Kicking off - Posted on 2011-10-06 by Jorge Varela

      So I walk into the studio (Dungeon) on the morning of October 5th after a long bus communte from home (I should really consider moving closer). This was only my second time meeting Fred, but immediately we started off on the right foot, with some chit chat about  our backgrounds and the like before delving into the material.  I had read the first chapter of "Modern Recording Techniques" by that time and turned in the exercises from Lesson 1. After discussing the basics of sound and hearing, Fred had a musician come in and record the piano part over a song that had most of the other tracks recorded already. I could tell the pianist was a veteran; he and Fred were going back and forth with cues and re-do's from different parts of the song like it was a walk in the park. This just comes to show how studio time is precious, costly and best used efficiently and wisely... and that becomes second nature as one's experience level rises. Given my past musical history, I probably could have made suggestions regarding the song's arragement and what would have sounded good where, if asked, but I made sure not to interfere or offer my opinion on a song that wasn't even mine to begin with. As a result, I felt I gained some respect from the studio on day 1. So far, off to a good start.