Recording Studio Rules

F

Fire Dome

New member
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
 
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.
 
NYMorningstar said:
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.
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This correct. But I do insist on no entourage. I also encourage the band to share the fattie with the engineer.
 
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. :D
 
Fire Dome said:
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.
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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.
 
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.
 
Fire Dome said:
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.
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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.

Fire Dome said:
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.
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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.

Fire Dome said:
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.
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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.
 
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.
 
Dani Pace said:
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.
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dam, them's a lotta rules :eek:
 
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
 
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?
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
Don't Touch My Equipment

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.
 
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.
 
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