Recording studio Survival Guide

When it comes to recording studios, it’s easy to obsess over gear—the mics, preamps, monitors, and plugins that shape your sound. But while equipment is critical, it’s often the overlooked details that make or break a session. A forgotten cable, an overheated amp, or even a lack of snacks can grind the creative process to a halt. That’s where this Studio Survival Guide comes in. It’s a practical checklist for everything beyond the gear—cleaning supplies, tools, food, and creature comforts—that keeps sessions running smoothly and everyone focused on making great music. Whether you’re a seasoned engineer or a first-time studio owner, this guide ensures you’re prepared for anything, so the session never skips a beat.

Cleaning Supplies

  • Cable ties (for organizing cables)
  • Compressed air cans (for cleaning gear)
  • Contact cleaner/lube (for maintaining electrical contacts)
  • Deodorant (for personal hygiene during long sessions)
  • Dust covers (for protecting equipment not in use)
  • Fingernail clippers (for personal grooming)
  • First aid kit (for emergencies)
  • Javex, mop, broom (for cleaning floors and surfaces)
  • Light bulbs (for replacing burnt-out lights)
  • Microfiber cloths (for cleaning delicate surfaces like screens or instruments)
  • Mouthwash (for freshening breath)
  • Q-tips (for detailed cleaning of gear or instruments)
  • Rubbing alcohol (for cleaning and disinfecting)
  • Sink (for general cleaning and handwashing)
  • Towel per person (for personal use or spills)
  • Washroom Stock  (for personal hygiene and convenience)

Food

  • Apple juice (for hydration or snacks)
  • Aspirin or Tylenol (for headaches or minor pain)
  • Bottle of scotch (for celebratory or relaxing moments)
  • Breath mints (for freshening breath)
  • Candy, fruit, nuts, sodas, bottled water (for snacks and refreshments)
  • Coffee grinder and beans (for fresh coffee preparation)
  • Condiments (for enhancing food)
  • Cough drops (for soothing sore throats)
  • Drugs (medicinal, herbal, recreational) (as appropriate for the session)
  • Glasses (one per person) (for drinks)
  • Lemon juice, coffee (with all the fixings), tea, herbal tea (for beverages)
  • Local restaurant menu book (for ordering takeout)
  • Microwave or toaster oven (for cooking/warming food)
  • Mini freezer (for ice or frozen snacks)
  • Non-alcoholic beverage alternatives (e.g., sparkling water or mocktails)
  • Plates (for serving food)
  • Reusable water bottles (to reduce waste)
  • Silverware (for eating meals)
  • Snacks for dietary restrictions (e.g., gluten-free, vegan options)

Furnishings

  • Ashtrays (if smoking is permitted)
  • Chairs for everyone (for seating during sessions)
  • Coat rack (for storing outerwear)
  • Comfortable seating (e.g., ergonomic chairs for extended sessions)
  • Eating area (tables and chairs) (for meals or breaks)
  • GOBOs/Soundproof curtains (for windows or additional isolation)
  • Humidifier, possibly air cleaner (for maintaining air quality)
  • Mirror (for personal grooming or visual checks)
  • Mood lighting (to set the vibe for creative work)
  • Music stands with clip-on lights (for holding sheet music)
  • Office dividers (used as ISO dividers for sound separation)
  • Portable heater (for maintaining warmth in cooler environments)
  • Rugs, candles, and lights (for creating a comfortable atmosphere)
  • A small fridge or cooler (to keep perishable items fresh)
  • Storage solutions (bins, shelves for cables and accessories)
  • Waste bins and recycling containers (for managing trash and recyclables)

Gear

  • Adapters and patch cables (RCA, XLR, 1/4″) (for connecting various gear)
  • Backup hard drives (for session safety and data backup)
  • Extra vacuum tubes (for tube-based equipment)
  • Ground lift adapters (for troubleshooting hum and grounding issues)
  • Headphone amps/distributors (for multiple users to monitor audio)
  • Power conditioners or surge protectors (to protect equipment from power surges)
  • Snakes (for connecting gear to the patch bay)
  • Splicing tape and edit block (for tape editing and repair)
  • Studio monitor isolation pads (to reduce vibration and improve sound accuracy)
  • Test tone generator (for calibration and troubleshooting)

Instrument supply

  • Guitars

    • Baby powder (cornstarch-based) (for reducing hand friction while playing)
    • Capo (for changing the pitch of the guitar)
    • Extra guitar patch cables (for connecting guitars to amplifiers or pedals)
    • Guitar stands (for safely holding guitars when not in use)
    • Guitar strings (nylon, acoustic, electric, and bass) (for replacements)
    • Picks (for playing)
    • Slide (for slide guitar techniques)
    • Straps (for comfortable guitar playing while standing)
  • Drums

    • Drum dampening gels or rings (for controlling overtones and resonance)
    • Drum key (for tuning drums)
    • Extra drumheads (for replacements during sessions)
    • Extra drumsticks (for replacements or variety in playing styles)
    • Lug lube (for maintaining tension rods and smooth tuning)
    • Metronome or drum machine (for keeping time)
    • Percussion mallets and brushes (for different tonal textures)
    • Various-sized cymbal felts, nylon cymbal sleeves, snare cords, tension rod washers (for maintaining drum hardware)
  • Chromatic tuner (for tuning instruments accurately)
  • Keyboard stand(s) (for securely holding keyboards)
  • Keyboard sustain pedals (for expressive keyboard playing)
  • Violin rosin (for maintaining bow grip if working with string players)

Office Supplies

  • Backup players (for covering absent musicians)
  • Blank CDRs (for storing recordings or sharing sessions)
  • Business cards (for networking opportunities)
  • City map (for navigating the area)
  • Clothespins or clamps (for holding papers or securing cables)
  • Decent restaurants that deliver (menus on hand) (for ordering meals)
  • Debit/credit card terminal (for client payments)
  • Dry-erase board with markers (for tracking or brainstorming)
  • Good restaurant list (for dining recommendations)
  • Good rolodex of numbers (for contacts like clients, vendors, and repair people)
  • Graph paper (for sketching layouts or diagrams)
  • Guitar Player, Bass Player, Modern Drummer (magazine subscriptions) (for inspiration or industry insights)
  • Label maker (for organizing cables, drawers, or gear)
  • Large wall calendar (for scheduling studio time or tracking projects)
  • Manuals for all equipment (for troubleshooting and reference)
  • Music staff paper (for writing out parts/arrangements)
  • Notepad (for jotting down lyrics, cues, or notes)
  • Pens, pencils, highlighters, and Sharpie markers (for writing and marking)
  • Repair people (contact information for equipment repairs)
  • Rental companies (for gear or equipment rentals)
  • Track sheets (for organizing session details)
  • USB drives or external SSDs (for data backup and transfer)
  • Vacuum (for cleaning the studio)
  • Whiteout (for correcting written errors)

Tools

  • Blue masking tape (for marking spots on the floor)
  • Cable tester/DMM (for testing and troubleshooting cables)
  • Console labeling tape (for marking controls or sections on the console)
  • Crimping tool and connectors (for making custom cables)
  • Digital multimeter (for measuring voltage, current, and resistance)
  • Earplugs (for hearing protection during loud sessions)
  • Fire extinguisher (for safety precautions)
  • Flashlight (for working in dimly lit areas)
  • Gaffer tape (for securing cables and other temporary fixes)
  • Heat gun (for shrink-wrapping or repairs)
  • Matches or a lighter (for igniting or emergency use)
  • Miscellaneous portable fans (for ventilation during long sessions)
  • Multi-tool, screwdriver set, socket set, and soldering/wiring tools (for general repairs and maintenance)
  • Portable phone chargers (for clients or band members)
  • Razor blades (for precise cutting tasks)
  • Roomba (for autonomous cleanup)
  • Safety goggles (for soldering or repairs)
  • Sandpaper (for smoothing surfaces or cleaning contacts)
  • Small step ladder (for reaching high shelves or fixing lights)
  • Small vacuum cleaner (for detailed cleaning)
  • Spare fuses (for outboard gear or amplifiers)
  • Stud finder (for securely mounting or hanging gear)
  • Tape (for general use)
  • Tester (RCA, XLR, 1/4 with polarity checker) (for verifying cable connections)
  • Thermal camera (for locating overheating gear)
  • WD-40 and 3-in-1 oil (for lubricating and maintaining equipment)
  • Weather stripping (for sealing gaps to improve sound isolation)

Staccato Drum set

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Tony Kuzub – Wikipedia

Tony Kuzub

Anthony Peter George Kuzub or simply Tony Kuzub, as he is better known, is a Canadian recording engineer and producer based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He is the founder of the now defunct High Voltage Recording, and is currently co-owner and head engineer of Tanda Recording.

Biography
Kuzub was born April 4, 1983 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he attended Cardinal Leger Elementary School, and later moved to Evan Hardy Collegiate for high school . Something of a child prodigy, Kuzub showed precocious skills with computing and media equipment, often building computers from scratch, creating videos, and even establishing a viable recording studio in his mother’s basement . At the age of ten he founded his first company, Copycat Recording, which duplicated audio CD’s to cassettes for the benefit of those who did not own CD players. It was in high school that his talents truly blossomed, as he founded High Voltage recording, and began to connect with budding musicians from the Saskatoon area. He also stood out as class president during his senior year.
Career
After graduating from high school in 2001, Kuzub moved his studio to the heart of downtown Saskatoon and began to engineer professionally. He also worked briefly during this period for the Division of Media and Technology at the University of Saskatchewan, editing and arranging video for the local educational cable channel SCN . After leaving this job, he came to concentrate exclusively on recording and producing for studio High Voltage Recording, working with such notable Canadian artists as The Wheatmonkeys, Joel Plaskett, North of Shorty, Spade the Shovelhead and Jordan Cook, and later on even more high-profile acts such as The Mars Volta . His impressive resume landed him a job as an engineer at the MuchMusic Video Awards (or MMVAs) in 2004, where he worked with such artists as The Beastie Boys, Evanescence, Hoobastank, Arcade Fire and Hilary Duff. Kuzub reprised this role in each of the years which followed through to 2007 .
After cutting ties with his employee Sandy Burnett in late 2007, Kuzub closed High Voltage Recording. Soon after, Kuzub spent several months in Sydney, Australia, where he worked at Fox Studios as an audio editor before returning to Canada. Having forged a partnership with session/studio drummer Arlen Hall, Kuzub co-founded Tandaphonic Incorporated and its subsidiary Tanda Recording, a new recording company with a capacious studio, also based in Saskatoon . Here Kuzub works not only as a recording engineer and mixer, but has become even more active in the creative process as a producer.
Controversy
Kuzub made local headlines in 2006 when he identified a potential conflict of interest in the adjudication process to select a song for Saskatoon’s centennial that same year. Speaking for a number of disenchanted members of the Saskatoon recording industry, Kuzub identified that one of the judges, Ross Nykiforuk, had overseen the selection of a former bandmate by the name of Corey Hildebrand as the winner of contest and the $1,000 recording contract that came with it.
Ward-Beck Preservation Society
Kuzub is the founder of the Ward-Beck Systems Preservation Society, an organization dedicated to maintaining Canadian make Ward-Beck recording equipment. The mission statement of the society, as described by the website, is to “keep vintage Ward-Beck equipment running and working by supplying a database of documentation, knowledge, and support.” In order to accomplish this task, Kuzub has created an online library of technical manuals, and photo gallery for Ward-Beck equipment, as well as a forum for the exchange of Ward-Beck related information .
Discography

Year Artist Album / “Song Name” Role
2008 Arms Up “Caroline” P, M, E
2008 Jordan Cook Seven Deadly Sins E, Cp, M, Ed
2008 Magic Band Magic Band E
2008 Sundown Strip P, M, E
2007 Drowning Ophelia TBA P, M, E
2007 Jeremy Lane Skeletonmask P, M, E
2007 Johnny Gritt Johnny Gritt M, E
2007 Matty Powel Ness Creek Sessions Ed
2008 Arms Up “Streets Cities”, “Oh well” P, M, E
2007 Otenang M
2007 Rising 4 “Before I Awaken” M, E
2007 Smokekiller “Out there” “Back to the Heart” M, E
2007 Spade the Shovel Head Get a Helmet P, M, E
2007 Streetlight Scenery P, M, E
2007 Sundown Strip P, M, E
2007 The Huxxtabulls The Huxxtabulls M, E
2006 Everlong Mixing
2006 Les Fabian “Here She Comes” M, E
2006 Letter Bomb M, E
2006 Mykal Gambull Volume 1 M, E, A
2006 Noel Wilcox “Generation Why” P, M, E
2006 North Of Shorty Trouble in Paradise P, M, E
2006 Poser Disposer A
2006 The ROA M, A
2006 The Wheatmonkeys “Television” and “Brightside” M, E
2006 Whiskey Halo M
2005 Darry Dinnell “Sorry Ms. Brandon” P, M, E
2005 FYFy E, A
2005 Holy Cross High School Sound and Fury M, E
2005 Hush Twins A, E
2005 Joel Plaskett Live at Amigo’s E, M
2004 Holy Cross High School Sound and Fury E
2004 Liberated Noise A
2004 Orchestra Diamante Orchestra Diamante E, M, A
2003 Clete Rekve “Sleepin’ on the Engine” M, E
2001 Ambush Rural Brewery P, M, E
2001 Tint M, E

LEGEND:

  • P: Producer
  • M: Mixer
  • E: Engineer
  • Cp: Composer
  • Ed: Editor
  • A: Arranger

P=Producer
M=Mixed or Remixed
Ed=Editor
E=Engineer
D=development
Cp=Co-Producer
A=Assistant
 

Moving stuff across the country

I most certainly had a busy “reading week”.  It started with finishing up a job My brother Mike started.  Moving 7 pallets of equipment from my moms garage in Saskatoon.    Followed by great visits with Family and friends.  I’m sorry I did not get the chance to meet with everyone I had planned to visit with.  Things got a little busy in the IT support world and there was so much family to visit!

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Three consoles were packaged and palleted up for shipment across the country.

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Custom made dollies were built for the two large sections of console frames.

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Modules were packed, boxed and palleted.  A small fortune in bubble wrap and pallet wrap were employed. 
2014-10-21 11.04.33-2This is the PSU for a console along with a 1″ Studer A80 8 track Recorder that was made transportable.
I’m excited to work on these projects again in my “Spare time”

Stay tuned for updates of what’s happening with this lot.  We’re very excited for what’s planned :-)

20060723 – HVR ceiling fixture

In 2006 we (Myself and Andrew Waters) built a ceiling diffuser for the studio.  I’ve been doing some data backups and thought I’d share some pictures and info on the build.  The whole thing was made out of 2 X 4s and 3/4″ MDF.  I had a carpenter friend cut all the pieces
Screen Shot 2013-12-15 at 2.07.24 PMThis was the proposed layout.  Using a “herringbone diffuser” design, a frame would hang from the ceiling with some turnbuckles.  Continue reading

I was going through my old wallet contents…

I was going through my old wallet contents When I found and old rate card for my studio. Each of use carried the card so we knew exactly what discounts and perks were when talking about packages. The taxes were included in the package price, Perks were back line, Drum Kits, and Mastering discounts. It was nice to pull this card out and share it with prospective clients. Good old sales tricks.

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2003 – HVR – my first commercial studio 10 years ago

So I’ve been digging through some pictures and found These Gems from about 10 years ago…

I was 19 years old and moved into the 3rd floor of 115 2nd Ave North Saskatoon. It was RIGHT downtown saskatoon. It had a conference room in it that had the most amazing sounding vault. It was about 560 sq feet. They build me a room inside of a room.

One of my classrooms, and stepping stones.

Not one good piece of gear in the racks, but damn did I make a lot of records with this stuff. One of my classrooms. The Funniest part is… I think I only kept 7 things in these pictures…

HVR 2003 137

Rough 2

HVR 2003 120

HVR 2003 118

HVR 2003 133

HVR 2003 131

HVR 2003 139

HVR 2003 109

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HVR 2003 107

HVR 2003 105

HVR 2003 119

HVR 2003 116

HVR 2003 128

HVR 2003 117

HVR 2003 110

HVR 2003 099

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HVR 2003 100

HVR 2003 140

HVR 2003 101

HVR 2003 108

HVR 2003 113

HVR 2003 143

HVR 2003 114

HVR 2003 115

HVR 2003 135

HVR 2003 134

HVR 2003 141

HVR 2003 138

Conference room with old VaultConfrence room

Confrence room (1)

Safe Floor

Safe Ceiling

Safe Ceiling (1)

Safe Door

Safe from inside