"I think too big a deal is made of this home studio versus the non-home studio. A studio's just a studio and there's good ones and bad ones and some of them are in homes and and some are built from the ground up...Essentially the whole place [Motown Studio A] was Berry Gordy's home studio..." -Bob Olhsson, engineer at Motown Records, from Tape Op Magazine, July/August 2002
Q & A
Some of my clients have lots of recording experience, some do not. If most of your
recording experience is still in your future, don’t worry. I put together this little list of
questions I am normally asked by new clients.
Q. How long does it take to record a CD? How much does it cost?
A. There are so many variables it’s really hard to say. Each song will have its own production needs, and the amount of time and $$$ per song will depend on those needs. The two major factors which will
determine the length of time from first session to finished CD master are:
- Your level of preparedness in the material you are recording; the more takes, the more time
- Level of production...a more involved production (lots of overdubs, backround
vocals, etc) will take more time than a simpler one
A (very) general rule of thumb is to figure 1 to 2 hours per finished minute of material, depending
on how involved the production is. In other words, for a 4-minute song, a total
amount of time to record basic tracks, overdub (solos, additional instruments, background
vocals, etc), mix, and master might be as much as 4-8 hours, spread out over several sessions. You can conserve your
time by making sure your group is well-prepared and well-rehearsed, your gear is in
working condition, and you have a good idea of what you are trying to accomplish
musically; an effective way to eat up studio time is to rearrange parts, rewrite songs, etc in
the recording studio, so make sure your parts are down before tape rolls. This is not to say that you should watch the clock during your session. You should have a general plan for each session, but you'll go nuts if you try to schedule the session down to the minute.
Q. What do we need to bring with us on our sessions?
A. Before you leave for the session, make sure you have
everything you need for that session; instruments, extra strings, extra sticks, amps, cables,
etc. This may seem obvious, but believe me, people have forgotten their guitars or snare drums or amplifier heads. Guitarists, be sure your strings are relatively new (I prefer the sound of strings that
have been played a day or so, but that’s me), your guitar is well-intonated, and your amp is working properly. Drummers,
make sure you have all your hardware, cymbals, and spare sticks & snares. Be sure your
mechanisms are well-oiled and fasteners are tightened well (squeaks and rattles will be
picked up by the mics) and make sure your heads are not worn or torn. Drumheads held
together with duct tape and prayers will sound like duct tape, no matter how hard you
pray. You might even want to bring a spare set of heads, just in case. Bass players, make
sure you have everything you need...an amp is optional, as I'll often run bass direct, and I
have a selection of amps you could use if you like. Keyboard players, amps are optional for you, also. Horn players, make sure valves and
actions are quiet and there are no air leaks.
Bottom line...if you think you might need it, bring it.
A word about tuners...it’s often advantageous for all the instruments to use the same
tuner, often two different tuners may have a slight difference in pitch. I have a couple of
tuners that you can use, a standard electronic chromatic tuner and a Conn strobe tuner.
Q. When do we need to arrive?
A. As per my policy, you have about 30 minutes before your scheduled session time to
arrive and set up. Normally I’ll have all the mics I think I’ll need ready to go when you
arrive. Most drummers take a little more time to set up due to the nature of their
instrument, so drummers, if you could arrive a little earlier that would be great. An
example: session starts at 2pm, drummer arrives at 1:20pm to setup, others arrive at
1:30pm, I place mics and start getting sounds at 1:45 pm, billing for session starts at 2pm.
If you think you might need some extra setup time (within reason, of course) just ask prior
to the session.
Please do everything possible to be on time. If your session start time rolls around when
you’re just arriving, you’ll still be billed from that time. And if you're more than an hour late, you'll be considered a "no-show," the session will be cancelled and you'll be billed for all the booked time. (See the Rates and Polices page
for details.)
Q. What can we expect to happen during the sessions?
A. On a tracking session, usually everyone is present and we record the basic tracks of the
songs. At first, I usually record 30-60 seconds of the whole group and then let you hear
the sounds I’m getting, so make sure you like them. Once we get the sounds, we go.
We might record a “scratch” vocal, which is a rough guide vocal that will be replaced later
in overdubs. Or, depending on the song, we might lay down the final vocal at this stage.
Depending on the song, we might record solos here as part of the basic tracks, or do those later in
overdubs.
If there are any “flubs” on an otherwise great take, we would correct them at this stage by
“punching in,” that is, re-recording over the the mistake with a corrected part.
On overdub sessions, usually only a few people are present to add their parts, be it solos,
additional instruments, background or final vocals, etc.
Mixdown sessions involve mixing the individual multitrack levels to balance with each
other, adding effects, and EQ’ing if necessary, and recording the mix to stereo 2-track. The automation makes is easy to program and recall level changes and other aspects of mixing. This can save time and provide a consistent mix for each song.
Mastering involves getting the mixed songs ready for duplication; putting them in order,
setting fades, overall EQ or compression if necessary, and recording to final master DAT
or CD-R.
Q. Should I bring my effects?
A. You can bring effects that are an important part of your sound, like distortion. For
“sweetening” type effects, like chorus and reverb, my effects units will probably be a little
quieter and have a better sound than the average stomp-box. I prefer tracking “dry” and
adding those types of effects at the mixdown stage.
Q. Can we record, overdub, and mix all in the same session?
A. Sure, if you want, but I don’t recommend it. It’s been my experience that mixing songs
at the end of a long session can invite some problems. Toward the end of the session,
everyone tends to be fatigued because the level of concentration is so high during the
session. Consequently, we may not be able to judge what is a great mix because we’re so
tired. Then you get your mix home, and the next day with fresh ears, it sounds completely
different (and usually worse) than we thought is sounded, and we end up having to mix it
again anyway.
I prefer mixing in separate sessions, apart from tracking or overdubs, and then usually no
more than 2 or 3 songs per mix session, which might make it a relatively short (1-3 hour)
session. If more songs need to be mixed, I like to take a break for an hour or so (not billed
to you, of course). That way our ears will remain relatively fresh while we’re mixing and
we can get the best possible mix out of the sessions.
Q. Should we go analog or digital when we lay down tracks?
A. The digital vs analog debate has been going on for some time now, and this isn’t the
forum to discuss which is better. Each leaves its own mark in the recording process,
resulting in subtle differences in the way they sound. Digital has no inherent tape “hiss,”
but the dbx type 1 noise reduction makes the analog machine nearly as quiet. Digital
leaves less discernable artifacts in the recorded signal than analog, but a lot of times that
analog “warmth” is desirable.
When your project is done, I doubt that anyone will be able to discern whether your
material was tracked analog or digitally.
For most of you it will probably come down to an economic decision...digital is cheaper to
run than analog, mainly because of the difference in tape costs. And we can offer 24 tracks
of digital, as opposed to 16 of analog (If you need more tracks, the two machines can be
synced together).
Q.: What's your policy on smoking and drinking?
A.: Since the subject is brought up, I'll display here what is posted in the control room:
House Rules
1. You may smoke outside. Tobacco only, please.
2. Your mother is not here to pick up after you, so please do so yourself.
3. Pizza numbers are programmed into phone. Staff entitled to a free slice. (See #2.)
4. The bar in the main room is for the use of the staff and residents of this facility. If you don't live here, BYOB. (See #2.)
5. Please keep food and drinks away from anything with a light bulb, meter, knob, switch, fader, patch cord, input jack, or output jack. Pyrotechnics are for live shows. (See #2.)
6. You will be charged $10 for each mic cord you wrap. I appreciate the help, but there are only 2 ways to wrap a mic cord: my way and the wrong way.
Seriously though, this is my home as well as my studio, and as you are my client, you are also my guest. My family and I will always appreciate your consideration of that while you are here.
If you have any other questions, feel free to email or call.
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