Recording Studio Rules

[Fire Dome]

Hey I'm opening my studio for the first time to paying customers and im starting to think about the rules that i want to put in place. Can everyone tell me whet their rules for their studio are and what you think of mine??

1. No smoking. Because I dont like it, it stinks the room and equiptment up and my baby sister plays outside sometimes and i dont want her to be inhaling passive smoke.
2. No drinking. I have been drinking with most of the people who have booked tocome in so i know what theyre like. Also i think that it will hamper their performances.
3. No hangers on. I am limited on space so i dont have a artists room. Also the more people there are in the more likely it is someone will sneeze at a crucial moment in a take.

Can you let me know if you think these are too harsh or anything.

Feel free to move this somewhere else


Dave

[Mark7]

Erm... you forgot no drugs?

[NYMorningstar]

You really only need 2 rules.

1.) Don't be an asshole.

2.) If your not the boss, then refer to rule #1

That pretty much covers it all.

[Track Rat]

Originally Posted by NYMorningstar

You really only need 2 rules.

1.) Don't be an asshole.

2.) If your not the boss, then refer to rule #1

That pretty much covers it all.

This correct. But I do insist on no entourage. I also encourage the band to share the fattie with the engineer.

[SouthSIDE Glen]

No pooftas!



G.

[EdWonbass]

No bringing girlfriends unless they are hot and don't wear much. I mean, it does get warm in the studio and everyone should be comfortable.

[kid klash]

No blowing into the mics... blowing the Mikes is OK though...

[Raw-Tracks]

Originally Posted by Fire Dome

1. No smoking. Because I dont like it, it stinks the room and equiptment up and my baby sister plays outside sometimes and i dont want her to be inhaling passive smoke.

Are you saying no smoking outside as well? That will be a problem. I think it's fair to ask them to not smoke in the studio, but not outside either? Plenty of musicians smoke.

[Henri Devill]

Pay your bill!No "product" without paying your bill,this includes ruff mixes!!

[giraffe]

you'll be forced to let people smoke outside. just deal it won't be that bad.

except for the money for mixes thing, just deal with these things as they come up.

just explain, "they may accidentally ruin a take, could you ask them to step outside"? they'll understand.

dooing things like posting rule lists, or implisitly stateing a rule set ahead of time, may very well automatically put a bad spin on a session. no no.

[Cloneboy Studio]

Originally Posted by Fire Dome

1. No smoking. Because I dont like it, it stinks the room and equiptment up and my baby sister plays outside sometimes and i dont want her to be inhaling passive smoke.

Inside is a standard rule.

No smoking outside is just being a facist. This will cost you return clients and drive you out of business because it is unreasonable.

Originally Posted by Fire Dome

2. No drinking. I have been drinking with most of the people who have booked tocome in so i know what theyre like. Also i think that it will hamper their performances.

As long as they pay the bill I could care less what drinking/drugs they do during a session. I prefer them not to, but good luck enforcing this one and keeping in business.

Originally Posted by Fire Dome

3. No hangers on. I am limited on space so i dont have a artists room. Also the more people there are in the more likely it is someone will sneeze at a crucial moment in a take.

That's why god invented control rooms and lounges. Honestly, this rule is a bit annoying as well. People *LOVE* to bring their relatives, parents, girlfriends/boyfriends, pals, drinking buddies, siblings and so forth to the big studio. Once again, good luck enforcing this one and staying in business.

[Dani Pace]

I have a "You break it, you replace it" rule, I post a price list which persuades most to use their own instruments, supply their own strings and drumsticks and be carefull not to knock anything over. I also require drummers to bring their own cymbals, preferably their own drums. I do allow drinking but reserve the right to say when to stop, we all know drunk musicians get sloppy and tend to get rowdy. I do not allow smoking in the vocal booth or around the drums, I keep ashtrays on floor stands and well away from amps and other gear. I do not allow anyone to sit anything on top of any piece of equipment, if someone needs a place to set a drink, a wooden barstool works fine. These are all just "common sence" ideas and so far have worked for me. I also tell everyone to leave girlfriends, wives, whatever at home, if they are not part of the recording they just get in the way. The best way I have found to lessen the number of "guests" is to agree on a price for a specific number of band members and make it clear there will be an additional charge per person over that exact number. One more thing, no cell phones, the damn things always ring right in the middle of the best take of the day.

[giraffe]

Originally Posted by Dani Pace

I have a "You break it, you replace it" rule, I post a price list which persuades most to use their own instruments, supply their own strings and drumsticks and be carefull not to knock anything over. I also require drummers to bring their own cymbals, preferably their own drums. I do allow drinking but reserve the right to say when to stop, we all know drunk musicians get sloppy and tend to get rowdy. I do not allow smoking in the vocal booth or around the drums, I keep ashtrays on floor stands and well away from amps and other gear. I do not allow anyone to sit anything on top of any piece of equipment, if someone needs a place to set a drink, a wooden barstool works fine. These are all just "common sence" ideas and so far have worked for me. I also tell everyone to leave girlfriends, wives, whatever at home, if they are not part of the recording they just get in the way. The best way I have found to lessen the number of "guests" is to agree on a price for a specific number of band members and make it clear there will be an additional charge per person over that exact number. One more thing, no cell phones, the damn things always ring right in the middle of the best take of the day.

dam, them's a lotta rules

[Fire Dome]

OK im gonna explain a little bit. The no guests thing is cos unlike Cloneboy and people who have purpose built studios i have to make do with the space i have(little). Ofcourse i would love to have a studio with waiting areas and lounges etc but i dont so i deal with it.
The no smoking thing isnt a rule about not smoking outside, it is really abolut smoking directly outside. I would like not to pollute my baby sisters lungs. They can go on a little walk about 30 seconds and be out of the way which i am happy with.

I was really posting this topic to ask what other home/project studio owners with limited space do in terms of rules(guidelines if you want to use a less harsh word)

Cheers for your comments so far(good and bad)

Dave

[ez_willis]

Rules are for people with structured and stable lives, which eliminates 90% of your clientele right off the bat. Here's a better set of rules-

1. No burning the studio down.
2. No sacrificial killings inside of the studio.



Oh, and I must comment on what odd logic your rule #3 is-

3. No hangers on. I am limited on space so i dont have a artists room. Also the more people there are in the more likely it is someone will sneeze at a crucial moment in a take?

[Han]

No smoking in the trackingroom and controlroom, smoking is allowed in the lounge.

No drinks and food in the controlroom, you'd better have an extra pair of monitors in the lounge or relaxroom.

No (hard)drugs in the studio, exessive drinking not allowed.

No sex in the controlroom, I can't concentrate when people are having sex on the couch.

[Fire Dome]

Thanks HAn thats what i was after cheers.
Ez willis the reason for number 3 is that when my band were doing our album our guitarists girlfriend tagged along and just wouldnt shut up. Sneezing, coughing, talking all the way through tracking anyones part. It really wasted alot of time in redoing parts.

Cheers everyone

Dave

[Pughbert]

Think about mobile phones - i know asking people to turn them off is a problem - but you dont want somone to be on the take of a life time and have a phone ring or cause interference.

[tonyA]

Unless you allow them to, they shouldn't be unplugging, rotating, sliding things if they are not the engineer. This seems to be common sense, and need not be said, but there are those people who are arrogant and stupid enough to do those things you didn't think they would.

Have a sign made that says, "Let the engineer be the engineer". More often than not, there are nuts out there who think they know better and are extremely annoying to those of us who truly do. If that is the case, have two mixes made - one of their own, and one of your own, except your own comes now at a premium. That will teach them a lesson.

[chessrock]

Clean up your own fucking mess when you're done.

I can't afford a maid or a janitor.

Don't just "drop in" at any old time you feel like it. If you just listened and realized your backing vocal isn't loud enough, then schedule a remix session like everyone else.

[earworm]

first of all, i tell people that if i break any of their instruments i will pay for it,
and then i say: if you guys break some of my gear down you also pay,
most of the time it are headphones, if someone is gonna act like a beast a micstand might fall over....mics cost more and are harder to replace quickly (for budget people)

people understand this, but it totally sucks if they do break down stuff, and u can sound like "a bitch" when u say how much they owe u now..
but it MUST be done this way, it will happen to you, and in the end you end up broke

no smoking, i used to smoke in this room but it stinks, definately when the room starts warming up, and there's not enough fresh air because of the sweat and stuff...if u mix that up with smoke, god, disgusting

don't bring other people, just don't, its not a live gig, i don't have the space and ehm...everyone is playing with headphones on!!!! don't think i'll buy extra headphone amps and cans for the fans !! + extra risc of breaking material, fucking up takes

NO cellphones, i mean, turn them off, (and dont forget to turn your off too )

for the rest, if they act like assholes i just stop doing efforts, if they wanna fuck around, fine, don't expect me to do my best then,
if they show respect, then automaticly you start working better,
i do say it, but in a proper way, that they're in "a studio" and not Live, so they shouldn't get wild, and just behave

people do drink in here, i ask them in advance what they drink,
got me some beer and water today, but i don't let them drink too much,
me neither, shouldn't touch the beer at all actually...

! no weed

i used to smoke weed myself like crazy, but i noticed that when artists blow, they fuck up, start acting stupid and fuck up, even worse then when they drink a few beers

no weed, its not a fucking live gig

coke, whatever, hehe

[Han]

There was this guy who enters the controlroom of the biggest studio in my country with a cup of coffee in his hand.

As he walks to the big SSL board he bends over and splashes a wave of coffee over and into the console.

Sssssssshhhhittt, he says, how clumsy of me!

The engineer is almost laying in his chair, totally relaxed and says: how's your insurance buddy?

Uhhh, how do you mean, the coffeespiller says? Well, I'm afraid the session's over and I'll call the tech now, gonna cost a $10 k I presume, the engineer replies, haven't you seen the sign 'no drinks in this room'?

True story, I was there. (no, it wasn't me with the coffee)

[apl]

Originally Posted by Han

There was this guy who enters the controlroom of the biggest studio in my country with a cup of coffee in his hand.

As he walks to the big SSL board he bends over and splashes a wave of coffee over and into the console.

Sssssssshhhhittt, he says, how clumsy of me!

The engineer is almost laying in his chair, totally relaxed and says: how's your insurance buddy?

Uhhh, how do you mean, the coffeespiller says? Well, I'm afraid the session's over and I'll call the tech now, gonna cost a $10 k I presume, the engineer replies, haven't you seen the sign 'no drinks in this room'?

True story, I was there. (no, it wasn't me with the coffee)

Wasn't "Spill the Wine" inspired by a wine spill on an expensive mixer? Maybe that guy will get a hit out of it, too!

[HogansHiro]

I've a got studio owner buddy of mine from my college days and he has space for hanger ons in his control room. He says he actually makes more money because there's about 1,000 inputs that really don't need to be made.... everybody wants to be a producer. He gets paid by the hour so if the talent wants to confer with everyone after each take then so be it. He noticed the younger bands probably waste about 1/3 of their studio time on unnecesssary jibber-jabber. If you got the space then what the hell...let them bring their entire crew. They'll pay for it in the end. Might sound kinda ass-holish but it's not YOUR job to ensure these guys stay on track and don't waste their money.

[Westridge]

Originally Posted by Fire Dome

The no smoking thing isnt a rule about not smoking outside, it is really abolut smoking directly outside. I would like not to pollute my baby sisters lungs. They can go on a little walk about 30 seconds and be out of the way which i am happy with.

I was really posting this topic to ask what other home/project studio owners with limited space do in terms of rules(guidelines if you want to use a less harsh word)

Dave

I really think that you're going to have to reconsider this whole baby sister's lungs thing. For starters, musicians smoke. You're going to get people that want to smoke. Put an ashtray outside the backdoor, make them smoke there, and keep the baby sister the hell away from the backdoor when you've got people out there smoking. They are, after all, paying customers and don't expect the Spanish Inquisition for their money. They're going to be very taken aback if you ask then to take a quick stroll down the street. They also don't expect to be tripping over baby sisters while they're smoking or recording so you're probably better to keep the baby sister well away from anything and anyone. If they aren't allowed their own groupies why should they have to put up with yours?

If you really think that you're going to have clients that will break stuff, then put up a "You break it, you pay for it" sign.

Being a home studio it will be a little different than going to a business. Most people will behave a little better knowing that they are going to someone's home. But.... what rules you have, if any, are up to you. Just be aware that if they are too tight and unreasonable then your clients will be on the off-foot before you start.