise in the area of your project.
- The Equipment – You will want to use a studio which has some high quality gear. Most studio websites provide a list of their gear. But keep in mind, expensive equipment alone does not make great recordings. But in the hands of a master engineer, great equipment becomes an important component of great recordings.
- Time – Be sure to have your material arranged and well-rehearsed to keep your studio time to a minimum. Keep in mind studios usually charge by the hour, so be well prepared so you don’t have to rush and worry about less than perfect results.
- Budget- While the better engineers and studios cost more per hour, they end up using less studio time while producing a better product. So the client ends up with a much better product in less time.
This is why hourly rates tends to be a little misleading. If you really just need the cheapest thing out there, you can find it. Or, if you’d like to buy a large quantity of the cheapest studio time, you can do that too. But if your goal is to produce the best-recorded product for your dollar, you will need to seek out the more experienced engineer in a great facility. In the end, this is always your best value by far.
As you can see, the process of choosing the right studio can be boiled down to looking at few fundamental areas. But now you have some proper guide lines to ensure your first recording project won’t be anything less than perfect.