The Perils of Obsessive Recording (And What to Do About It)
Why a more disciplined approach to recording often yields the best results
Do you regularly spend an entire evening searching for that “perfect” take? Does work on a final mix last for weeks, rather than a day or two? Though striving for studio perfection is laudable, too much attention to detail on any one song can quickly become a detriment, often resulting in a work that sounds fussed over. To maintain that all-important element of freshness, here we explore ways to set boundaries when working on a project, whether it’s imposing a finite number of vocal or instrumental takes, spending time away to maintain objectivity, or just knowing when something is good enough.
Get it early. Quite often the best takes occur early in the recording cycle, before the performer really has a chance to think about what they’re doing. Therefore, always be ready to capture some of that “first-take energy” right from the start. It’s why many pros even like to record the rehearsal takes, sometimes surreptitiously—that is, you tell the performer to do a few warm-ups so you can check levels before you try a take, when in fact you’re actually tracking.
Don’t think, just play. The same applies to your own work mode. For instance, you could spend hours beforehand diligently writing and rehearsing a two-bar guitar fill—or you could simply tune-up, get a sound and a rough idea of where you’re going, hit record and see what happens. Yes, finesse and aforethought often win out, but you might get something unexpectedly good just by being spontaneous.
Be patient. Sometimes the performance can actually improve as you’re going along—you get more comfortable in front of the mic, and with each pass you dig a little deeper into the nuances of the song. Even so, you don’t have to get it all in one sitting—try a handful of takes, pause and assess. If it seems like the part is headed in the right direction, take a break, give your fingers, ears and/or vocal cords a chance to rest, then come back a day later when you’re good and refreshed.
Go for feeling, not perfection. I’ve seen so many people get halfway into an excellent take, hit a bum note, then suddenly stop and want to do the whole thing over again. Wrong! Never let a mistake interrupt an otherwise good part—just pick up from the errant bit and keep going. Any flubs can usually be tended to after the fact, and what you do get right could have more punch than if you waited until Take 20.
Mix to a minimum. As with recording, it’s easy to spend too much time fussing with a mix, particularly if your project has a lot of moving parts. One way to streamline the process is to start by making submixes of drums, backing vocals or any other tracks that can be feasibly combined. This will allow you to subsequently control each group using a single fader, as well as add effects to an entire section rather than treat each track individually. By reducing the clutter, you should be able to arrive at your “best” mix that much faster.
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