WHAT SHOULD I DO TO PREPARE FOR RECORDING?

Guitar:
Put new strings on your guitar.  Make sure to bring an extra set or two in case of breaks.  Keep in mind that old guitar strings make your guitar sound dead.  Regarding guitar tone, tube amps sound best.  Pros play Marshall, Mesa, and 5150s for a reason.  If you want your guitars to sound like a certain band, find out what guitar and amp they use and get the same equipment.  If you don't have access to a tube amp, I have some tools which may help your tone, unless the solid state tone is what you're going for.

Bass:
Put new strings on your bass a few days prior to recording.  Be sure that your bass is properly intonated (if you don't know what this means, take your bass to your local music store and they will help you).

Drums:
Put new single-ply heads on your drums (both batter and resonant).  Make sure that your cymbals are not cracked.  Even if you think your trashy, cracked cymbals sound good, trust me, they don't... ever.  Nylon-tipped sticks work best for aggressive music.  More than any other instrument, drums benefit from being very well-rehearsed.  Many drummers write drum parts that they can't quite pull off (double kick, etc).  A more modest drum part played perfectly always sounds better than a complex performance which needs to be doctored using studio trickery.

Vocals:
Singers sound best for 4-5 hours after being awake for two hours or so.  Make sure you have some sort of liquid available during recording.  Carbonated beverages are generally not good while recording vocals.  Practice breathing techniques and vocal control BEFORE recording or you'll end up wasting a lot of time.  I use high-quality mics and your vocals WILL NOT sound like they do coming out of your overloaded PA system at practice.
 

WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF RECORDING LIKE?
(Disclaimer:  This a rundown of how a normal session works. The procedure outlined here is not set in stone.  Each recording project has a different set of requirements and I encourage you to direct any questions about the recording process to me at the contact information listed above.)

Tracking:
Generally the drummer will lay down his tracks first, either to a click track, scratch guitar/bass track, or both.  It usually takes about 1-2 hours to tune the drums and get the desired tones.  If you want to save some time and money, learn how to properly tune your drums and get them ready to go before recording.  Depending on the level of production desired, I will sometimes quantize the drums to a click before other instrument tracking begins.  After drums are recorded, we move on to guitars and bass.  Be prepared to spend some time getting good guitar and bass tones.  After the primary rhythm tracks are recorded, we move on to keys, horns and any other additional percussion.  Main vocals are next.  Last to be recorded are gang and backing vocals.

Digital Editing / Mixing:
Before the mix begins, I must assemble all of the takes and get the tracks organized.  When this is finished, I will begin the mix.  First I'll come up with a rough mix as a starting point, then make adjustments in collaboration with the band.  Mixing is just as important as tracking to the quality of your final product.  DON'T SKIMP ON THE BUDGET FOR THIS STAGE OF THE RECORDING PROCESS!  As a general rule, allocate approximately 1/3 of your total budget for mixing.  It will make a big difference and you'll be MUCH happier with the final product.

WHAT'S THIS "MASTERING" THING EVERYBODY KEEPS TALKING ABOUT?

Mastering is the last step in the process of making a record.  The mastering engineer will take the individual tracks and balance them using compression, limiting, EQ and other audio processes.  Mastering (when done properly) adds punch and brilliance to your tracks and give them that "radio-ready" sound.  Mix Magazine recently did a fantastic article on the subject of audio mastering.  Click HERE to check it out.