The Recording Process

The better you are prepared for the session, the more you'll get done !

In essence, we record all instruments separately one by one in the live room, with the help of guide tracks pre-performed by other band members. So when you are ready to come into record, this is how it all goes..

First of all we do like to work to a click track - unless you are going for a specifically 'loose & live' sound. We'll set up a track that will be a reference for all the other instruments to hang upon - we can incorporate timing & tempo changes with ease.

Then we record what we like to refer to as a 'scab' track. This is basically a simple one-take, direct-into-the-desk recording of the song with vocals & guitar or piano. It doesn't have to be great, it simply has to be in time as this is the map of the song to give us the structure for the rest of the recording. Nobody outside of the studio ever listens to this, the scab track is there to be picked off when the time is right.

Now it's the drummers or percussionists turn to show us what he can do. He gets to set up in the live room and gets to hit the kit while we get the sound up on the desk in the control room. There are about eight mics around the kit depending on the specifics of what needs to be recorded.

The rest of the band are in the control room while we record the drums. The drummer can do as many takes as he likes until he gets all the bits right, although they don't have to all be right in one take - we can edit sections of each take together seamlessly to get the ultimate drum take.

Once the drums are complete it's the bass players turn. He sets up in the live room and plays through his amp and records along with the drum take, and the scab track through the headphones. We then repeat this scenario until the guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle and vocals have all been captured, perfectly.

During all this, the producer/engineer would have already started the mixing on the fully automated mixing desk. We can then go through the track to mix it to get the correct sound & balance of the tracks. Once that's done it's time to bounce the down for mastering where the track can be finalised ready to burn onto a CD.

We don't usually record the whole band live in the studio as when everyone plays together you inevitably get spill on each microphone - the guitarist comes through the bass track, and the drums come through on the guitar amp etc. This makes mixing a track quite tricky and you'll never get the exact sound that each band member desires.

Recording everyone separately also allows for parts to be edited seamlessly together - so that second verse guitar could be copied to the first verse, or that bass playing through the middle 8 could be copied to the outro and have some effects put on it. None of our many useful production techniques can be performed if there is spill from other instruments on a recorded track.

Dirty River In Action

In The Studio

1. Change your strings, if your strings are six months old and lifeless the recording will sound lifeless too.

2. If you are not rehearsed and organised before you enter the recording studio, you will run into trouble & run out of money before you can fix it !

3. If you are going to sing, it's best to drink something that is not too cold and not too sugary both can tighten up your vocal chords.

4. Don't forget your instruments, cables, strings, guitar picks, lyric sheets, drum-sticks, gaffa-tape, cigarettes and don't overlook the snack factor. You should be prepared for long hours of hard work in the studio, and that means you will probably get hungry. There is a handy indian takaway spitting distance away in the evenings.

5. Trust the studio tuner. That means that you are all tuned into a single reference point. This saves a lot of grief when the guitarist goes to do overdubs the next day and his guitar is out of tune.

6. Give yourself enough time to do the job right. As a rule of thumb, less is best. If you're going for high quality recording, you should attempt fewer songs than you think you can finish in your allotted time.

7. We'll do our best, but please don't assume the engineer is going to know the sound you want. Talk to us and explain what kinds of things excite you when you hear them. Ask us questions about what we're doing so you can communicate exactly what you want and don't be afraid to assert yourself. A good way to mix your songs is to let the engineer set up a rough mix that he thinks sounds good, and then let everyone comment on that.

Tuning - very useful sometimes..

Finally - your time in the studio is all about getting the best quality recording of your sound. This is very different than a live performance, where jumping around or smashing your guitar, communicate an emotional reaction to the audience. In the studio, these things really don't tend to result in the best sound. Concentrate on playing well & with subtlety, finesse & quality tone. In other words, thumping that bass note extra loud doesn't help you in the studio - we'll just have to go for another take - and remember it is you who is paying for it !