STUDIO PREPARATION
What You Should Know Before You Go
under a magnifying glass. The producer expects
you to be well supplied and prepared with
simple things that you might not even think of,
like printing out neat copies of your song lyrics.
Bring everything you can and more. You might
suddenly decide you want to try a 12-string on
a song; it would be foolish not to bring your
12-string in case that happens. Amps too. You
love that one Marshall, but if you need a simple
sound to layer guitars, you don’t want the
other amp to have the same complex sound
with its overdrive. Bring your Fender amp, your
Orange, bring it all and let the producer paint a
picture of what it’s going to sound like. You can
never be over-prepared.”
If you’re hiring session players, again, opt
for the best. “A great drummer is imperative,” says Kulick, “whether he’s playing to
a click or not. He is your basis for getting all
the overdubs to feel great. When you look
at the most revered bands—Led Zeppelin,
The Who, Van Halen—the drummer is really
special. Your bass player… it’s nice to have
a Paul McCartney, but that’s not as critical
as the drummer. I’ve worked with a lot of
famous producers, and it’s very, very hard
when the drummer isn’t talented. He’s your
most important weapon for a great-sounding
track and having the day go smoothly. He’s
the foundation of the music. The first day
in the studio is about the rhythm section.
Everything else can be overdubbed and you
can figure it out later.”
Play Well with Others
When it’s time to cut your parts, keep a
few things in mind: 1. Now is not the time
to unleash your inner EVH; 2. If you have
involved other musicians in this project, let
them be heard; 3. There’s beauty in simplicity; 4. Silence speaks volumes.
John Leventhal. Photo by Gabi Porterfield.
basic studio etiquette: punctuality, sobriety,
courtesy, having functioning gear and knowing your material.
“The instrument should be in top shape,”
says Wagener. “There is nothing worse
than getting in the zone and your instru-
ment craps out on you or goes out of tune.
You’ve got to maintain your instrument very
well or you will kill the groove if you have to
deal with those things while tracking. It’s a
nuisance. Your instrument should be set up
perfectly for playing. If you have to stop and
tune every two seconds, it stops the flow of
creativity. Of course, I’m still a big believer
in pre-production. We go in, work on the
songs, and when we’re in the studio every-
one knows what they should be playing.”
“The producer has to be a leader in a strict yet
kind way,” says Kulick. “He wants the band to
be on time, for you to have your strings, be in
tune, have your tools. Have more than enough
tools. Bring extra drumheads and an extra
snare. There’s no reason not to be very, very
prepared, because in the studio everything is
“The guitar initially is a tool, a map to find
a way into the song, and not always the
primary tool,” says Leventhal. “I am a gui-
tar player, that’s how I started, and I have
some facility on the instrument, but I never
plan to play more guitar or take more solos.
My playing has economy to it in records I
produce, and my records don’t have a lot
of solos. Guitar playing shouldn’t be self-
indulgent. It should feel like an organic part
of the songs.”
“When we’re talking about doing a new
record, we sit in a circle, pass the guitar
back and forth and sing to see which songs
might work with the band,” says Burleson.
