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Frequently Asked Questions
"How much does it cost to record a song?"
We hear this one a lot! Unfortunately there is no easy answer to this question. A song can consist of anything from just a guitar and voice; to full rhythm section, horns, strings, lead and background vocals, and seven synthesizer parts! Obviously the second song will take much more time to record than the first, and therefore will be more expensive.
However, over the years we have managed to come up with a few guidelines as to what to expect:
If you are recording as a band, expect the basic tracks to take from 1/2 hour to 2 hours per song. Each overdub will take about 1/2 hour, and mixing will take from one to four hours per song although really complicated mixes for national release can take as long as 6 or 8 hours depending on how much stuff you have left to be decided on mix day such as how to assemble the composite lead vocal from several takes or choosing among several guitar solos.
Of course, these estimates can vary greatly depending on the quality level that you are trying for. Obviously "album release quality" is going to take longer than the "keep all first or second takes and go on" approach.
If you need a more accurate estimate or have a large project to budget for, we'll use the session budget estimation program in our computer. We can meet with you, review the scope of your project, and give you a pretty good estimate as to how much your project will cost.
Many frequently asked questions are also answered in the 'Sample recording session' link.
The Group Effort Top 20
Here are the top 20 phrases most often heard around the studio followed by the
usual snappy comeback where appropriate:
2. Wow! This place looks like the starship Enterprise. Well then, beam me to the holodeck!
3. That's the biggest door I've ever seen. No getting around those laws of physics!
4. I wish I had one of these in my basement! Yeah, until it rains at least.
5. Is that tree alive? Did you see branches and leaves poking out of the roof when you pulled up?
6. You can make my voice sound in-tune, can't you? Sure, how much money have you got? Well this used to be the standard response but now with the powerful computers that we've got you can actually retune vocals or any single instrument on the fly in real time... to a certain degree. Another one of the "Holy Grails" of recording realized through technology.
7. If I owned a studio like this I'd never leave! Oh really? Tell me that again after you've spent a whole day recording power tools!
8. Did you go to school to learn how to do this? No. Music first, tech geeky stuff second.
9. It sure sounds different on the big speakers! Yep. 15" woofers and a 1200 watt amp will do that.
10. Do you guys have a coffee machine? Yes. Jeff even keeps a private stash of "Fog Lifter" around.
11. Who delivers pizza around here? Everybody! Just look at the autodial buttons on the phone!
12. Don't worry, we'll cover that up with lots of echo! Right... suuuuure we will...
13. Have you worked with anybody famous? If you're really interested, e-mail us and we'll tell you.
14. Are those real rocks? It depends on your definition of 'real'.
15. What's the TV for? Watching the Bengals lose.
16. Where does that door go? Nowhere. It's just there for symmetry.
17. Do you guys have a bathroom? No you have to hold it for 8 hours or use the 2-holer out back.
18 Who designed this place? Hippies on drugs with guns. You got a problem with that?...
19. Do you have a change machine? Now we do!!
20. If I touch this will it hurt anything? If you have to ask...