The Beginner’s Guide to Your First Recording Session: What You Need to Know
Booking your first session at a professional recording studio is an exciting step, whether you’re recording a single or a collection of songs. The Dimension 70 team can guide you through the process and help ensure your project will sound its absolute best. Here’s everything you need to know to make your session smooth, creative, and productive.
Before Your Session: Laying the Groundwork
A little preparation goes a long way toward maximizing your time in the studio. Here’s how to get ready:
Know your goals. Whether it’s vocal tracking, band tracking, production or songwriting, know what you want to achieve. Clarify your creative goals and have a clear outline for the session.
Rehearse the material. Repetition builds confidence. If you’re planning on recording existing songs for your project, rehearsing the material prior to coming in can be the difference between capturing the right performance on take 3 and getting it on take 30.
Bring your gear (or don’t). Most studios have an extensive list of instruments and equipment. If there’s a particular piece that is crucial for your session, make sure either the studio has it available for you, or find a way of sourcing your own. There are plenty of rental houses that you can rent equipment from if you’re looking for something specific.
Delegate roles. There are a lot of moving parts during a recording session. In order to get the most out of your time and your team, it’s helpful to know beforehand who will be in the creative driver’s seat as the producer and who will be handling the technical side as the engineer. Sometimes you might want to bring in an outside person for one of those roles, other times you or your band might want to handle that yourselves. In any case, having these roles clearly defined can make a big difference during your session.
Have a game plan. Create a roadmap for the session. Prioritizing your goals in terms of which songs or instruments need to be focused on first helps streamline the process and keeps the day moving efficiently.
Coordinate with the studio. The better of an idea the studio has of what your plan is, the smoother your session will run. If you have specific tech or hospitality requests, let them know beforehand. Maybe your producer loves to use ribbon mics on piano. Maybe your bassist can’t record without having their favorite artisanal sparkling water. Whatever your requests are, asking the studio to accommodate them in advance could save you some time.
What to Expect During Your Session
The big day is finally here. At Dimension 70, we make the recording process collaborative and supportive:
Setup and line check. Almost every session starts with testing levels and adjusting the setup to suit your needs. If you can clearly communicate to your producer or engineer what kind of tone you’re after, it’ll save you invaluable time and energy in trying to fix it on the back end.
Recording starts. Whether you’re tracking instruments, laying down vocals, or just getting some ideas down, the recording process is where you bring your project to life. Trust our staff to handle the technical details while you focus on your performance.
Break for food. At some point during your session, you might get hungry. If you want to step away and hit a local restaurant, you can ask your studio team to point you in the right direction. If time is of the essence and you can’t bear to stop for even a few minutes, they might be able to put in an order for you while you keep working on the task at hand.
How Dimension 70 Helps You Sound Your Best
At Dimension 70, we’re not just a recording studio—we’re your creative partner. Here’s how we support your project:
Top-of-the-line equipment. We get it. Everyone has 1073s and CL-1Bs. What sets us apart is that if it isn’t in tip-top condition and recording ready—it isn’t even in the room. We also like to stretch to have gear that is just left of center but shares the DNA of the studio classics that you know and love to capture your best work with clarity and precision.
The dream team. From the minds of Electric Lady Studios and Jungle City just to name a few, you will find years of first-class expertise that will custom design a recording setup and workflow plan to fit your project’s unique needs.
The space speaks for itself. With a custom stained glass window and an interstellar Marlon Pruz mural, every detail in our Francis Manzella designed studio is designed to inspire creativity while keeping you comfortable and focused.
After the Session: Putting on the Final Touches
Your work doesn’t end when the recording wraps. To get the most out of your session:
Take a listen! Listen carefully to your recordings and discuss with your team any changes or refinements you’d like to make going forward.
Exporting files. It’s generally a good idea to coordinate with the engineer how you want to take home your session files before the session is over. It’s best to bring a hard drive, but using a website like Dropbox or WeTransfer is always an alternative. It’s also helpful to allot some time at the end of the session for the engineer to make bounces of the songs worked on that day. Our engineers are happy to accommodate any combination of stems, track outs, take organization, etc.
Let’s Bring Your Vision to Life
Your first recording session is hopefully the first of many. At Dimension 70, we’re here to help you turn your ideas into reality with a professional, supportive, and creative experience.