Benefits of Audio Pre-Production
Most musicians agree that there is a huge difference between your live show and your recordings. There is a lot of energy in a live performance due to volume and visuals, but there are certain things that you need to do in a recording to bring in that energy. In our opinion, the best way to understand what you need to do to make your song arrangements energetic and captivating is by making demos of your songs. Unfortunately, pre-production is one of the most overlooked steps in the recording process, and it can really make or break your recordings for several reasons.
The unfortunate result of blindly recording a band is not having prior knowledge of the song that you’re working with. As modern-day producers, it’s our job to take your song and make the right decisions to ensure we’ll achieve the exact sound that fits. Therefore we believe Pre-Production is the most important step in the recording process. It gives us the invaluable opportunity of not only choosing the right gear that should be used in the final recording but also allows us to understand the material on a deeper level. You get to listen back to the song objectively and listen for parts that need improvement, removed, or expanded upon.
For example, let’s say a band records a song that has an energetic sounding verse. The drums are fast, there’s a lead guitar melody. Then the chorus comes in and it feels like there’s no change in energy. The drums stay the same pace, and no layers are added. The benefit is that Pre-Production activates our producer role and gives us an opportunity to think of new elements that could be changed or added to that chorus to make it “pop”. You could add a vocal stack, synth pads, or more lead guitar parts. The options are endless, but the idea is that you have the chance to fix these things before the real recording session takes place.
The most common response we hear when a band refuses to do pre-production is that they can’t afford the extra time. While this is a valid excuse for a band working with a budget but can be a false economy. A small amount of extra money and time is worth it, knowing the larger amount you’ll be spending on the recording will be worth it for everyone involved.
