Advice on getting a tape

Good advice on getting a tape that I heard from another comic: Never just launch into the material that you're trying to get on tape. Riff on the room or do a couple other jokes or something else just to loosen up and get a few laughs. Then take a pause and dive into the set you're wanting to capture as if you're just starting it. No one who watches the tape is gonna care (or even know) once you edit out the other stuff. And now you're starting with some momentum instead of starting from scratch.