Pre-Production/Pre-Recording Session Checklist

*** some bullet points may not be applicable to your session ***

• Are you fully rehearsed?

• Are the arrangements finalized?

• Are the tempos for each song finalized?

• Are you comfortable tracking to a click/metronome?

  • No? Start practicing with a metronome ASAP!

  • If you do not plan on using a metronome, please let me know before our session.

• Have you demoed out each song you will be tracking?

  • I encourage making demos. This can save time and can minimize confusion during the tracking process.

  • If you have demos, please send them my way!

• Are all of your instruments and accessories ready?

  • Drummers:

    • Put new heads on your drums

      • Change out snare and tom heads at the bare minimum. Change kick head(s) if it is dented or is in rough shape.

      • New heads sound brighter, more lively, and can make tracking a great drum sound much easier. There are ways to make a new drum head sound dry and dull, like an old head, but you can’t make an old drum head sound bright and lively. So, unless you’re going for a duller drum sound, change your drum heads.

        * The bottom heads of your drums rarely need to be changed *

    • Bring extra sticks

    • Make sure your cymbals are not cracked

    • Make sure you’re comfortable tuning your drums. A tuned kit is a happy kit.

  • Guitarists and Bassists:

    • Change strings 1-3 days prior to recording

      • Fresh strings sound brighter, hold tune better, and are a lot more flexible (tonally) to work with than old dull strings during tracking.

    • Intonate and setup guitars/bass

    • Make sure pots and inputs aren’t dirty/scratchy and all hardware is in working condition — this also includes pedals

    • Have a spare set of strings on hand

    • When rehearsing before your session, make note of how you fret on the guitar.  If you are bending your strings excessively (NOT vibrato) or pushing down too hard, this can lead to your track sounding out of tune. Being aware of this and making adjustments when needed can help immensely with creating a more in-tune recording.

  • Pianists, Keyboardists, and Synth Gremlins:

    • Do you want to use the piano at Ohmstead?

    • Bring all the synths, keyboards, and gadgets you want to use for your session.

      • If you’re curious about what Ohmstead currently has, feel free to ask.

  • Vocalists:

    • Make sure you’re well-hydrated for and during your session

    • Lyrics are on your phone, printed, or memorized

    • Backing vocals are written and rehearsed

      • If you’d like to have backing vocals/harmonies on your recording but you don’t have any written, we can make some up during your session if we have time.

    • SMOKERS: If you’re planning on quitting smoking right before coming in for vocal tracking — DON’T. You will have withdrawals and that isn’t a good time for anybody.