Session Prep Checklist
Decide everything that can be decided early, so the people in the room only have to play.
Related
The problem
On a session day the most expensive thing is not gear but everyone's time. A prep list exists to decide in advance everything that can be decided, so the people in the room only have to play.
Signal chain
The list starts with the music: key, tempo, instrumentation. Then microphones, cables, headphone mixes and file naming. Every item is confirmed before the first take, so nothing has to be redesigned on the floor while the clock runs.
Placement and settings
Send a reference and a tempo map in advance and confirm that everyone hears the same version. Build the project and name the tracks per song, with rate and bit depth fixed. Bring spare stands, cables, backup drives and labels, and allow an hour for setup.
What to listen for
Record thirty seconds before the session and check the whole chain: hum, bleed, phase, and whether each player can hear themselves in the cue. Only then invite the performers in.
Common misconceptions
- Checklists are for beginners → experience shows what a missing item costs.
- A sound check can be skipped → the problem then appears during the take.
- Longer preparation is always better → you prepare decisions, not piles of gear.
Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Sources
- Huber and Runstein, Modern Recording Techniques, session preparation chapters
- AES Convention paper on studio documentation and session planning
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.