📑 Sections (5)

1. The session and the recording order

How to set up the song before recording: tempo, structure, template, what order to record each instrument in and how not to lose work.

The instrument guides explain how to record each one. This one explains what ties them together: how to build a whole song without redoing work. A bad order doesn’t show at first; it shows when you have to re-record the guitar because the tempo changed.

Before recording anything

The three decisions worth closing

  • Tempo: set it by playing the song, not by the number. Record a test take with a click: if it’s hard to play, it isn’t there yet.
  • Structure: mark intro, verse, chorus and solo with markers on the arrangement ruler. Changing the order later is easy; changing the length of a part already recorded isn’t.
  • Key and tuning: if you’re going to drop a half step or use Drop D, decide now. The vocal needs to test the key before you record everything else.
🔴 Set this NOW· in recording

Tempo and structure are the foundation of everything you record on top. MIDI adapts if they change, but guitars, bass and vocals don't: they'd have to be recorded again.

The order that causes the least rework

From the foundation to what sits on top
Guideoptional
DrumsMIDI
Rhythm guitarDI
Bassagainst the kick
Vocalswith the foundation ready
Solos and detailsat the end
  • A guide, if you need one. A quick guitar and vocal, with no care for the sound, so you know where you are. They get deleted later.
  • Drums first, because everyone plays over them. The skeleton is enough, and it can be refined later with the guitar playing, because it’s MIDI.
  • Rhythm guitar defines chords and accents. With it you can adjust the kick.
  • Bass against the kick, with the accents already defined.
  • Vocals with the foundation ready, because that way you sing better and the key has already been tested.
  • Solos, doubles and details at the end: they depend on what’s already there.

A template saves you the first half hour

Set up a song once with everything ready and save it as a template (Save as Template in Studio One):

  • Named audio inputs: “Guitar DI”, “Bass DI”, “Vocal NT2-A”.
  • Tracks already created, with their colors.
  • Buses for drums, bass, guitars and vocals.
  • Effects channels with a reverb and a delay.
  • 48 kHz and 24 bits.

Names and versions

  • Tracks with clear names: Gtr R DI, not Audio 14. Recorded files take that name.
  • Save numbered versions when closing each stage: Song_v1_recording, Song_v2_mix. That way you can go back without fear.
  • A backup outside the computer. After each session, a copy on an external drive or in the cloud. A good take doesn’t repeat itself.

Common mistakes

What NOT to chase yet

Quick path: setting up the session

Quick path

  1. Set the tempo by playing to a click.
  2. Mark the structure with markers.
  3. Test the key with the highest part of the vocal.
  4. Open your template, or build it with inputs, buses and effects.
  5. Record in this order: drums, rhythm guitar, bass, vocals, solos.
  6. Save a numbered version when closing each stage.
  7. Make a backup outside the computer.

Expected result

Expected result

A song with tempo, structure and key already decided, a template ready and a clear recording order. You shouldn’t need to re-record something because what’s underneath changed. What comes next is how to keep levels in order from start to finish: gain staging.