In this episode of Prepping for the Studio, hosts Roy Silverstein and Brian Scheuble are joined by engineer/mixer/beat maker, Justin Truelove, a longtime guest engineer at Rarefied Recording who specializes in Rap/Hip Hop.

Justin shares his background, early starts with Pro Tools, GarageBand, and Reaper, and how he moved into recording rappers through local connections.

We discuss what hip hop artists should prioritize when choosing a studio and engineer, purchasing beats properly, and building relationships with producers.

We cover practical prep: rehearse delivery, memorizing lyrics, managing comfort and psychology in the booth, and avoiding an over-reliance on autotune, amongst other topics.

00:00 Intro

00:41 Meet Justin Truelove

01:42 Justin’s Early Recording Journey

03:08 From GarageBand to Reaper

05:56 Finding Rarefied Recording

08:22 Why Hip Hop Artists Choose Studios

10:23 Gear Basics and Engineer Fit

13:25 Session Goals and Prep Files

15:47 Beats, Stems, and Better Mixes

19:29 Working with Local Producers

23:10 Beat Licensing Explained

24:40 Buying beats Versus Collaboration with a Producer

26:34 Autotune Tips

29:32 Vocal Prep And Practice

34:35 Studio Psychology And Comfort

36:46 Last Minute Hip Hop Sessions

38:59 How Long Recording Takes

42:53 Deliverables

44:13 Substances And Session Etiquette

46:30 Be On Time!

48:38 Wrap Up And Contact

49:02 Outro

Check out Justin on Instagram:

@mixedbytruelove

Please visit http://www.preppingforthestudio.com for more info and to download the free ebook, "A Musician's Guide To The Recording Studio".

Hosts:

Roy Silverstein of Rarefied Recording (www.rarefiedrecording.com)

and

Brian Scheuble (www.brianscheuble.com)

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions please email Roy: info@rarefiedrecording.com

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