Arrive ready to perform, not to invent the plan.

A gospel session is a performance that happens to be recorded. The technical work should already be decided: the song, the key, the people, the files, and the person who may say “that was the take”. If those are still open when you reach North Beach, you will pay for a meeting.

Send this before the date is held

• The song, even as a voice note, plus the best bounce you have.
• Tempo and key, written down.
• Who is coming, and who is allowed to approve a take.
• Whether you need recording only, or production as well.
• The language of the lyric.
• Where the song has to live afterwards: a Sunday, a stream, a video, a radio edit.

If there is a backing track, export a wav from bar one, with a count-in if the singers need it. Label the file with the song title, not “final final 3”. Mute the scratch vocal or tell us to keep it as a guide. A guide that leaks into the live microphone is a problem you cannot politely ignore later.

What to bring into the room

Printed lyrics, in the spelling you want sung. A bottle of water. The performers, warmed up as far as you can without shouting in the car. Headphones if someone refuses to use any pair but their own, though the studio cans are there. Leave the entourage smaller than the cast. Friends can hear the rough mix afterwards.

Dress for a still room. A live room is not a stage with lights in your eyes, unless you have booked the video set on the same day, which is usually a mistake. Record first. Film the approved performance, or playback to picture, once you know which vocal you are keeping.

Decisions that should already be made

The structure. If the choir is unsure whether there is a bridge, do not discover that at the microphone. The lead. If two singers both believe the chorus is theirs, resolve it before the red light. The references. One or two records that show the vocal tone and the drum weight are useful. A playlist of fifteen songs is a delay.

On the day, listen back in the control room before you declare a take finished. Phone speakers lie in both directions. If you are tired, stop. A tired worship vocal recorded “because the team is here” is the take you will pay to replace. Book the length honestly. A lead vocal for a song you know can be a half day. A band is a day. A choir that has not rehearsed is not a booking we should pretend is quick.

When you leave, you should know what happens next: a rough mix to live with, then mixing, then mastering. Do not upload the rough because the group chat is excited. Excitement is not a master.

Questions this guide usually raises