The Hard Work at the Recording Studio
To an average person, work in a recording studio is so exciting and amusing – especially when compared to the usual office setting. Working with popular rock stars or hip hop artists and producing hits that make it to the living rooms in America would seem to provide one with a fulfilling and exciting day, and an great source of income. While the income may be excellent, there’s a lot about the recording process that goes unseen (and presumably not imagined nor anticipated).
A popular notion of a recording studio and the recording process is what I’ll refer to as the Doctor Dre/ Rick Rubin misconception. Both are pioneers and maestros of recording and both seem to be people that one would either like to associate with or actually be. But in reality, having these “artists” would leave most people missing their cubicle, especially when you need to push them for a 300th take. Life is not a party in a recording studio, and one should not treat it that way unless you really don’t like to leave the comforts of your home town. It is an arduous and difficult process that can leave even hardened, veteran stars looking for relief.
A major consideration for an artist is finances. Mind you, getting airtime at a studio isn’t inexpensive – especially when you need to pay per hour. An artist really must have a generous sum of money at hand if he/she doesn’t work well under pressure. Otherwise, they will be feeling the clock when they must be thinking about their craft. This does not bode well for the delicate ones, particularly if the producer is serious about getting the work done. Indeed, an artist should always be ready and should always – and I mean always – be in working condition. There’s no reason not to be prepared, and there have been many artists that have failed for these same two things. Ever heard of Axl Rose?
Even if both artist and producer are prepared for their recording studio time, there are other facets of recording that can go wrong. People make mistakes and this is a place where your mistakes are magnified. Bear in mind that being inside of it can be likened to being examined by a powerful microscope. There will always be honest assessments – positive or negative. Dependability rests on the shoulders of everyone in the recording studio. Copious amounts of time can be spent on a song and there can be literally no progress. As people grow tired after more takes, then the mistakes could get even worse.
It is therefore essential for both the artist and the producer to be able to differentiate what they want to happen as opposed to what really happens. These are clearly two different stories. Numerous hours are spent trying to get both artists and producers ideas down and to sound the way both prefer.
Regardless of all these negative things, what keeps the recording process a truly fascinating task is when that magical moment comes – when everything just falls into place. The countless hours of toil and stress are overpowered when that unique perfect take is attained – and this kind of energy is recorded in a tape, immortalized. That’s the glory.
But as with anything else, that glory dissipates and then it is back to reality once again. It is cyclical and circular and it is going to give both sides as much as is given to it. What remains to be given credit is the very thing that is laid down on two inch. A recording studio will demonstrate to you for exactly what you are and what effort you’re willing to make, and although you can hide your voice, you cannot hide your work ethic.
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