Recording a demo live

Hopefully, in around a month we'll be recording a demo. I guess when it comes to demos almost everyone wants to achieve a balance between quality and keeping the hours down.

I was thinking that it would be ideal if we could just get the band in there, get the instrument positioning and mics organised and go for it.

Has your band made a real no-fuss demo - fast and cheap, yet it sounded great and got you gigs? How did you manage it? Links appreciated.

Cheers!

No links available Polly, sorry, but I've done that several times in the past and it works very well if done correctly. Wish I'd done that on our last demo to be honest. Anyhow, a few basic observations. The more you're likely to want to go back in & fix stuff after the initial recording, the greater level of physical instrument separation you'll need. If you're going for the record everything in one room option, (great way of doing it IMO) then the room acoustics become very important indeed. A vocal screen is still a good idea as this allows for greater processing options later. A drum screen also serves to cut down on bleed to other instruments without going the total isolation route. I'm a great fan of boundry mics in such recording situations. Really allows you to play the room sound (sadly lacking on our last recording). I like the warts & all approach to gig getting demo recordings. Just keep playing until there aren't any howlers in there & the vibe is right. Good luck.

Thanks Andy. That all sounds sensible to me. I've recorded in a drum booth before and it feels sterile.

I'm really ambivalent On one hand, recording full band takes has the potential to get the best vibe and is generally the quickest and cheapest. The danger is, everyone might peak on a take while one player messes up royally.