Recording: set up in control room or in live room?

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 4 Mar 2010 9:39 am

Hey all,

When you all are on sessions either doing overdubs or when tracking with a whole band, do you prefer to be in the control room with the artist (if they are there)and the engineer or out in the control room near your amp?

I am looking for responses from players who like me are doing at least one session or more per week.

Thanks a lot for this, I am personally trending towards setting up near my amp again after years in the control room, that way it's easier to make sure I can hear myself without having to be the "Can I have more me?" guy.

Thanks for the replies you all.

Got my first Spanish-language artist session tonight...

Gerald

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 4 Mar 2010 11:13 am

since things i record on don't usually end up on the radio anyway, i prefer to be in the control room where you have instant connection with the producer/engineer. usually recording direct into the board.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 4 Mar 2010 11:24 am

Back when I got the calls, before everyone found out that I suck, I pretty much sat where they told me to sit. Since everything I heard was in the cans, it really didn't matter whether I was near the amp, and more often than not, especially if I was using a rack, I would go direct.

In the cans, I could get the mix I wanted which usually was tracks on the left, me on the right and click in the center. If I was near the amp and needed to hear it, I could lift up the right earphone.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 4 Mar 2010 11:28 am

On the rare occasion I'm tracking with a full band I'd prefer to be in the tracking room interacting with the other players. But 95% of the sessions I do are overdubs, I have a studio rack I bring so I can just hand the engineer a stereo feed and as Chris says, have easier communication with producer, engineer, and/or artist.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 6 Mar 2010 10:21 pm

Moved to the "Recording" section of the forum.

Dave Boothroyd · Post by **Dave Boothroyd** » 7 Mar 2010 1:25 am

My favourite set up is for me to be in the control room, but with the amp mic'd up in the live room.
You get the benefits of allowing the amp to blow away the cobwebs without subjecting yourself to mega decibels.
Cheers

Dave

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 7 Mar 2010 2:28 am

there is no right or wrong, it's all scenario dependent. I don't do many sessions but when I do it's a CxxP shoot, sometimes I am in the control room and other times in the studio..but..my amp was always in a separate room. I like it when I am actually talking to the producer while playing or tracking...especially when they know nothing of Steel guitars or adding Steel phrases.

I have sat in on Nville Demo sessions where they were all just plugged in and playing live , all right there in the big studio room. Amps mic'd in enclosures, playing low volume wearing cans.... A good engineer and a good studio can make that happen...

t