Before you start recording:

Session / Project Parameters

TLDR : Record at 48kHz, 32 bit

When you first create a recording session/project, you are asked to select SAMPLE RATE and BIT DEPTH. These are explained clearly here. Alwyn’s suggested settings for most recording setups is “48kHz” and “32bit float” (although 24 bit is fine if thats the highest bit depth available). This is a sufficiently high resolution that won’t cripple most computer recording systems. If you’ve already started it may be possible to change the settings or maybe you will have to create a new project with higher resolution and import the files you already have into the new session. If you’re at 44.1kHz and 24bit it’s not a disaster but if you’re recording at 16bit you’re noticeably compromising the depth, life and musicality of the recordings. The sooner you change the session parameters (bit depth and sample rate) the better.

Mics: Quantity vs Quality

TLDR : Boutique mics are nice, but it’s essential for the mix engineer to have CONTROL in the mix.

These days even budget microphones are capable of decent results. It’s not essential to spend a fortune. What IS essential for the mix engineer to have control over individual sounds and instruments in the mix. I learnt years ago the hard way that not having a mic on a cymbal means that I can’t turn it up in the mix! If the mics are cheap I can at least work with it. If the production calls for sound replacing it may be next to impossible if you didn’t have a mic near the drum in question.

instruments

TLDR : New strings and decent instruments & amps matter!

It’s pretty simple. If your instruments sound crappy (cheap, badly set up, out of tune, dull etc….) then your mix will too (unless the LO-FI sound is what you’re looking for). It’s predictable to use the following metaphor but it’s worth it due to its accuracy: You wouldn’t ask a professional chef to make a delicious meal out of rotten ingredients. If you consider loose tuning / dull sounds / old drum skins to be a part of your creative sound then that’s fair enough - but it’s a big risk to take and this can’t be fixed easily afterwards.

TRACKING

TLDR : Get the foundations right before adding more

Assuming you start with a beat (and you record to a click), you want to make sure the beat is solid before layering other parts on top. This will save a lot of time and effort in the long run. Tracking instruments over a solid groove is a real pleasure because the player isn’t exhausted and distracted while trying to predict the push and pull of the drumming. If you think it sounds more “natural” to not edit the drums, my answer to that would be that tracking the instruments isn’t natural anyway. If sounding “natural” is your priority then you should probably record yourselves live, either on stage or in a competent studio. (I’m up for mixing live recordings too by the way).

NOTE: This principle applies to tuning as well as timing. Singing over music with dubious tuning is a sure way to make the singer awkward and less confident while performing.

If your editing skills are limited, talk to me about sending me the drums to edit before you start adding other instruments.

D.I. tracks

TLDR : Always record a clean DI track!

Recording clean signal tracks alongside your creatively distorted/delayed tracks is a fantastic safety net. There’s no use in sending one single heavily distorted guitar track to the mix engineer and asking them to reduce the distortion.

So, when setting up to record an instrument with an effect, such as electric guitar, it’s wise to plug the guitar into a D.I. box BEFORE the signal hits the pedal board or amp. Record that signal on a separate channel. I have a huge collection of fx and amps that I can use to salvage an otherwise less than perfect recording by re-amping your D.I. signals. (see his video of the process here) When I’m producing & engineering (a rare thing these days), I often (for one guitar part) simultaneously records a mono D.I. track, a mono track (often submixed on the way in from multiple mics), a stereo room track and a stereo fx track. That’s a total of 6 tracks for one part. Often a bit OTT but it’s pure luxury when coming to mix the project.