When preparing to record it's good to understand one simple fact: studios don't make recordings -- people make recordings. A recording studio and all the gear in it, are only tools. When you view a great sculpture, you know that it was the sculptor's skill and artistic vision that created it, not the hammer and chisel. Likewise, when you hear a great recording, you can be certain that it was the result of the skill and artistic vision of the musicians and the recordist, not the console or the compressors. So, when you're shopping for a studio, you're actually selecting an engineer/producer. If you recorded your album twice at the same studio, but with a different person at the console each time, you would probably come out with two drastically different recordings!

If you've been impressed by someone's recordings, and think he might be a good person to record your band, you should contact some of the artists he's worked with recently and ask a few questions. Was his studio vibe positive? Was he efficient, and technically competent? Did he capture the artist's best performances, or did he allow the studio process to actually inhibit their playing? Most importantly, did he help them to make the album that the artist was trying to make, or did he miss the mark?

When you talk to the prospective engineer/producer, the conversation should give you confidence that he understands and accepts your musical vision. That he'll help you make your album, and not pursue some personal musical agenda that may be at odds with your own. Once you've selected an engineer/producer, and he has accepted your project, choosing a studio shouldn't be a problem. He'll either be "in-house" at a commercial or project studio, or he'll have definite studio preferences and working agreements if he's a free-lancer.

You should have at least one pre-production meeting with the person you've selected. With his advice, work out a realistic production schedule. (Three days for rhythm sections, two days for overdubs, etc.) Bring in some rough demos of your songs to help him understand where you're coming from musically, and to get any constructive input he might have to offer. If you admire the production of certain CD's, bring them along as reference points. Describing a specific guitar sound, for example, is like trying to describe a certain shade of the color red. It's much easier to communicate sounds by playing a musical reference than by giving a verbal description. Listening to these familiar recordings in the control room will also help you interpret and adjust to the sound of the studio's monitors.

Your pre-production meeting should end with artist and engineer/producer sharing a musical vision. You should feel confident that he not only understands your musical vision, but has the ability to use the studio to help you make it a reality. If so, you have found a person who can replace that bottle-neck of all recording sessions -- The Committee. You've probably been a member of The Committee at one time or another. You know -- the committee comprised of all of the members of your band falling all over themselves to get to the talkback button to tell a troubled vocalist "you can hit that note if you raise your eyebrows and stand on one foot." By the time The Committee gets done handing out instructions, the poor singer is so disoriented he delivers a vocal take that is devoid of spontaneity and emotion. The Committee, after much deliberation, responds by holding up 12" x 12" cards, rating the performance in the manner of Olympic judges.

A more efficient method, and one that will probably produce a better performance, would be to reduce The Committee to include the singer, the engineer/producer, and perhaps one other band member. By reducing the size of The Committee you have also reduced the frequency of control room debates that can really bog down a session. During these lengthy debates, the singer is standing around in front of the mic, feeling bored, detached, and in a generally lousy frame of mind. With a more streamlined production team, the singer has a chance to "get on a roll" and produce a great performance in a shorter time. Then, bring in the rest of the group to make sure there are no objections to the track. This method works with any type of tracking - vocals, guitar, pan flute, etc.

When you're ready to mix, have a meeting to communicate any ideas that you may have for the mix. Then, let the engineer work on it by himself. By working alone, he can concentrate more intensely, covering many more details in less time. If he really understands what you're after, the mix should be 95% to 100% "on the money" when he submits it for your approval. Since you haven't been listening to the mix over and over again, you will have retained your objectivity. Thus, with "fresh ears", you will be able to make a much more valid critique of the mix.

Ultimately, communication and confidence are the keys to working with the person you have selected to record your music. If you can communicate your musical vision to him and have enough confidence in his ability to let him do his job, the results should be very satisfying.