Communicate with the engineer:

Be clear about your expectations and communicate with your engineer. Remember that they’re not mind-readers, they don’t know your song and they have no idea how good you guys are. So, speak up if things aren’t going as expected. Be clear about the structure of the song, the tone of the tune and the expectations you have of the soundscape you would like to achieve.

You need to let the engineer know what he or she is in for in terms of that schedule. It may be that the studio has certain quirks and that certain things have to be done together. At Toe Rag studios (where the White Stripes recorded Elephant), you record to tape. Depending on the number of instruments you have, you may need to record the drums and bass together as one track.

At the world famous Rockfield Studio (in Wales), the digital recording facilities mean you don’t need to worry about the number of instruments you have. However, instruments like their Hammond organ may take time to set up, which needs consideration in the schedule. If the engineer knows exactly what you want to achieve, they can make suggestions to help you make the most of your time.

Follow the rules of the studio:

There are rules that artists and bands need to adhere to in a studio. You need to make the most of the experience and ensure that your sound engineers and producers feel like you are respecting them and the studio.

First up, get there on time. Make sure you arrive, park and load-in with a bit of time to spare. You may need to set up drums, tune-up and warm up before you can think about recording. If you are bringing your own amps, they will need to be mic’d and you will have to think about who is going where and which order everyone is recording.

If you get there with on time, you won’t feel rushed. You can have a chat with the engineer and have your plan clearly explained and work through any issues that may crop up. Don’t move anything unless you are asked to. The studio is the engineer’s space and they will have a specific way of working. You might think you are being helpful but studios are full of cabling and acoustic sweet spots. Think twice because moving that guitar amp might not be as helpful as you think.

Be respectful. This should go without saying, but don’t put your feet up on the desk. Don’t eat or drink or handle any food around the food. However, you can always offer to make the engineer tea or coffee. Just clean up after yourselves and offer to help out where you can.

Remember that you are there to work. You might be a diva on stage or the next Hendrix on the guitar but your reputation in professional circles is important. Put the effort in, tune up after every take and know your material inside out. Also, give the engineer some notes so they can get up to speed quickly.

Don’t waste session time:

Studios can look like fun and games on Instagram. However, sessions can actually be quite stressful, especially when you miss takes or have to change tack on the fly to get the best recording. This is why time management is very important.

If you want to get the most out of your time, then you need to work really hard. Tricky parts may require dozens of takes so you need to crack on rather than having a break between each take. Recording is utterly magical when things are going well but it can become a long slog if things spiral out of control. Keep yourself energised with some good food and lots of water and remember to stick to your plan.

Work out how much time you need:

It’s really tough to know how long to book your session for. Some studios charge by the hour, others by the day or half-day. At some you can stay over in accommodation, at others you’ll have to spring for a hotel. However, a solo-artist laying down vocals over an existing recording could get away with a few hours or half a day.

If you are in a band with a lot of instruments, you’ll need to think about how many parts you’ll need to lay down. Consult the engineer because they’re experience will help you work out the time you need. A good rule of thumb is that, with a full band, it will take a whole day to record the music and at least half a day to get the vocals down too. Then you’ll need time to mix and master.

If you want to be there to make changes to the mix, then you’ll need to allow for that time too. Some bands prefer to mix and master all their tracks together in a separate session at the end of the process.

Prepare for a long day:

The days can be really long. Most studios will work a 12 hour day and depending on the engineer, you could end up working well into the night. It’s important that you stay focused and stick to your schedule. It is also a pressured environment. The time pressure means that you can quite easily fall behind.

That’s why it is imperative that you have done as much rehearsing as you can before the session. You should know your song(s) inside out. It’s much easier to play from muscle memory rather than having to really concentrate. What’s more, the performance you deliver will be much more organic and natural if you are already used to performing it.

Recording studio sessions:

Very often, due to financial restrictions, you will have to break your recording time into sessions. This is even more likely if the studio you pick is popular. You may have to fit around a bunch of other artists and their recording timetables.

This makes planning even more essential because you have to be patient and organised. Each and every time you set foot in the studio you are productive and chipping away to achieve that final goal.

Trust the engineers:

In terms of technical knowledge, you don’t need to know all that much about the workings of the studio itself. The engineer is there to make sure you sound at your very best. But make sure you make his or her job as easy as possible by knowing your own parts, knowing how you want to sound and delivering your best possible performances for each and every take.

If you play an instrument, you need to know your own equipment really well. You need to know what sound you want and how to get it from the instrument and/or any amplification you may be using. Engineers know an awful lot, but they may not have much experience with the brands you are using. So do your research and make sure you know what you want before you head in there.