The Basics of a Recording Session
A good recording is built just like a house... you have to have a good foundation! That means we start with click track or if you have a drummer, some stick clicks.
If the song is in 4/4, you need a minimum of 4 clicks before the intro so any tracks which follow will be able to know when to start playing. If the song is in 3/4, then I would suggest a minimum of 6 clicks prior to the intro.
Once you start to lay your basic rhythm tracks, you might want to record what's called a "scratch vocal." This will let the other musicians, or you, know where you are in the song as the song progresses. You will keep this scratch vocal until the end of the production and replace it with the intended vocal after most of the instruments are recorded. Go easy on the adding of a lot of EQ or effects.
If you are working alone and play all the instruments yourself, you might be using an electronic drum machine for the drums. In that case, record the drum machine or drum track with one of the rhythm instruments such as keyboards or guitar.
At this point you can start "sweetening" the track with additional instruments such as bass or additional keyboard or guitar fills and leads (or any other instrument of your choosing). Remember: Less is more! Don't crowd the track.
Just because you have a tambourine or maracas or jingle bells, it doesn't mean you have to use it.. When using a synth to emulate other instruments, play as the real musicians would. For example, a sax can only produce one note at a time, and the same is true for most wind and brass instruments. Don’t play multiple notes at once and call it a horn section—layer each part individually. Remember, even skilled horn players don’t hit every note at the exact same millisecond. Those subtle timing variations, when layered, make horn sections or strings sound realistic.
Take a break and really listen to what you've done so far. Be critical and correct any mistakes or slipups. Don't fall into the trap of "We'll fix it in the mix."
When you're listening to your playback, don't listen at a really loud level. Sometimes a loud volume hides some pretty awesome errors. Listen at a really low level, then at a medium level. Don't burn out your ears!
Make a copy of the track on a CD or a thumb drive which you can play in your vehicle just as if it was already on the radio. If you like what you hear, take it back your system and you're ready to do your actual finished vocals. Hopefully, you are using a system with enough tracks that you can isolate each segment on its own track.
Now, do the finish work on your lead and background vocals (or lead instrument is this is an instrumental recording.
Repeat step # 9 and take the copy to your vehicle and see how the blend sound on a consumer-grade audio system (your car stereo). Sound good? Congratulations!