"The only real answer to how long a record takes is 'all the money you're prepared to spend.'

We have made albums in a day here, and do it often enough that it isn't rare. Records like that have an implied aesthetic of immediacy and conviction, and there are worse things to have to settle-for in life.

More often, albums take 4 - 10 days, but there is a wide range in what can be expected within that range. Less time means fewer -- or no -- experiments, less fine-tuning, fewer alternate takes, less total time in music recorded (10 songs rather than 12, for example) and ultimately an acceptance of results that may not have had time to settle-in as confidant. That doesn't mean the record won't be good, just that you won't have the time to try out all possibilities to convince yourself of it.

Longer sessions than that have more time for second-guessing, re-working and experimenting, but they aren't necessarily 'better,' they just have more options available to reach the end point.

It is backward planning to ask how long it will take for a fixed methodology, and then come up with that amount of money. If you guess wrong, you will be caught short, and end up spending all your money with nothing finished to show for it. It is much more realistic to decide how much money you have to spend, and then make the record that budget allows, accepting the limitations implied by that."

Making sure your instruments and equipment are in proper working order is also a good idea.

String instruments like guitars, bass guitars, mandolins, banjos, etc., expand and contract and change with the climate and this can have an affect on the ability to tune them properly. A good luthier (guitar repair technician) can properly set-up a guitar so that it tunes evenly up and down the neck. We generally have our studio's guitars set up at least twice a year and can recommend several good luthiers in the area. In addition to the general set-up, worn-out strings can also affect the instrument's ability to stay in tune. Brand new strings are usually a good idea for recording, if for no other reason than to insure stability, but it's usually a good idea to put them on before you get to the studio for two reasons: One, it allows the strings and the guitar time to adjust to the tension of the new strings before you have to record and two, it means you're not paying for studio time to put new strings on.

Drum heads wear out from playing. When you hit plastic with a stick, the plastic deforms and makes it more difficult to control. At some point in the deformation process, drumheads lose the ability to tension evenly, which can lead to a nasty and unpredictable sound. In addition, the collar on a drumhead (even the bottom head) can collect dust and dirt, which detracts from the liveliness in the resonance of a drumhead. The heads which are played most frequently are usually the ones to wear out first (the exception here is the bass drum, which wears more evenly because the impact from playing with a pedal occurs in the same spot). While we're not picky about the type of drumheads a drummer uses to get the sound he or she likes, we do recommend considering new drumheads prior to a recording session. (Again, putting them on before you get to the studio is probably the most efficient use of studio time.) We recommend making a new snare drum head a priority, followed by new tom heads, a new bass drum head, and if the budget allows, new drum heads all-around, top and bottom. Snare wires also wear out and if they wear unevenly, they can cause extra buzz and rattles from your drum that may be difficult to control, so be sure to check the wires on your snare, as well.

We also recommend making sure that there are no extraneous rattles, sqeaks, buzzes, or any other noises coming from your instruments that you don't want. Loose screws, springs, connectors, tubes, and all sort of parts can cause noises on your instrument that may not be apparent in rehearsal or on a gig and you may not hear until you're recording. Try to track these things down before you get to the studio to ensure the best use of your time. You may also want to come to the studio with an assortment of spares like picks, strings, drum sticks, batteries (for pedals, pickups, tuners, etc.), straps, and any odd tools that your instrument may require.


Make sure that everyone is on the same page. A well-rehearsed band sounds like a well-rehearsed band.

Sometimes lists are good. A list of parts you plan to add, lyric sheets, road maps of the songs and/or arrangements, can all be helpful to the flow of your session.