Recording a Band: DIY vs. The Studio

Band opnemen: zelf doen of in de studio?

Guestblogger Niels Winter compares his experience of recording in a fully decked out professional studio and at home. Both options come with their advantages and disadvantages, but one thing is certain: recording your own songs – especially if you’re working on a complete album – is a big job that takes a big investment.

Image: a mastering studio

Your Vision: What Do You Want Your Music to Achieve?

First, it’s important to discuss with the rest of the band what you want your music to achieve. Do you want to make something you can distribute as widely as possible to gain a bigger following? Or do you see recordings of your music as something extra that you can just sell at gigs? How important is the quality of the recording and what kind of sound will work best for your band? Are you planning to make a single, an EP or a full album? If it is going to be an album, does it need to be one whole experience or is each song going to be a separate entity? In my experience, it’s a good idea to really do your homework and think carefully about what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve it before you decide how you’re going to record it.

How We Did It

The first EP that I recorded with my band was made in our bassist’s studio in 2014 and then, in 2016, we recorded our first album in a professional studio. The biggest difference between the two experiences? Time pressure and flexibility. Our twelve-track album was recorded in ten days and included a string quartet, a session guitarist and some other extra elements like percussion and effects. While those ten days was just enough, it was clear to all of us that having a bit more time would have been a big help. So, when we came to record our second album, we gave ourselves that extra time. These days, we only let a song go into the recording phase when we’re 100% satisfied with it and organise the production ourselves in our own studio. This reduces the pressure and gives us the time and space to record things the way we want them.

Recording in a Studio

These days, you only need very little equipment to be able to record your own music. In earlier blogs, I offered some tips for producing your own music at home (including What Do You Need to Produce Music?). The fact is that setting up your own studio demands some investment, but in the long run, you’ll only benefit from it. Still, there’s nothing wrong with recording in a professional studio. Besides the fact that it means you don’t have to fork out for all the equipment involved, a lot of (very) professional studios will often have instruments and models in-house that you might otherwise never get to play. A grand or even baby grand piano is a perfect example: recording a song with a real acoustic piano, a real Gibson Les Paul, or that eye-wateringly expensive delay can really make a massive difference.

Band opnemen: zelf doen of in de studio?
A professional studio

An Extra Ear

Recording in a studio also means that your music will be heard by the producer or engineers – in other words, you get a fresh set of ears on what you’re doing. This person has probably never heard your work before, so will be able to hear those things that the band is just too close to the music to notice.

If you are thinking about going into the studio, it’s important to do the research and find a place that really fits. Listen to the stuff they’ve recorded with other bands and artists and compare it to the work of other studios. Ask yourself what kind of style and sound you want and find a match. Does your band make funk and soul music? Then a studio that works on a lot of hard-rock projects probably won’t know what to do with you.

Time is Money

One of the biggest benefits of recording using your own gear is that you have no time restrictions. You can decide for yourself when you want to record and how long you want to record for. On the flipside there is, of course, the danger that you spend too long on things and waste a lot of time ‘perfecting’ everything. In a good studio, you’re working with a tight schedule, which puts the pressure on time-wise and forces you to make quick decisions – which can be a good thing.

Band opnemen: zelf doen of in de studio?
Investing in your own studio

Doing it Yourself?

As I’ve already mentioned, making the investment in your own studio gear can, in the long term, give you some really positive results. Luckily, the bassist in my band happens to be a sound engineer but, if possible, I really recommend at least seeking the help of someone who has some experience with studio recording. It’ll only make it easier to get good-quality recordings out of your studio setup.

Of course, it’s also necessary to have a good budget. As a band, how much are you willing to spend on your studio and will your collective expertise be enough to match that of a real professional or semi-professional? Incorporate your vision as well. Are you just making something that you can sell on the underground scene or do you have big ambitions? The answer to this final question will be a deciding factor when it comes to how much you might need to invest.

As you can see, me and my band found that both options came with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. What about you? Do you prefer to record in your own studio or take your work to someone else? Let us know in the comments!