What a Typical Day in the Recording Studio Looks Like

09:30 AM: Gearing Up for Creativity

A typical day at Uptown Studios London begins at 9:30 AM, ready to create, record, mix, and master a song entirely from scratch. Once the studio is powered up and teas & coffeees have been served, we'll play through your song on a piano or guitar, making sure we're happy with both the tempo and the structure. Next, we'll record the chord progression and map out the "geogrpahy" of the song into Pro Tools, inserting markers for the various sections, (verses, choruses, etc). Once that's done, we'll record a quick 1-take guide vocal (no pressure)! just to make sure that any instrumentation we add later works with the vocal melody.

10:00 AM: Recording & Programming the Instrumental

Next, the fun begins! This is where we start choosing sounds, experimenting with grooves and laying down beats & basslines. We generally start with the drums and bass to make sure we have a solid foundation for the song, but there are no rules. If we find a killer synth sound that leads the way, (or any other sound or melody that you have in mind), we can lay that down first and play or program the rest of the instruments around that. We'd record guitars and any other live instruments during this time too. This process is highly collaborative and requires a mix of creativity and technical skill to ensure that everything aligns with your vision for the song.

Once the instrumentation & arrangement is complete, I'll do a rough mix to make sure that the balance of all the instruments feels good and sounds as inspiring as possile in preparation for the vocal recording. (This is probably a good time to grab a bite and a breather too).

2:00 PM: Recording Vocals

Vocals are always the most important element of any song and we'll make sure we get the best possible results, (after all, vocals are our speciality here at Uptown Studios). When it comes to recording in the booth, every singer is different: some want their vocals really loud with plenty of reverb in their headphones, some hate reverb and some don't want to hear themselves at all! We'll take some time to experiment and get you as comfortable and as inspired as possible. There's no pressure to record a great take from beginning to end because we'll record plenty of takes (plus a few just to warm up) and then stitch the best bits together when we 'comp' (compile) the vocals later.

Again, this part of the process is very collaborative. I work closely with you to capture the best takes. Whether it’s guiding you to achieve the right emotion in your vocals, adjusting the lighting or mic placement, we work together to get everything just right.

After the recording, we'll listen back and choose the best bits from each take to create the perfect vocal performance. I'll then whip through and clean up any mouth smacks, tummy rumbles, and edit any lines that need nudging or tuning.

4:00 PM: Mixing & Mastering the Track

This is where the magic happens. A lot of artists do themselves a disservice by creating a great production, but then not getting their work mixed properly. The result: a song that sounds lke a demo instead of a record. Again you're in safe hands at Uptown Studios as plenty of big artists and producers from around the world send us their projects to mix & master here.

Mixing involves balancing the levels, processing individual channels, adding effects and making sure every element of the song blends seamlessly. I meticulously adjust each track to bring out the best in the vocals and the instruments. At Uptown studios, we mix into our mastering chain, meaning that the mixing and mastering is done simultaneously. Mastering involves refining the final mix, ensuring it sounds polished and professional across all playback systems using specialised tools to enhance the track’s overall sound, adding the final touches that make the song ready for release. This phase demands a keen ear and a thorough understanding of audio dynamics.

5:00 PM: Review and Final Adjustments

Time now to listen to the completed track and make any final tweaks to ensure you're 100% happy. This is a moment of satisfaction and pride, There's nothing like seeing a day’s hard work culminate in a polished, ready-to-release song, and no better feeling than having your musical vision come to life.

5:30 PM: Wrapping Up

And that's it! Your song is ready to release with pride and confidence. Each day at Uptown Studios is a blend of creativity, technical expertise and collaboration, resulting in a new piece of music ready to share with the world.