What to Expect at Your First Recording Session in Chicago
Walking into a professional recording studio for the first time is exciting — and for most musicians, it’s nothing like they imagined. The process is more collaborative, more technical, and more forgiving than recording at home. Here’s exactly what to expect from the moment you book to the moment you walk out with a track ready for mixing.
Before Your Session: How to Prepare
The single biggest factor in how productive your session is? How prepared you are before you arrive.
What to do before your session:
- Know your material cold — rehearse your parts until they’re automatic
- If you’re recording vocals, avoid dairy, alcohol, and carbonated drinks the day of
- Stay hydrated in the days leading up — your voice will thank you
- If you’re a vocalist, have your lyrics printed or on a device you can read from the booth
- If you’re bringing instrumentalists, make sure everyone knows their parts
What you don’t need to worry about:
- Microphone selection, signal chain, levels — your engineer handles all of it
- Effects, reverb, EQ — those decisions happen during the producing step, after recording
- File formats, export settings — handled at the end of the session
Come prepared to perform. Everything else is your engineer’s job.
Deposits and Booking
Sessions at Untold Stories are confirmed only after a deposit is paid:
- Monday–Friday: $45 non-refundable deposit, covers the first hour
- Saturday: $180 non-refundable deposit, covers the 4-hour minimum
- Deposits must be paid within 15 minutes of scheduling — no exceptions
Sessions start at your confirmed arrival time. Arrive no more than 5 minutes early. If you don’t show, the deposit is forfeited — no exceptions.
Arriving at the Studio
Untold Stories Recordings is located in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood at 1007 West 19th Street — appointment only.
When you arrive, your engineer will walk you through the space, get you set up in the acoustically treated booth, and run a mic check. This typically takes 10–15 minutes. You’ll hear yourself through headphones and do a short test take so levels can be set properly.
First-time studio clients are often surprised by how quiet a properly treated booth is. You’ll hear nuances in your voice or instrument you’ve never noticed before. Give yourself a few minutes to settle in — it’s completely normal.
Step 1: Recording — Capturing Your Sound
Once levels are set, you record. At Untold Stories, the approach is straightforward: capture clean, authentic takes with premium analog gear and build from there.
Your engineer will:
- Select the right microphone for your voice or instrument
- Position you or your gear for optimal tone and isolation
- Monitor levels in real time to prevent clipping
- Flag problem takes so you know exactly what needs another pass
Gear you’ll be recorded through:
- Neumann U87 for vocals and primary sources
- Neumann KM 184 matched stereo pair for instruments and acoustic recording — the same microphones used on major label records
- Custom Neve 1073 setup with 6–9 bands of EQ, two flavors of 1176 compressor for peak control, and a 2A compressor for glue — all-analog hardware that produces warmth and presence digital processing can’t replicate
Recording vocals typically takes 2–4 hours. Instruments and full arrangements take similar time per part, with multiple takes for richness and layering. Even the simplest songs rarely wrap in under two hours — budget accordingly.
Step 2: Producing — Shaping Your Vision
After recording, you move into the producing step — and this is where first-timers are usually surprised. You’re not just a passive observer. You take the producer’s seat and guide the artistic decisions: distortion on a guitar, reverb on vocals, effects that define the character of the track.
Your engineer handles the technical execution. You handle the creative direction. Full ownership stays with you.
Producing can take as little as 30 minutes for a straightforward track or a full day for something complex and layered. You’ll end the step with a rough draft to review before moving to mixing.
Step 3: Mixing with Mastering — The Finished Product
If you’re purchasing mixing with mastering, this phase happens after your session. Your engineer spends 5–15 business days on the mix — balancing every element so nothing overpowers anything else, using stereo imaging for depth, and EQ-ing frequencies for a cohesive, professional sound.
Mastering is included at no extra charge. The finished track is delivered ready for streaming, distribution, or release.
Mixing with mastering starts at $250 per song for multitrack sessions. One free revision session is included after delivery. Additional revisions are billed hourly.
If you’re not purchasing mixing with mastering, you’ll leave with your raw recorded files — clean and ready to take to any mix engineer you choose.
How Long Will Your Session Take?
- Simple vocal session: 2–4 hours
- Full song (vocals + production): 4–8 hours
- Bands or multi-instrument sessions: 4+ hours per instrument or part
Sessions have a 4-hour minimum for recording-only bookings, and a Monday–Friday flexible minimum when mixing with mastering is included. Saturday always requires a 4-hour minimum.
Most first-timers book a half day (4 hours) and find it goes quickly. If you’re unsure, your engineer can help you estimate based on what you’re recording.
Payment
Accepted methods: Cash, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, and all major credit cards except Amex.
If mixing with mastering is being purchased, it’s paid in full before the work begins. Final masters are delivered in 5–15 business days.
Why Chicago Musicians Choose Untold Stories
Located in Pilsen at 1007 West 19th Street, Untold Stories Recordings has 185+ five-star Google reviews — the most reviews and highest rated recording studio in Chicago — and works with solo artists, vocalists, and bands across Chicago. The studio is built around one principle: a consequence-free creative space where you focus on the music and your engineer handles everything else.
Ready to book? Call (872) 444-6316 or book online.
