OK, you’ve done your pre-production homework. You know the repertoire you’ll record, you know who is going to engineer and who is going to produce, and you have a good idea of the sound concept for your album. You’ve listened to a lot of examples of great recordings and settled on a few that you like, and you’ve shared those with your engineer and producer. Everyone is on the same page. Now, let’s talk about the venue and timing of your recording.

This tends to be one of the simpler things to think about on a recording project, but can be one of the hardest to solve. There are a few things to consider when choosing a recording venue…

1. Acoustics - of course, this is obviously the major consideration. A space that makes playing both sound and feel easy for a musician can make a good performance sound great, and can keep a musician from becoming fatigued as quickly over the course of a multi day recording session. A hall that is complementary to your instrument or ensemble, or at least a reasonable space will work beautifully. It doesn’t have to be perfect, especially if it checks the boxes of the other requirements to follow.

2. Isolation - where is the space physically located? Is it on the corner of a major intersection with heavy traffic passing at all hours of the day? Is it relatively quiet on weekends and in the evening? Is it a university auditorium that might only be available during a holiday break? Will the heat or air conditioning be cut during that holiday break making it a miserable place to spend many hours recording? I know, lots of things to think about.

3. Access - can you even get in to the venue to record? Is it able to even be reserved for 3 or 4 days for 6-8 hours without interruption? Is there a rental fee? Do you have to travel to use the space, and will it necessitate budgeting extra money for hotels and travel? Does your engineer and producer have to travel? Can you book a day to rehearse months before your sessions to double check that it’s going to work for you, or is it a space you already know?

4. Pianos - if you need a piano for your album, does the space have an excellent piano? Is it tuned, well maintained, and in a location in the space where it can be set up the way you want it? Will you need to rent a fine piano? Will the venue even allow you to USE the piano?!?

Reading back over this post, it seems to be a bit of “glass half empty” to even discuss all the items above. Chances are you already have a venue in mind, and know a good hall that you might get access to… Explore all your options, and ask your engineer and producer if they have any suggestions. There are all kinds of hidden gems, some in unlikely places!

Most of all, find a space where you feel comfortable, and feel like you sound great. That will make your project so much more enjoyable, both to record and to listen to for years to come!

Stay tuned for Part 3, Choosing Your Recording Team.