Recording a performance involves a lot more than just getting a signal and pressing record... It is vital that you record with an engineer who has experience and knows the importance of technical details such as a clean source signal, microphone placement, gain matching, dynamic range and any necessary input processing. The sound that is recorded at source should be of the highest possible quality and make the best of the available equipment. Each sound should be recorded in a way which anticipates it's place in the final mix. A bass sound, for example, which sounds fantastic on it's own may not sound correct when it is placed in a mix. This kind of forethought comes only through experience and will save time when it comes to making a mix.
Other important parts of the recording process are time management and getting the best performance out of the artists. If a client has a certain budget and a set timeframe to complete a project then schedules should be drawn up to ensure that all the required work is completed on time. Obviously the performance should not be compromised, but it is useful to have experienced engineers that know what is likely to take longest, and which order parts should be recorded in.
Getting the best performance out of an artist requires patience, encouragement and quick operational skills. The engineer should never miss a take or let the signal clip throughout the recording thus ruining an otherwise usable take. They should advise and encourage the performer to give their best every time and make sure that they end up with the perfect end result, whether it be a whole take done in one pass or an edited version of many different attempts. The style of music and time available will help to decide on which is the best method for the work.