RECORD YOUR DEMO
You have written some cracking tracks and cannot wait to unleash them on the world. Now comes the next step, recording your demo. A demo is your chance to show your star quality, yet most people have to try and find a balance between quality and cost, as recording studios in the UK can be prohibitively expense. So, if you are on a budget, you may be rushed for time, thus, hurrying your recording and compromising your sound.

At this stage, you are, or you should be, fully committed to your project and be willing to do what it takes. However, it is unnerving watching the clock tick by knowing that every minute is costing you, and you get nervous, making more mistakes, potentially ruining your big chance. You can go for broke and try to record under these circumstances, or, you can be prudent, and look for studios outside the UK and western Europe.

Most airlines offer extremely cheap return flights to eastern European destinations. Who knows, the new scenery may inspire you to write even better tracks. Once you have arrived in a country like Bulgaria, you should check out one of the many recording studios owned by British citizens who have moved over to take advantage of the fantastic value for money offered. They can afford to run studios with the best of equipment, yet offer its clients extremely inexpensive studio time and accommodation. The price difference is so great in fact, that it easily covers any flight costs.

Now that you have dealt with the price constraint problem, it’s time to record your demo. On your first day, ensure that everything is planned out. Only those who need to be present at a particular time for recording should be there to avoid studio fatigue. Use your first hour to set up all your equipment the way you want it. Next, set up the sounds for your respective instruments, drums, bass etc. Then, try to record 3-4 basic tracks followed by the inevitable re-recordings of the same tracks. This should be followed by overdubbing, vocals and finally mixing.

Really efficient musicians will muster this in a few days. However, the beauty of recording in an eastern European studio is that there is no rush. Their time costs you less money, allowing you the freedom to relax and produce inspirational work. Far from being a stressful experience, recording your demo should be incredible fun, the opportunity to spread your creative wings, so just enjoy it!