At various points in the development of your musical career, a demo recording will play an important part giving you a promotional tool with which to create new opportunities for your act. You demo recording can be used for numerous purposes……..

• To get more gigs. Perhaps out-with your area
• To send to industry reps i.e. Record companies, managers, agents
• To sell in order to make money and increase your fan-base

Regardless of the reasons for making your recording, the advantages of having one are numerous. With computers and the internet advancing on a daily basis bands now have an international platform from which to promote themselves and their music.

Once you have come to the decision that you would like to make a recording there are a number of things to think about in preparation. If you do not have access to any recording equipment you are most likely to record your demo in a recording studio with an engineer - this is a common choice for bands with little or no experience in recording. However, there are a large number of software based recording packages available today and a lot of bands are now opting to make their own recordings out-with the constraints of a professional studio. Whatever the method you should aim to do your sound and songs justice and really portray yourselves through the recording of the demo.

Some of the most important factors in producing a professional sounding demo lie in the preparation that takes place before you even enter the studio. Recording can be a very inspiring and enjoyable experience but can very quickly become stressful inhibiting productivity. If you are not relaxed when you are recording your material it will tell and you will be left with a recording that you know could have been better. After 6 months of apologising for a demo that you are not happy with you will begin to realise the importance that preparation plays in the recording process. It is wise to consider the following when you begin to think about making a recording…

1. Pre-Production

Choosing your studio. The recording studio plays a creative role when it comes to making any recording and every studio is different. The gear, the environment, the engineer. All of these have to be considered when you go to look at prospective studios. Consider the type of music you make and what kind of facilities you will need to recreate your sound on record before you start looking. There are various ways to source a studio - the Internet, yellow pages, adverts in music publications. The most reliable way, if you are looking to record locally, is to find out from other local acts where they have made their recordings. If you have heard a local band’s recording and were really impressed with the sound, contact them and find out where they made it. Leave messages on local music forums to see what people recommend.

Once you have a list of studios together the next thing to do is get in contact with them. See if it is possible for you to go and have a look at the studio. This will give you a chance to look at the recording space and meet the engineer - it is important to establish a relationship with your engineer as they need to become involved with the music when it comes to recording. Try and find an engineer that you can get on with and ask them if they have any examples of previous recordings they have made. It is standard practice for an engineer or studio to have examples of their work (known as a show reel) to give to prospective clients. It is the equivalent to their CV and will allow you to judge how well they will be able to work with your music and your sound.
 

Note: Once you have chosen your engineer it is a good idea to let them hear your band so that he can get an idea of what you sound like. Think about inviting them to a few of your gigs or making some basic recordings with a tape player that they can listen to. This means when you get into the studio the engineer will have an idea on how to approach things.
 

"It's pretty important to be comfotable with the studio environment and to have confident in the people you're working with"

Goron Skene - Carson
 

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