Should you bring your own drums and amps to a recording session?

What does setting up your own drum kit in a studio actually cost?

More time than most bands budget for. A kit has to be loaded in, placed in the room, and tuned drum by drum, often with new heads that need playing in before they hold their pitch. Then every drum and cymbal needs a microphone placed and checked, and the engineer and drummer go back and forth until each one sounds right. All of that happens before the first take.

Sound On Sound's guide to tuning drums for recording makes the point from the engineer's side: a kit that turns up needing to be tuned from scratch eats session time, and worn-out heads rarely sound good however long you spend on them. That time comes out of the same day as the songs.

What do you get with the house drum kit at 512 Studios?

A great-sounding kit that is already set up on the floor of the 22 by 22 foot live room, with microphones on it. The engineer knows how it sounds in that room and where the mics need to be. Your drummer skips the load-in and the tuning and starts by playing the songs.

That matters beyond the clock. A drummer who has spent the morning hauling and tuning is already tired before the first take. One who walks in, adjusts the throne and the cymbal heights and starts playing still has their best takes ahead of them.

I'd rather a drummer spend the first hour of a session playing than tuning.

When should a drummer bring their own drums?

When the sound of the record depends on your kit. Some drummers have spent years finding a snare or a set of cymbals, and those pieces are part of how the band sounds. Swapping your own snare, cymbals and kick pedal onto a house kit is quick compared with replacing the whole kit, and it is what many working drummers do.

Bring your own throne and pedal if comfort matters to how you play, and bring your own sticks either way. If you do bring a full kit, fit new heads and play them in before the session, and tell the studio in advance so the room is ready for it.

Should a guitarist bring their own amp to the studio?

If your amp is your sound, bring it. Otherwise, ask what is in the building first. 512 Studios has a number of great-sounding amplifiers, and what is available changes, so call (512) 522-0359 and ask before you decide what to load into the car.

A studio is a chance to use amps you would never take to a gig. Different amps suit different parts, and a smaller amp turned up to where it sounds good often records better than a big stage amp held back to a sensible volume. Loud amps can go in one of the four isolation booths while the player stays on the floor with the band.

Bass players have the same choice, and most sessions record bass through a direct box as well as an amp, which keeps one clean track with no bleed on it.

Should we record a direct signal of the guitar as well as the amp?

It is worth asking for. A direct signal, taken from the guitar before the amp, records the part with no amp sound at all. If the amp tone turns out to be wrong for the song later, that clean track can be sent back through a different amp, called re-amping, without the guitarist playing the part again.

What should we tell the studio before bringing gear?

A short list sent before the session saves the first hour of the day.

1. Which drums, cymbals and amps you plan to bring, and which you would like to use from the studio.
2. Anything your record needs that may not be in the building. Say so on the booking call; some things can be brought in, and the studio will tell you which are easier to arrange yourself.
3. Label every case. Anything you bring is your responsibility while it is at the studio, so do not leave a vintage amp in the live room over a weekend.
4. Fresh strings and heads go on a day or two before, not in the morning of the session.