One week in a residential RECORDING studio with your band to record your album.
- sunrisestudiosamui
- 31 mai
- 6 min de lecture
Dernière mise à jour : 6 juin
You're planning to make an album with your band. You're currently searching for a recording studio that will give birth to your songs. How about spending a few days in a residential studio with your band for a different experience than traditional recording sessions? We'll explain right away...
How does a recording session in a studio work?
Actually, it depends on the type of recording studio. The most common approach is to book hours or days in a studio. There are two options: either you record live, or you record the instruments one by one, then the vocals. Depending on the genre of music and the desired atmosphere, the sound engineer will select certain types of microphones in order to offer the best possible combination. You'll make the final adjustments in the live room, and then, the sound engineer presses the "rec" button, and it's your turn! Depending on the sound engineer's skills and "ears," he will help you get the best possible takes. Once you've completed all the recordings (over one or more sessions), CONGRATULATIONS! The sound engineer will quickly send you the tracks so you can move on to the next steps: editing, mixing, and mastering.
How does a live recording session work?
The sound engineer will prepare the live room to ensure the instruments and vocals sound their best. The room's acoustic, the placement of the musicians and instruments, and the choice and position of the microphones will all be determining factors in the quality of the recording, and nothing will be left to chance.
Why do some musicians choose to record live rather than each instrument individually? Live recording has the advantage of bringing a group energy that isn't necessarily found when recording individually. However, it requires that you be prepared, that is, that you know your songs and have a good command of your instruments. Vocals can be recorded separately.
The advantage of recording instruments one by one is that it gives you more freedom but takes more time. You record the drums, then the percussion, pianos, guitars, bass, and other string instruments, then the lead vocals and backing vocals. You can start over as many times as you like, and even if you need to make corrections during the editing phase, it will be much easier for the mixing engineer because he won't have that infamous bleed effect (the guitar amp mic picking up the sound of the snare drum and bass, for example).
Depending on your preferences, your level, your habits, the number of musicians, etc., it's up to you to choose the type of recording that suits you best!
How to choose the perfect recording studio?
There are some criteria that seem obvious: location (close to home), quality of infrastructure (soundproof rooms, acoustic modules and treatments), quality of equipment (microphones, software, sound cards, instruments, etc.), price (let's not spend money we don't have, but let's try to find a quality studio within our budget!), the experience of the sound engineer, and the studio's reputation (does it have good reviews, do clients seem satisfied?).
What are the other important criteria when choosing a recording studio?
These could be:
- The residential studio
This is another recording studio concept. The residential studio is a two-in-one solution: it's accommodation with an on-site recording studio. It's the opportunity to spend several days with your band composing, writing, and recording. You sleep on-site. Your only concern is making music and enjoying the moment. So, of course, if after a day with your band, you can't stand each other anymore, the residential studio might not be the option for you. 😊 Although the experience could strengthen your bond...
- The skills of the music professional who will be working with you
Is the sound engineer also a mixing engineer? If so, they will have very useful insight and will be able to guide you during the recording session because they know what it takes to create a good mix.
Basically, if the sound engineer has other skills (musician, producer, mixing engineer, etc.), he will be able to help you more broadly during the recording session.
- The mentality, energy, and atmosphere in the recording studio
It's difficult to deliver a great performance if you don't feel comfortable in the recording studio! You need to feel confident with the people working there to be able to deliver your best performance.
The real question is, what experience do you want to have with your band?
If you're eager to experience the unique adventure of a residential studio, we invite you to join us in Koh Samui, Thailand, to spend a few incredible days dedicated to your expectations and music.
The recording studio will be entirely private for you and made available to you for the duration of your artist residency, from 5 days. With this artist residency option, it's as if you're only paying for the studio rental (we'll provide room and board!). The first artist pays the full rate, and a sliding scale applies to the rest of your band.
You'll live with Liam Colin, the founder of Sunrise Studio, a talented musician, sound engineer, and producer, in his home nestled in the heart of a lush garden, in tune with nature and local culture. Sunrise Studio is a professional recording studio, developed with the help of a renowned acoustician and equipped with high-end, high-performance equipment. It can accommodate up to five musicians for live recording sessions.
The program for this residency is up to you, based on your needs: recording of instruments and vocals, support for composition and production, vocal or instrumental coaching, and artistic guidance.
Packages are available, all including studio access, the presence of a sound engineer, full board, and accommodation. The length of stay is adapted according to your needs. To discover artist testimonials and the various packages, click here.
Discover the experience of MOHANIK, a band of 4 musicians from Mongolia, at Sunrise Studio in January 2025 who came to record their new album.
This is the story of Mongolian band who dreamed of getting together to record their second album.
Their first album, AT AMARBAYASGALANT, was recorded 13 years ago (in 2012, in a monastery in Mongolia).
Two of the musicians now live in Australia; the other two are still based in Mongolia.
It's been a few years since they last played together...
It's a real event for them...to see each other again after so many years, to play together again. They manage to organize their schedules and choose an easily accessible destination: Thailand. They decided to meet for about ten days in Bangkok to work on new songs together, before beginning their artist residency at Sunrise Studio.
When they arrive at Sunrise Studio, the magic begins. Everyone gets their bearings and the musicians meet Liam and Chloé, the founders of Sunrise Studio. The initial shyness quickly gives way to the joy of meeting and working together.
During this week-long residency, they work with Liam Colin on the new songs: arranging, producing, recording, mixing, and mastering.
All the songs are recorded live. In the morning, they rehearse the songs. In the afternoon, they record them. Then, the vocals are recorded separately.
When they're not working in the studio, they enjoy getting together by the pool or in the lounge to chat, drink a few beers over a pool game, share their experiences and their different cultures, or explore Koh Samui...
At the end of the residential recording studio, the result is 8 songs produced and recorded and an experience that touched them all deeply.
The album is mixed and mastered.
The first single was released on May 30, 2025 and is called AWAKENING.
Mohanik will be at the Playtime Music Festival in Ulaanbaatar, from July 3rd to 6th, for the largest and oldest annual music festival in Mongolia. They're expecting 30,000 attendees per day! Mohanik will be performing his new album there ! They will play on July 6th on the main stage!
And to discover testimonials from artists who have visited Sunrise Studio, click here...
You might be next :-)
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