Beware of too many hats

A lot of us working in smaller project studios (and sometimes those in more sophisticated studios) have to wear a lot of hats.  In other words, we’re often the artist, performer, producer and engineer all at once.  Some of us do it by seamlessly switching roles without even thinking about it while others may struggle to shift their perspective and focus required when adopting a different role.  Here are some tips that can help those who have to do it all…

1)      Focus.  Unless you’re used to multi-tasking and switching roles without thinking about it, focusing on one thing at a time is important to both the creative process and the final product.  When you’re tracking an instrument, take the time to put on your engineer and producer hat and ask yourself what’s right for the song or part.  If you’re producing and mixing the track then you probably have an idea of what the overall sound will need so plan accordingly and get it right at the source.  A well-recorded instrument or vocal is going to be a lot easier to mix and it’ll save time later.  Try to avoid jumping back and forth between performing the part and mixing it into the song.  Worry about the quality of the recording and then the performance before you start obsessing over the mix.

2)      Step away.  That’s right, push back from the console and take a break – often.  Whatever you’re doing in the studio requires you to maintain objectivity, especially if it’s your own material.  Objectivity is easily lost when you become to absorbed in the process and taking frequent breaks allows your ears to refresh and your mind to clear.  If you hit a stumbling block of sorts, taking a break can also help clear out frustration and when you come back, a solution may be obvious though it wasn’t before.

3)      Separate.  By separation I mean separate the writing and recording process from the mixing.  Even if you “mix as you go”, it’s still a good idea to get everything tracked and roughed out and then come back on another day and begin the mix.  The problem for many people when mixing as you record is that the last instrument recorded often becomes the focus and gets preferential treatment in the resulting mix unintentionally.  By allowing some time to elapse once all the recording is done, you regain some objectivity and then when you return to start mixing, the focus is on the overall sound and not colored by the great sound you had for the guitar track you just laid down.

4)      Criticize.  When you do it all you have to be your own worst critic.  We can’t all be experts at everything we do so put down the final product and return to it after some time has passed.  You might find that you hear it in a different context and that you might make some better judgments about the mix.

5)      Listen.  To others.  That is, get input from other people.  When you get used to doing everything it’s like working in a vacuum.  It may get the job done but put the mix past some ears you trust and really listen to what the feedback is saying.  Whether you take it or not, it’s better to hear options than have none.