Beginners guide to recording
Many of the people who come to Travelling Studio are making a CD for the first time. This has ranged from 5 and 6 year-old school children to up-and-coming rock bands, and one very special lady of 91 years-old who had composed music all her life and finally found the courage to make her first recording!
As musicians ourselves we understand the process of recording from a performer's perspective, and will do everything we can to put you at your ease. Even seasoned professionals can get nervous at the thought of capturing their music on CD, so you are not alone!
Many people worry about making mistakes - there is never any pressure from us to get things right the first time round. If we need to record a song again that is exactly what we'll do! We do have some useful tips for you prior to the recording, however, that will make the whole process easier for you.
Recording tips
Be prepared! A few weeks before the recording decide which songs you want to do, and rehearse them over and over again. You will feel much more relaxed during the recording knowing that you're well prepared, and it will show in your performance.
Less is more It's much better to do 5 songs well than 10 songs badly! Recording can also be emotionally tiring, and it's important that the performer feels fresh and engaged in the music.
Tune your instruments If your instrument sounds good, then it is much more likely to produce a good recording. If you have a stringed instument such as a guitar or violin then we would recommend putting a new set of strings on a few days prior to the recording to give them time to settle in.
Loosen up! If you are at all nervous about the recording, then doing some warm up exercises or visualisation beforehand can be a great help. Performing music is a physical activity, and we need to loosen those muscles and vocal chords to get the best performance from you.
Enjoy yourself! You may only ever record once (although hopefully you will be so pleased with your CD you will be back for more!), so make the most of the moment and enjoy the whole experience. Your enthusiasm will shine on CD!
Don't be afraid to ask If there is anything you want to know either before or during the recording we are here to help. What may seem obvious to us may not be to you, so never feel that you are burdening us with your questions!