The Recording Session
Every recording session is different and during the pre-production we will have produced a personalized recording plan, however all sessions tend to follow a general progression of guide tracks, first takes, touch ups and extras.
The first stage in any recording is to make the guide tracks. These outline the basic song structure and provide a backdrop for instrument parts to be recorded to. Guide tracks may, in some cases, be sequenced midi files or only consist of one or two instruments (e.g. bass and drums).
Once the guide tracks are down, the main instrument parts can be recorded. Usually a recording session will begin with the drums (though not always) since it is easier to record other parts over the top of drums rather than vice versa. After the drums other instruments such as bass and guitar will be recorded (depending on the instrumentation of the song) followed by the lead vocals and backing vocals.
Hearing all the parts in the context of the mix makes it possible to identify parts which need to be altered to fit better with other parts. The most frequent problem at this stage is timing issues although creative changes may also be needed. Affected parts can be touched-up either by re-recording sections of the part or by editing in Pro-Tools.
Having reached a point where all the main parts are finished to a suitable standard, this is an ideal time to add extra finishing touches such as sound effects and orchestration before moving on to the mixing stage.