Band Recording
GoatHead Audio records full bands on location. We bring a multitrack rig that handles up to 26 simultaneous channels, enough to mic every drum, every amp, every vocal, and every DI individually. The whole band plays together and every instrument gets its own isolated track for mixing.
How Band Sessions Work
We set up at your rehearsal space, garage, or wherever you play. Mic placement is tailored to the room and your instrumentation. Kick, snare, toms, overheads for drums. Mics on amps. DI for bass. Vocal mics. Whatever the band needs.
After sound check, you run through your songs. Take as many passes as you need. Per-song pricing means there's no hourly clock. Most full bands get through 2-3 songs in a 4-hour session depending on complexity and preparation.
What You Receive
Stems: Individual WAV files for every mic channel. $50/song.
Mixdown: Balanced stereo mix with EQ, compression, panning, effects. $100/song.
Mix & Master Basic: Release-ready production. $150/song.
Mix & Master Pro: Premium production with advanced processing. $300/song.
Setup fee: $150 per 4-hour session (covers 2-3 songs).
Prepare Your Band
Know your songs. Run through them at rehearsal before the session. Tune your instruments. Bring fresh strings and fresh drumheads if yours are worn. Have a song order in mind.
The better prepared you are, the more you'll get out of the session. We handle the engineering. You just need to play your parts.
Tracking Order and Managing Bleed
On a live band take, every open mic hears more than its own source: the snare leaks into the vocal mic, the guitars spill into the drum overheads. We manage that from the first mic up, positioning amps and drums for separation, aiming cardioid mics away from the loudest neighbors, and keeping the loudest sources off shared walls. That gives us enough isolation to fix one instrument later without disturbing the rest.
When a song needs tighter control, we track in passes: drums and a scratch guitar first, then overdub the rest against that foundation. Most bands land in between, tracking the rhythm section live for feel and overdubbing lead guitar and vocals after.
Getting a Tight Take
A click track keeps tempo consistent across takes and makes editing painless later, but not every band plays well to one. If the feel suffers, we drop the click and track to the band's own pocket. Either way, we run a scratch pass first to set headphone balances and catch arrangement issues before the takes that count.
We usually keep two or three full passes of each song so there are options in the mix: a chorus from take two, a bridge from take three. Per-song pricing means there is no penalty for chasing the right take instead of settling for the first one that gets through.