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Vocalists DJ's/Emcee's Instrumentalists

Instrumentalist’s Pre-Session Checklist

A short list of things that will better your recording experience and performance:

1.) Make sure all the equipment you're planning on using is working properly and ready to go. There is nothing more frustrating then burning an hour of studio time in vain trying to get your Wah-pedal to stop screaming at you.

2.) Change all strings, skins, etc. well before session and make sure they're properly broken in.

3.) Artists should be able to perform each song from start to finish. This is for your own good. Even if you choose to track a verse at a time, the point here is to be sure to KNOW your parts.

4.) Try to get a good night's sleep so you can arrive fresh and ready to go. Save the late-night partying for after you've done your parts.

5.) Dress comfortably.

6.) What you should bring with you:

Besides your "A" - game and your gear, extra strings, picks, sticks, heads, reeds; whatever it is, if it gets worn-out or breaks, bring extras. Also, extra batteries, patch cables and music sheets are never a bad idea.

Things to keep in mind before and during tracking

1.) All artists are invited to come in up to half an hour EARLY of their scheduled sessions to warm-up, get in the groove, or what-have-you. That being said, we start the clock precisely at the time scheduled. If we agree on 8:00, be ready to go at 8:00, not 8:05.

2.) Try to be as consistent as possible between takes, in both technique and emotion.

3.) We can fix almost anything during the mixing process. If you stumble, just keep going, unless it’s hopeless.

4.) If for some reason you just can't nail a part perfectly, don't stress. Move on, and we'll come back to it.

5.) We want to capture your best performance as much as you do. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to make things easier.

Guest Policy

We understand it is sometimes helpful to have a friend or significant other present during tracking for moral support. While you are welcome to invite a guest to sessions, please remember the following facts:

1.) More often then not, friends and significant others turn out to be more of a distraction then a positive influence. Keep that in mind.

2.) Studios are why God invented text-messaging. Please tell any guests you bring to turn OFF their cellular phones, or to set them to vibrate, and if they MUST take a call, to do it in the lobby, NOT in the booth. Cell phones are the NUMBER ONE cause of homicidal rampages amongst engineers and producers. One warning will be given, and then the offending parties will be fed to the fish.

3.) DRL reserves the right to ban ANYONE if they get out of hand or become too much of a problem. This includes best friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives, grandmothers and family pets.