Keep the decisions connected.
The best session plan leaves enough room for a performance to surprise you. It also makes the practical next step clear.
From first listen to final files.
- 01
Listen first
Share the current version and identify what needs to change. Agree the priority before choosing a technique or adding another part.
- 02
Set the session
Plan the room, the musicians and the recording order. Give setup and listening time a real place in the schedule.
- 03
Make a considered pass
Capture or develop the work in useful stages. Take short listening breaks rather than making every decision at maximum volume.
- 04
Review and deliver
Gather feedback in one place, agree revisions and confirm the final file list. Keep session and release versions clearly named.
Leave with more than a bounce.
Before wrapping up, confirm what was recorded, what remains open and where the working files will live. Agree who keeps the session archive and for how long.
If the next stage involves another engineer, ask what they need before exporting. Organised files, a short note on the intended sound and a reliable tempo map can be more useful than a long chain of unexplained processing.
Working together
How should we send feedback?
Use one agreed version, collect comments from the people who make the final decision and add time references where they help.
Are revisions included?
The number and scope of revisions depend on the project agreement. A new arrangement or a newly recorded part may change the work required.