Some information for the recording studio

Here at Flipside we have a lot of people booking studio time for the first time. We get a lot of the same questions and comments and I thought it would be useful to give you all an idea of what to expect when using our studio, and in fact, any studio!

Who will I meet in the studio?

There are many people working in a studio environment, its important that you understand who does what so that you know you are talking to the right person. Here is a list of the most common people and what they do.Bear in mind that in smaller studios multiple roles may be done by one person.

Studio Manager/Owner

You'll meet them : When booking and when paying

This is the person responsible for taking the bookings and covering the contractual/legal side of the business. They may well be your first contact. They will give you the full run down of the studio and if you need something doing, this is the main boss man. If you want to negotiate rates/terms this is the guy to speak to. Bear in mind, he is also the one with the bottom line in mind, so is least likely to budge.

Recording Engineer

You'll meet them : When recording

The engineer is responsible for operating the studio equipment and capturing the sounds you make. He will know how to get the most out the system and will get things done quickly and efficiently whilst sounding great. He is well versed in mic placement, playing styles, Frequencies, compression etc. He can give advice on guitar amps, Drum heads etc. needed to achieve a certain sound. His creative input is limited however, as it is the job of a producer to give overall sound advice.

Mix Engineer

You'll meet them : During the mixdown

The Mix engineer is responsible for taking what the Recording Engineer has captured and putting it together to sound perfect. On projects with a big enough budget the producer will have helped the band work out how the instruments and frequencies work together, the mix engineers job is then to bring them together in one stereo file. On a smaller project, the mix engineer works with whatever is recorded to try and blend the frequencies together so that everything can be heard and the end result is epic/beautiful/soulful/magical in equal measure.

Producer

You'll meet them : Before recording and throughout thew process to the end.

The Producer is responsible for making sure the whole vision goes smoothly from start to finish. This begins at the practice rooms where a good producer will help the band in their composition and structuring ready for the studio. During the studio prep the producer will advise on equipment and timings for the studio and then help throughout recording, making sure that the sounds are all correct. They will work with the engineers to make the whole project come together, on time and on budget (although this is held in tension with the fact that they will also push for the very best quality).

Beat Producer

You'll meet them : possibly never

For urban artist, you may have the opportunity to work closely with a beat producer, advising them on a sound and feel for a track. however, most beat producers sell their instrumentals without ever meeting their artists