RSR Recording Studios. Studio Tips

North Florida's Premier
Professional
Multi Track
Recording Studios

Port St Joe / Panama City, Florida

Studio Tips

Recording studio time is expensive, even at our Great Rates. The Engineer who is
doing the work behind the console is putting in valuable time, as are the Intern and
the Band. Making the most of the time you've got in the studio is of the utmost
importance.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you get ready to enter the studio, especially if
you're a first-timer. Keep in mind, these all come from experience -- All of us here at
RSR Studios have been there both as a musician, and as an engineer, and
everything we're telling you comes from seeing it happen and being there first hand
for many years.

1. Have Your Songs Prepared.
This one goes without saying, but you'd be surprised. You and your band
should be able to play through every song you plan on recording, and play
through it well. Time spent working out arrangements in the studio is
valuable time you can be using to do punches, add overdubs, special FX,
hooks and other cool things to make your songs shine!

Also, keep in mind this: if you're using any sequenced parts or electronic
beats, make sure you've got those parts arranged and pre-recorded before
you enter the studio. Talk to your Engineer and make sure to get the parts
to him, or her in advance. (clients with drummers using electronic drums
are excluded from this, of course.)
We can add that extra punch to your existing electronic parts !

2. Be Well Rested and Sober.
Come to the studio well-rested and ready to work. If you're a singer, rest
your voice, drink plenty of water (including room-temperature water when
you're in the studio. Cold fluids and ice constrict vocal cords.)
Be Sober and intent on playing your parts to the best of your ability.
Always observe the house rules on No Drugs or Alcohol in the studio.
Violations of this rule will result in your being asked to leave the studio
without exception.
If your doing a night session, be rested enough to comfortably go the
distance productively.

3. Always Use New Strings & Heads.
Guitarists & Bassists, bring new strings to the session, and don't cheap out,
either -- go with good quality strings. Your recording quality will suffer with
old strings.
Drummers, if you're not using a house kit, use new heads -- and make sure
they're tuned right on your kit, and new sticks.
And for everybody? BRING SPARES! You don't want to be holding up the
session because you needed to spend time changing heads or strings.
Though we have a full line Music Store attached to the studio and would
love to sell you new ones, we would rather you enjoy and make the most of
your studio time.

4. Know Your Sound, But Be Realistic.
Make sure your producer/engineer understands what sound you want, but
keep in mind, they can't exactly reproduce another album's recording
conditions for you. Just because your favorite band's drum tracks sound a
certain way doesn't mean yours can -- that is, unless you use the same
drummer, same kit, same room, same mic's, same everything. We are very
state of the art, have great mics and gear, and will always do our best to
make you sound the way you want to, but you are the Artist.

Bring some examples of styles you'd like to see reflected in your work to
your producer/engineer ahead of time, and let them explain to you how they
can split the difference to help your project come out as close to what you
want, and remember: individuality IS a good thing!

5. Know When To Quit.
Adrenaline runs high in the recording studio, especially when you're racing
to beat the clock to save money. But knowing when to quit can be really
helpful, too. We will always work with you budget wise as much as possible.

The longer you push your ears, and longer you physically continue to
perform, you'll get tired and thus your performance will suffer. It's better to
know when to walk away for the day, and come back the next day refreshed
and ready to go. It's not failure, it's making the best of your time. Your
producer and engineer are susceptible to fatigue too, so keep them in mind
when trying to fit in a marathon recording session with your band.
8 to 10 hour sessions should be the maximum to ensure your playing and
sound are it's very best. Though as our clients can testify, we are known for
going on when the music is really flowing smooth, this is not the
recommended practice.

6 Relax and Have Fun.
We have some of the best Engineers and gear. Leave the work to us and
enjoy making your music come to life. RSR Studios is designed to be a very
relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. We make every session as stress free
as possible for our clients and take every caution to be sure your tracking
is done with the utmost care and quality.

Although, especially for artists new to the environment, the studio can be
an intimidating place, we want you to know that during your sessions this is
your studio. Yes we do have some obvious rules of conduct, but that aside
it's your place and we work for you. So enjoy our comfortable setting and
have a great time making your music !

7. Copyrights & Mechanical Rights
If you're recording original material, be sure to copyright it.
If you're recording someone else's tune(s), be sure to buy the Mechanical
Rights to record and sell it.
If you have not done these yet, we offer full service for both. We are
certified by the Library of Congress to file your copyrights and have
accounts with most major music publishers, to secure Mechanical License
Rights for just about any song. Our fees for these services are listed below.

Copyright Fees: $75.00 up to 15 songs. All lyrics must be typed in Word format.

Mechanical License Rights Fees: $25.00 per song, plus License Fee.
License fees are generally $75.00 per song to purchase. This covers up to your first
1000 copies you sell.
Ask us about these valuable services.
We also insert I.S.R.C. Codes and Artwork.

RSR Recording Studios