GUITARS:

Amps/Cabs:
In general, tube amps sound best. Make sure your power and preamp tubes aren't too old. New tubes will have more gain and better high-end than old tubes.

For high-gain guitar amps, I recommend Peavey 5150 / 6505, Marshall JCM Series or Mesa Single / Dual / Triple Rectifiers.

Make sure there are no blown speakers on your cab and that you're using a speaker cable to connect your amp head, NOT an instrument cable. Also, check and make sure the ohm rating on your head matches the ohm rating on your cab.

Guitars:
Change your strings the day of recording. This will ensure the best possible sound coming from your guitar. String gauges should be appropriate for the tuning you play in. Bring an extra set or two in case of breaks. If your guitar has active pickups, be sure to change the battery. Though usually less apparent than with bass guitar, intonation can still be an issue, so make sure your guitar is set up by a professional before recording. Bring the shortest length, highest quality cables you have. Instrument cables are unbalanced, meaning they are susceptible to interference. The shorter the cable, the less interference.

Performance:
Practice, practice, practice! It should go without saying, but make sure that all guitar players are clear on what they should be playing. For punk, metal and hardcore, pay special attention to palm muting. Nothing sounds sloppier than having a doubled rhythm guitar part with inconsistent palm mutes.

BASS:

Change your strings before recording. This will ensure the best possible sound coming from your bass. String gauges should be appropriate for the tuning you play in. Bring an extra set in case of breaks.

If your bass has active electronics, be sure to change the battery. Make sure to have your bass intonated and set up by a professional prior to recording. Even if you don't notice intonation problems during practice, have a professional look it over anyway. I cannot stress this point enough.

Bring the shortest length, highest quality cables you have. Instrument cables are unbalanced, meaning they are susceptible to interference. The shorter the cable, the less interference.

DRUMS:

Drum Heads:
Replace all drum heads, both batter and resonant, before recording. For snare, a single ply head like a Remo Ambassador is best. For Toms, Remo coated Emperors work best as batter heads, especially for rock, punk and metal. Bring the heads with you, but DO NOT put them on before you get to the studio. If you are a hard-hitter, it might be a good idea to bring an extra set of batter heads, just in case.

Cymbals:
Make sure your cymbals are not cracked. It might sound "cool" and "edgy" live, but in a recording situation it will just sound bad. Every time. Remember, cheap, stamped brass cymbals (Zildjian ZBT, Sabian B8) will not sound as good as better-quality cymbals. High pitched, quick decaying cymbals are best for rock, punk, hardcore and metal. I recommend Zildjian A Custom crashes.

Performance:
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 tricks.

I strongly recommend recording drums to a click track. Most modern records, especially in heavy rock and metal genres, are cut to a click track. The important thing to remember is that just like any other skill, becoming comfortable playing to a click track takes practice. If your first time playing to a click track is in the studio, it will feel very strange. Get a Rhythm Watch or similar device, figure out the speed of your songs, including changes, write them down and practice, practice, practice!

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. Some screamers benefit from drinking milk while recording.

Performance:
Print out two copies of all the lyrics to your songs. Bring them with you when you come to the session. 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.

Be realistic about how many songs you can sing in a day. Particularly with screaming vocals, the voice tends to tire quickly. It is better to plan to record vocals over several days than to blow out your voice trying to get it all done in a day or less.

EVERYONE:

Make sure all parts are decided and worked out before coming to record.
This seems obvious, but a surprising number of bands write lyrics, bridges, solos, etc in the studio. Time is money.

Be prepared to compromise.
Recording is fun, but it's also hard work. Everyone's idea of what qualifies as "good" is not always the same. Remember, the point of everything in the studio is to make the best record possible. The best drum, guitar, bass or vocal track in the world won't make a bit of difference if it doesn't serve the song.

No Drugs.
Drinking is ok, as long as you're over 21 and responsible enough to not get trashed before recording your part. BYOB. Smoking is allowed outside the building.

No Entourages.
Unless it's gang-vocal day, please don't bring a ton of your friends to the session. It's distracting and almost always results in a massive loss of productivity.

Have your money ready as soon as you get to the studio.
I don't like to dwell on money issues, so let's get it out of the way immediately so we can focus on making your record. If you've booked multiple days, you can pay the daily rate at the beginning of each day or in one lump sum. Remember, your deposit is counted toward your recording balance.