Consider Demo Recordings For Studio Preparation

A great way to prepare for recording in a professional recording studio is by recording a homemade demo of the material you will be recording.

There are some practical benefits to making demo recordings, plus a bonus benefit that you might find exciting.

Benefit One

By making demos, you are doing a trial run of the recording process for free. This will save you time and stress when you do it for real. It lets you practice the recording process. This gets you in the mindset needed for the actual recording sessions you will undergo in the studio. Not only can this help you be more comfortable with the process, but it can also help you avoid mistakes when you're actually paying for studio time.

Benefit Two

It can help you fine-tune your arrangements and fix parts of your music or lyrics that are incomplete or aren't really working how you imagined. It's an extra chance to review your material before entering the studio. Take note of timing and tuning issues, and work to fix them during band practice.

Benefit Three

It can be a valuable reference for you, your recording engineer, and the musicians who are performing on the recordings. Your demos can be used as work tapes for the musicans to practice with in preparation for the recoding sessions. Sometimes the best way to explain a tone or effect to your recording engineer is by playing them an example of it.

How To Record Demos For Studio Preparation

Remember the purpose of making demos is to finalize your vision for yourself and everyone else involved in the project, and to get some practice recording your parts before doing it for real in the studio. Demos are not meant to be high-quality or flawlessly performed; they are only a tool to prepare for real recording sessions.

Most cell phones, tablets, and laptops have adequate built-in microphones for making demos. For full-band recordings, position the device in the room where it gets a good balance of all the instruments and voices. You may need to test a few placements to get this balance right.

Tips to keep in mind when making demo recordings:

Do:

• do try to make all instruments and voices audible
• do give yourself plenty of time to record your demos
• do spend as little time as possible recording demos
• do decide on intros, endings, and transitions

Don't:

• don't try to make it sound like a studio recording
• don't invest in costly equipment or software to make your demo recordings
• don't concern yourself with proper recording techniques or studio magic
• don't sacrifice needed practice time to make demos
• don't wait till the last minute to record your demos
• don't try to make everything perfect

How To Review Your Demos

Don't get discouraged if your demos sound bad. This is exactly why you are hiring a professional studio to bring your vision to life.

You've put hard work and time into creating and preparing your music. A professional studio will have equipment and expertise to give your music the power, detail, delicacy, and vibe you envision.

Keep in perspective the purpose of making demos is to make your actual recording process the best it can be.

• pay attention to problem areas and address them
• evaluate if tempos are too fast or slow or unsteady
• take note of tuning issues and be prepared to address them
• if you're recording more than one song, consider song order. Experiment with different song orders if needed.

If you want more ways to be fully prepared for recording at a professional studio, check out our worksheets designed for this very purpose.