How To Trick Yourself Into Recording

I woke up at Procrastination Station this morning.

I knew “Recording Acoustic Guitar” was on my calendar, which was exciting to think about all week.

All the way up until I actually had to get it done.

I felt a little under the weather. I wasn’t sure if I had the right mic. Did my studio really sound good enough?

These are the thoughts that run through your head when “Resistance” is actively trying to sabotage your creativity.

So I told myself,

Let’s just set up this mic stand real quick before I take my daughter to daycare.

I knew I wanted a bright sound, so I grabbed my Aston Origin, thinking, I don’t know if this will work but let’s start here.

My daughter wasn’t quite ready to go yet because she was still helping Lara Croft for Toddlers Dora the Explorer with something crucially important. So I went back into the studio.

Let’s just plug this mic in real quick to check the level.

Unsurprisingly, levels were good, and all systems were go.

At that point, it was time to drop off my daughter, so before I left, I quickly opened the session in Logic.

Just in case.

15 minutes later, I found myself back in the studio. I was still wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, my morning uniform for puttering around the house. And I was cold, so I threw on the Icelandic wool sweater my mom knitted for me.

I was hardly ready to record, looking like that. This is NOT how recording artists look!

I shuffled around the microphone in my slippers, trying to find a good spot for the mic in the room.

For when I actually start the recording session, I told myself.

I was mostly set up, and I figured that I should probably go get ready. I wanted to soak in the hot tub and take a shower before I “showed up” at the studio.

Not to delay anything but to make sure I was really ready…

But since I was already here, I might as well check how it sounded through the headphones.

To make sure it sounds good.

For later.

When I start recording.

I sat down, tuned the guitar, and armed the track.

Let’s make sure it sounds good in the headphones, I said to nobody in particular.

And since we’re here, we might as well do a practice take, somebody else said. I looked around, and there was nobody there.

But I had to agree.

Might as well test out the setup. See how it sounds. Then, it’ll be ready to go when I return to the studio.

After I get ready to record.

Three and a half minutes later, I had a take.

That felt good. Let’s adjust the levels a bit. Get the headphone mix dialed in.

After the headphones felt better, why not get a feel for the sound in the mix? What better way to do that than another take?

The second take was fun. I could groove better with the drums in that take.

So I decided to do another one for good measure. I figured I could always throw them away. These were practice takes, anyway.

To get ready.

For later.

When I start recording.

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