new studio in van

[hotbach]

Recently I decided to embark on a new venture. I have decided to try my hand at recording remotely using my van as a control room. I have purchased nearly everything I think I will need. Is there anyone out there who can give me some pointers as to marketing my new business. Recording is not a new thing for me, but using this technique is. I think there should be a great need for this service i.e. church choirs, schools etc.

Please respond.

[pisces7378]

Hotbach...

Are you extending a home studio into a van? Or are you using the same equipment from your studio, and when someone calls up and needs remote recording, you just load the van up with your studio gear? Or do you actually have a full on Digital Diesel that is perminantly outfited with gear?

I am sorry, I do not have any experience with this kind of thing. As far as marketing is concerned, a good website with MP3s, gear list, and remote studio features/capabilities is a good start. And for Pete's sake, if you are no Rembrant with HTML and JavaScript, get someone who is to do the site for you.

Then I would literally print up business cars with your website on there and your contact details... print up flyers (proper ones, not shit Xerox copies) and ask music stores if you can display them there around town and in neighboring towns. I would also call churches (the more Baptist and gospel the better) and explain to them your service and that you would appreciate a thought around time for them to do their Christmas choirs etc...

I am also a HUGE advocate of after you have a few projects under your belt you ask those envloved if they would mind having their work displayed on a promotional CD of your studio. Then you take the CD and have it properly reproduced by a commercial reproduction house... and give those things away for free like water to any potential clients.

All of this may seem excessive in the $$$ department... but think about it like this. For the price of a descent 24 track digital HD recorder or a good Mac, you could have Business cards, a descent functional website, flyers, and 1,000 promo CDs to give away. And if those marketing tools yield even 2 or 3 won business oppertunities, then they have paid for themselves, and if you are worth a damn at Audio engineering, they might open the door to long term repeat clients.

This is my $0.000002 cents worth. I am sure that you thought of all this already. But maybe I offered something up for ya.

Well let me ask you a question while I have you on the phone... When you said that you have finally gotten all the gear you need for your remote van set up... what exactly are we talking about here? Could you give me a quick gear list run down.

Mixer: brand/# of channels/analog or digital etc...
Recorders: Digital or analog? HD unit like the Mackie HDR2496? Or a PC/Mac?
Monitors:

What are we talking about here as far as gear goes?

Good luck man!

Mike

[TexRoadkill]

Go do a couple of free gigs for different places that would most likely have a lot of return work. Clubs, symphonies, etc. Get them to know you and like your work and they will recomend you to people. If you pay them a referral fee then they will be very motivated to push your services to anyone who comes there to play.

[zekthedeadcow]

I do remote recording with my PC and it's a huge market! I just started and haven't done much but if you are willing to work later in the day bands will love you as they usually have to work. The bands just can't afford to take much time off work to sit in a studio and spend money.

I simply have a PC with SONAR 2.0 XL
Aardvark Q10 (I really need two)
and not enough mics. . . 3 SM57, a beta52 which I absolutly hate, an AKG D112 and two borrowed MXL 1006's (saveing for two Rode NT1's)

as stated I am new at this and have been mostly doing free demo work but started paying customers last saturday and quite a few other bands are interested. . .I'm also really cheap ($500 a week) which is a lot more than what I'd make if I was regularly employed.

[doulos]

zek wanna sell that beta 52?

[gorbyrun]

I've found word of mouth is your best advertising by far. Cheap prices and some freebees to improve your techniques are probably a good idea. I would really be carefull about putting a studio in your van... your studio could be stolen very easily. Going to open mic nights and setting up your gear is bound to interest people. Business cards, a web site and the yellow pages are my main advertising routes. I'm not sure the yellow pages are worth it yet(it is pretty expensive). So far word of mouth is best.
I've been told testimonials are the best form of advertising. My page is gorbyrun.com... (yes I know there are no testimonials... but they will be added...)
Buy some "danger duty" cables. When the beer is flying, (or the lead singer starts spraying flaming hair spray... ) you'll be glad their not tromping your best cables. MF has $5.00 cables, you'll know when to use them.
What type of equipment will you be using? If I knew what you were using I could probably offer more advise.
If you can, get paid before the show... you'll feel better and work better knowing the money will be there.

Chaz

[Dom Franco]

I started doing some volunteer remote recording at my son's high school. (Orchestra, choir, Christmas programs etc)

Before I knew it word got around and I was doing some recording for a band from another High School in the area.

This turned into a fairly profitable side business, mostly at my home studio, but some of it remote.

For the remote gigs I usually pull one ADAT out of the rack and take along a medium size Mackie mixer and course lots of mikes and cables.

It all fits in a couple of suitcases.

The High School students interested in music are a very nice bunch of kids, at least in this area! Some very talented also!

DOM