It's really up to you and your band, if you are a member of any, and how much you've rehearsed. If you're doing acoustic songs (seems like so, since you haven't mentioned any other members – you can be a one-man band though!) it should be smooth and 3 days to record 6 songs it's just fine. Acoustic songs are far more easy to do than full-band ones, just make sure you got a good sound by positioning the mics right

However, if you want to produce it yourself you'll need more time. Let us know.

Thomas I'll be accompanied by my stepmother who is a professional violonist and a friend drummer. I'll play acoustic and electric guitars and probably bass and bit of piano, aswell. I have already demoed most of the songs on here (acoustically) but as I'm constantly writing, I don't know with what songs I will end up, and so maybe I'd swap the piano, that I'd play for only two tunes at the moment.

Echoing what Thomas said in that you will need more time if you are self producing.

The way to approach the recording side if it were me is based on the band you have mentioned (I am assuming you have a studio engineer for recording at this point)-

Lay down rhythm section of yourself on electric guitar and the drummer, then overdub the bass, vocals and other parts (acoustic guitar, violin) as you go, you are looking at recording one song including overdubs per half day on the time that you have said you will be booking into the studio. You will need to allow time for retakes, particularly for guitar parts if you are looking to nail a particular sound.

Remember that if you are looking for a 'live' feel you can still use say an electric guitar for a rhythm part which on the whole is easier to record with a drummer, and then erase it's track and replace with an acoustic guitar once the drums are down for example. There is a good article on band recordings for things such as acoustic guitars, drums and avoiding things like overspill here- SoundonSound



As a future option for a songwriter on a budget there are home based programs for home recordings, and other software such as EZDrummer which also cost money up front but once purchased can provide long term value for reusing. Let us know how you get on 

It varies wildly rates wise, and also depends where you are based? (Sorry I can't remember where you are from!  )

As an example a studio I regularly do sessions (and accounts!) for charges £200 per day for an 8 hour session, or £160 for a six hour session to include the in house sound engineer. That equates to a round €253 or €202 for a clean and maintained studio using a decent console and equipment set up.

It is worth cautioning against using the cheapest possible studio as you will find most are cheap for a very good reason. Old or poorly maintained equipment can seriously impair the quality of a recording and you will find that you saved £100 on fees but have a finished product you wouldn't want to actually put out.

I know I keep mentioning it but if you are serious about songwriting and producing your own music on a regular basis then it may be worth once again looking into investing into some home equipment, perhaps building up a home studio gradually- it will cut costs for most solo recording projects and you should only need a professional studio for full band or contracted work which hopefully with the latter someone else will be footing the bill anyway!


Good luck with the recordings and let us know if we can help with any other advice  

much respect to you lubeck, and i wish you the best of luck.

Good luck man!

@driver7 keke Thanks guys

This feels like something that would require more than three days. If you've really only explored through acoustic demos, even with practice sessions with the people you are playing with, you'll most likely explore more of the songs through the recording process than most people would. I would try to create more realized demos before going into the studio. Get some decent equipment on your own, make some three piece click track timed demos, and then go into the actual recording process with a more defined idea of what you may be looking for on the songs.

I agree with guigsy. I would lay down the rhythm and drums first. Then overdub every thing else. Strings should be the last instrument laid down, and depending on what else you're using, vocals the second to last. I would say that most finicky portion of recording, and what is going to define your sound, will be how you mic up the drums. The drums define the song in my opinion. More so than guitar tone or vocals. It's the drums. The more mics you go with, the more precise the sound you want. The less mics you go with, the more you'll start progressing toward 50/60's sound, and the more bleed you may have. There are obviously, standard and default mic set-ups you can go with. However, I have always found that the largest amount of your recording time will require, re-takes, equipment set-up, soundchecking, and then the movement of those mics, especially if you want a live sound or if you want room noise. The mic set-up for Bowie's vocals on Heroes for example require three mics at varying distances. Without knowing the space I'm recording in, I would worry most about mic placement, especially if I were going for a specific sound. Lastly, any instrument on any part will take you at least 5-10 more takes than you think it will. When recording at a studio, at least a third of your time will not be spent recording the actual songs. That is why it will be imperative for your band to be fully practiced and acquainted with the songs and their parts.

Personally, I have rarely been in a 'professional' recording studio. I have usually demoed on my own, practiced with my band, and typically I have had friends who have more than solid recording equipment, space, and techniques. I've always paid a flat fee, which has always worked best because then I can work on a project for as long as I want without watching the clock run (which in my opinion, is not a good way to make music), and I can live with the songs and re-assess what I have and then change it later. So you're always growing with a song, even if you've had it for some time. My best memories of recording have always been, staying up till late with a couple beers, recording, going to sleep, eating breakfast at the recording space, and continuing recording. You and the producer get on a good page together. Now obviously, not everyone has the luxury to do this, but I guess my grander point is don't be in a rush to put out an EP for the sake of having some songs. Continue to grow those songs. I rushed my first EP, and I regretted it later. If you can find the opportunity to take slower, then do it. Get it the way you want it. Get it to the best you can, and not the best you can get at the moment. It'll be an overall more excited experience.

Good luck!

If you haven't played any gigs then not many people outside your circle of friends will have any idea of your music- it would be best perhaps to postpone recording and instead build up your reputation playing open mic nights and gigs wherever you can first, either just you and a guitar or with a band- I thought you were gigging already for some reason  

The benefits will be that you hone your songs live and find out what is working , which ones people like, which ones to drop, etc. before spending money on recording, which in turn will allow you time to build up the money to record an EP. You may also find after gigging and maybe being in a band that your songs and/or style changes substantially, and so you may make your first recordings without the people you initially planned- this isn't necessarily a bad thing or a slight on them, but rather a natural progression of your music.

Depending on where you go to University you may find a good local music scene with perhaps rehearsal rooms and studios to meet other musicians and play gigs, so don't put all your eggs into one basket by rushing to complete an EP because of other things going on in your life- you have time to develop your live sound and songs first 

I have shared some of my songs on a songwriting forum and the feedbacks weren't very positive at all. I guess I need to write better songs to record an EP, better than the ones I have in my pocket at the moment.

I do agree with "acceptance is limiting". I write for myself but I also want to be as good as possible and to record things really as good as possible. It's more perfectionism

If you're well practiced and are doing full day sessions in the studio. 3 days is a decent amount of time to at least track 6 songs. I've done a bit of recording on both sides of the glass (engineer and musician), and things can get off track pretty quickly when dealing with artistic types, and that can cost you a bit of money and can be a bit troubling to manage.

It's different for each session and with each band I've found. I've done 6 songs in a day in a professional studio and about half of it came out alright. Last fall I did some recording at a friends house, which has a very professional setup/feel for the environment and we cut two songs in a span of 2.5 days with regards to tracking. Mixing and mastering took a couple of months.

Being a perfectionist is a double edge sword that many creative struggle with. NEVER compromise you art or "settle" for anything less than your best. If you have to rehearse, re-record, a song 15 times, then do it 15 times. It needs to be right for you (and whom you're working with), before it can be right for anyone else. That said, don't get caught up insane details of it all, b/c honestly there's SO many great songs that aren't perfect and end of being perfect anyways. Taking creative breaks is healthy and allows you to gain some perspective on your work.

Also not to be a debbie downer, this is more encouragement than anything, but sometimes it'll take awhile. To get that awesome song sorted out, to get that guitar part EQed just right, etc. Art is about the journey as much as it is a finished work. Fall in love with the process. Yeah the best songs, tend to come in spur of the moment inspiration, but enjoy and learn from the parts that make it frustrating. If the songs don't come out right the first time you pay to go into the studio, don't fret over it too much. Definitely Maybe went though like 5984930323 mixes and hands before it became the record we know it as. Just keep writing, and find people who understand you as an artist and what you are trying to do. Working with great people, either in a band or in a producer setting makes creating so much easier and more enjoyable, especially in the earlier stages of development.