Inside the Studio – A First Time For Everything

Iremember the first time I walked into a professional recording studio. My uncle Ronnie Brookshire was (and still is) an award-winning engineer in Nashville. He was working on one of the first Steven Curtis Chapman albums, an artist who I would end up working with years later at Sweetwater Studios. My memory of this experience was a mix of excitement and intimidation. That was the first time I had seen an SSL console up close, and like so many of us, I remember thinking, “What do all these knobs do?” Ronnie, being the congenial host that he was, walked me around, showed me where everything was, and explained what everything did. Obviously, I was hooked.

The longer you work as a recording engineer, the easier it becomes for us to grow immune to the studio experience. We do what we do, we all have our habits, and it’s easy to assume that everyone who walks into our studio shares that same head space. However, for those just starting out, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, it’s exciting to plan a session at a great studio, but this can be a scary place for performers and musicians!

Recording in front of others can be nerve-wracking, and many musicians may not fully understand what most of the technology and gear does. Additionally, since studio time can be expensive, it’s easy to be constantly aware of the clock. With so many distractions, capturing your art can easily be the last thing on your mind.