As a musician, studio engineer and producer, I’ve heard a lot of different bands, be it in clubs, friend’s places, etc. One thing I can never stress enough is record a band rehearsal. Simple reason, all of us think we are sounding amazing when we are in the zone. You are playing along and hitting each note perfectly, but are you really as tight and great sounding as you think?
To record yourself isn’t hard. When I was starting out, we used to record ourselves with a cassette deck and a $5.00 stereo microphone that I bought at Radio Shack (now The Source in Canada) You simply need something that’ll give you a decent enough sound to listen back later.
Why do this? Because you want to hear what the audience would be hearing. There were times when I would play back something that in the moment thought was simply our best work and listened back and truly heard what was played and decided against it. It can also help mold the band into that tight sounding group we all want. Hearing yourself as a group will make you aware of what the other players are doing and playing.
Rose-coloured headphones
This process doesn’t work for everyone, some people’s hearing will distort what is being played and it will sound either amazing or poor to them. I’ve worked with people who simply focus on what they were playing and tune out what everyone else was playing and think it sounds amazing, yet, their part is either out of time or off key. Once I was able to break them of this, the band’s cohesion improved.
Listen to yourself! Really listen!
Do a proper sound check, record about a minute worth of a song, listen back and make sure you can hear all the instruments, then record some or all your songs. Make copies for each of you, with MP3’s now a days it is so easy! Take it with you and listen to it; through headphones; in your car; through your stereo. Take notes, what do you like, what needs improvement and what can be dropped. The next time you get together with the band, listen together and share your notes. You might not agree on everything, but at least you have a better understanding on what you sound like to the rest of the world.
— Mike