How to Schedule a Studio Session and What to Ask a Studio/Engineer

You probably won't be able to hide the fact that you're inexperienced (and this is not necessarily a bad thing), however, you don't want to give the impression that you're totally oblivious. You won't need to know everything; just a few questions to ask, and some basic industry terminology.

"I'm interested in knowing about your rates, and possibly scheduling a listening session. Are you the person I should speak to about this?"

"Is the engineer included with this rate quote?"

"Do you require a deposit in advance to schedule recording time? If so, how much?"

Unless you've been to a chosen studio before and already have a working relationship, your initial call will be to check rates (costs). Make sure the rates include the engineer (the person who will be running the equipment for you).

Once you're satisfied with the rates, then you'll book a "listening session". This simply is a short meeting (free, and usually 15-30 minutes long) where you'll discuss the purpose for booking recording time. You should be allowed to meet the engineer you'll be working with. In other words, if no one else is at the listening session, "your" engineer must be (read further to understand why this is SO important).

If you're lucky enough to get this listening session scheduled at your convenience, great. But do be flexible. Remember: Studios are in the business of making money, so they may not want to give you a "free" meeting during peak hours (the hours they're normally busy with paying clients).

If possible, you'll want to scheduled listening sessions with about 3 studios, preferably on the same day if your personal schedule allows, and about 1 1/2 hours apart. Make sure to attend all 3 meetings, even if you think you're comfortable with the first or second. The reason for this is that you may find more than one studio that you can work with. This comes in handy when a studio is "booked up"; you'll have a couple of back-up options if (or when) you ever need them.

It's important that you develop at least a reasonable level of comfort with the engineer (person with whom you may be spending hours with). If you don't feel comfortable with him/her, and there's no other engineer available to speak with, end the meeting professionally, and move on to the next meeting. If you must move on, be sure to be polite; you never know when a different engineer may be available, so don't burn any bridges.

At the meeting you will let the engineer know if you have instrumental music to transfer to their recording system, or if you will be bringing a save music file from a digital audio program. And of course, let them know that you will be recording vocals (lead and/or backup vocals), and that you'll need a good mix burned to an audio CD (if applicable). This will give him an idea of what you need on studio day, which will save you time.

In most cases, you won't need to make a commitment while you're there. After you've been to all your listening sessions you'll take time to consider all options, then call back at a later date to schedule your recording session. Make sure "your" engineer will be the one handling your session. However, this will not usually be an issue with a home studio.