Choose a producer. This can be you, one of the other musicians, or someone who is not actually playing on the session, but someone has to be in charge and have a final say. A producer’s role can range from being an extra pair of ears in the studio (so the musicians can concentrate on their performance) to being the person who provides guidance and direction to every aspect of the entire project. Some engineers can fulfill the former role very nicely.

Choose a studio and an engineer. How much and what kind of physical space do you require, and what degree of room sound and/or isolation fits your concept? Talk to prospective studios and engineers and describe your concept. An engineer who gets a great drum sound may not know the difference between a violin and a viola, and a studio’s layout and gear need to match your instrumentation and style. If you can, visit the studio beforehand to acclimate yourself, and play a few CDs on the monitor system so that you and the engineer can establish your orientation.

Contact musicians. Logistics can be a nightmare, so start contacting folks early. I often tell people that I play music for free and charge for the phone calls.

Rehearse! Practice! Rehearse some more! Do not expect brilliant, spontaneous chemistry to happen in the studio without tons of preparation. Stories of miraculous inspiration are usually myths. The most likely scenario in which these magical musical moments occur is one in which the musicians are very comfortable with the material.

Prepare the material. Copy neatly any written music that will be used during the session (make sure the engineer has charts also). Your arrangements should consider how the registers and timbres of various instruments could potentially conflict with one another in the final mix. For instance, emphasizing an active string bass part at the same time as a different active bassoon part will probably muddy up the mix. Be sure to choose keys and tempos that suit the material well, and consider the order in which you plan to record the pieces and additional instruments, if overdubs are part of the equation. Unless you plan to record everyone live (that is, simultaneously), the use of a click track can help tremendously when additional parts are overdubbed. I also recommend laying down a scratch track (a part that will not be in the final mix but that gives the musicians a guide with which to play) if the fundamental accompaniment parts and/or rhythm section will not be recorded on the initial take. Normally, the final leads or solos are recorded last.

Tweak your instruments. Make dead certain that your gear is in optimum working order.


Production
Relax. The studio environment can take a good musician out of his or her normal frame of mind. Stay relaxed and have fun. A technically flawless performance means nothing if it lacks soul and good vibes.

Be quiet. Wear quiet clothes and practice letting the sound decay to nothing (the ring-off) far longer than seems reasonable.