Toiling in the Recording Studio

To the average person, working in a recording studio may sound like an exciting, perhaps even a pleasurable experience, when compared to the traditional office type setup. Indeed, the mere idea of working with the most popular music artists and producing the hits that make it to the top of the charts is so exciting - more so when you're paid excellently for this. While the income may be lucrative, there's a lot about the recording process that goes unseen (and presumably not imagined nor expected).

Among these unseen features are the so-called Doctor Dre/Rick Robin misconception. Both are pioneers and maestros of recording and both seem to be people that one would either like to hang out with or actually be. The truth is that having both of these "artists" push for a 300th take would leave most people missing their cubicle. Truly, life in the recording studio is not a bed of roses. In fact, it is a difficult process, even to the veteran stars.

Because an artist reserves time at a studio, one thing that they need to think about is their finances. Mind you, getting airtime at a studio is not cheap - particularly when you have to pay per hour. An artist really needs to have a large sum of money at hand if he/she doesn't work well under pressure. Otherwise, they'll be feeling the clock when they must be thinking about their craft. This is not a good thing particularly if the producer is serious about getting the work done. If the producer is serious, then the artist needs to be prepared with their music and they need to be in working condition, i.e. not hung over. Even if the artist already has a name for himself/herself, there's no reason to be unprepared. Remember Axl Rose?

Still, the success of the work at the recording studio isn't only determined by the artist and the producer. People are known to make mistakes and this is a place where your mistakes are amplified. The studio is one big microscope. There will always be honest assessments - positive or negative. Everybody is then accountable for the success of the recording. Copious amounts of time can be spent on a song and there can be literally no improvement. As people grow tired after more takes, then the errors could get even worse.

The artist and producer need to think about what they want to happen vs. what really happens. It is usually two different things. Before the "preferred sound" is attained, recording stars and producers spend countless hours in the studio.

Regardless of all these negative things, what keeps the recording process a truly exciting task is when that magical moment comes - when everything just falls into place. The countless hours of work and stress are overpowered when that unique perfect take is realized - and this kind of energy is recorded in a tape, forever. This is what recording studios are here for.

But as with anything else, that glory dissipates and then it's back to reality once again. It is like a vicious cycle. What remains to be given credit is that thing that's laid down on two inch. A recording studio will show you for exactly what you are and what effort you are willing to make, and even if you can hide your voice, you can't hide your work ethic.