Recording: Home or Studio?

Prior to the mid 1990’s musicians had little choice but to visit a recording studio if they wanted to get their music down on tape. The studio business was fairly healthy back then with a wide choice of studios to choose from. Home recording on a budget was usually limited to the 4 track cassette portastudio and dubious quality. But then came the digital technology revolution and it was finally possible for Joe Bloggs to get into the recording business at home.

Nowadays we take unlimited track counts and storage for granted. Even hardware such as Microphones are cheaply available and can deliver excellent results.

But with the rise of home recording, commercial studios became less and less viable and most have long since vanished.

So when should you elect to record at home or venture into a real recording studio?

Home Recording

As already mentioned, recording equipment these days can be cheap. Most of us own a computer and with an interface, some microphones and software you're ready to roll.

Some of us musicians are naturally interested in recording but if you, or none of your band mates are interested then you can bet it won't be hard to find someone close by who can help you.

Recording at home is great for the budget conscious and ideal if you want to take your time.

But the downsides are often recording in a not so great sounding room and the discipline of bringing the process to completion.

Some tips: Read up a little on acoustics. The point of this blog post isn't to go into recording techniques but utilising the best sounding rooms in your house can make a big difference. A few well placed blankets here and there can work wonders.

Studio Recording

For a recording studio to survive it needs to be capable of producing results beyond home recording. It’s no longer about the equipment but more about a well designed acoustic space and environment. Most small recording studios these days are operated by their owner who is often a passionate individual. Their skill set would naturally include the recording skills and experience of a recording engineer but just as important are their people skills. To know when to push an artist for that perfect take or handle the difficult dynamics of a band and the personalities that make up that band.

When you elect to go into a studio, it’s as much about the studio owner/engineer as it is the space and equipment. You'll be gaining that extra pair of ears, and a collaborator who will help you achieve your goal. Some studios allow you to bring your own engineer but proceed with caution.... You don't want to waste your time while ‘your guy’ is figuring out how to operate the equipment. He’s also unlikely to know the acoustics of the place as intimately as the owner.

Before you invest in a recording studio make sure you are clear about what you want to achieve. No one has the budget these days to be in a studio wasting time.

Be well rehearsed. Have your arrangements together. It’s natural that in the recording process you may change some things as you go along but you should only do that if something isn't working or you have a moment of inspiration. It’s all too easy to waste half a day trying out an idea only to abandon it and go back the previous idea. Know when to draw the line.

Make sure all your instruments are at their best. New strings, tuned drums, etc. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Test the material out and make sure everyone is comfortable with the arrangements and that they know their parts fluently long before you enter the studio. Be prepared to commit to your recorded parts, doing your guitar solo for the 40th take isn’t likely to result in the best outcome.

Focus on tracking first, then overdubs and finally mixing. Try to get the tracking and overdubs done, sometimes it’s a good idea to return to the mixing a little later, other times it just happens as you go along.

It’s a good idea to book a studio for a day or two before you commit to a longer investment. Finding the right vibe and personality is vital to a successful outcome. Recording in a studio is expensive, especially for a band, but it can pay off. On the other hand home recording can also work too and save you a lot of money.

Recording is an art of compromise. Sometimes the result will beat your expectations and other times you’ll have to live with less than perfection. Being prepared can help you achieve a better result but like all things in life, sometimes you have to get wet in order to learn how to swim.