Hi Polly I was just messing.....It goes without saying that every engineer should put ALL his clients at ease to get the best from them. If an engineer does not then he will lose business cause folk will go elsewhere to someone that does put them at ease. In this day of sexual equality I do not see why females should be treated any different from men or expect to be. It is up to everyone to be professional and adapt to strange surroundings and treat each other with professional respect. Going into a studio can be traumatic the first few times but if you know the guys are pros and you are well rehearsed and know what you want to achieve there should be no need to be too nervous. Re a glass of wine.....that is a big NO NO booze and work do not mix and nobody should drink alcohol before singing. It does nothing to help vocal cords, professionalism or performance, water or fruit juice is much better. Most studios I know do not allow drinking alcohol on the premises. Past experiences show them why.
The guy who insists on one take obviously has not got a clue about much including recording.....not only does this behaviour put people off but from a tech POV is not the way any engineer I know works. Most insist on a few takes EVEN IF YOU LIKE THE FIRT one....this is done as a matter of course to guarantee that they can comp a good performance from all the different takes. Do not assume that this one bad guy is representative of all the others or be put off by it. There are A$$HOLES in every walk of life.
Re the mic....I remember you asking about it in another thread.
I have not heard of these mics but from the specs it seems OK...If your engineer pal rates it then it must be good.
I know that an SM57 is almost classed as a female mic cause a lot of women say it suits their voice better than a 58. Mics are difficult as voices and tastes vary. Try Audix out it is not an expensive mic so nothing much to lose. I personally use a Audio Technica cordless 300 series mic,for live work but carry a few different types and makes in my mic flightcase just in case.
http://www.handheldaudio.co.uk/page...dio+Technica&rec_no=8&pr_id=1262

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=687727&songID=5238055