How much should I expect to pay to record a record in a "real" studio?

  • Thread starter Thread starter pisces7378
  • Start date Start date
pisces7378

pisces7378

New member
When I first moved from America to Germany over three years ago, I went through immediate music withdraw. I had been in a band for the past 8 years and suddenly found myself all alone. I set out on a mission to learn how to multi-track record so that I would be able to "play with myself." (stop laughing you ****ing perverts!)

Well now I have been doing serious learning for the past 3 years on Logic Audio Platinum 5 with a Delta 66, and useing a Roland JV1010 and the EXS24mkII with some real drums and real e-bass samples to be my own back-up band. Then I track myself playing two or three guitar parts through a Line 6 POD. And finally I track the vocals with my Rode NTK.

It is not a BAD set up. It is great for writing songs, but I have been really banging away for three solid years and I still cannot get a sound that I would honestly say is "professional." The EQ is almost always wrong, the levels are never sitting right, I have no real clue (other than just using the plug in presets) how to properly use compression. What the hell is a de-esser anyway.

Nah, in all honesty I have a huge THEORETICAL knowledge about recording and mixing. I know what a de-esser, compressor, Parametric EQ, Vocoder, Exciter et cetera...
But that doesn't mean that I know how to use them in a nice way.

Ok well I am moving home to my old home town in the US (Atlanta or Athens Georgia) and I am going to buy a new Apple, upgrade to Logic 6, get a MOTU 24I/O audio interface, a focusrite Red 1 pre-amp package, an OctoPre, and the Logic Controller plus two XT units.

This will be my propper studio undertaking. But it will be another 6 months fromt he time I actually get the gear, learn how to use it, and get everything ready for recording my first real record. So I have been seriously thinking that perhaps I should just continue with the project studio is a writing tool, but go ahead and record this first record in a propper pro studio. That way I can see "how it is normlaly done" and I will be forced to (due to finacial reasons) be dedicated and focused to get it done; instead of recoridng a little here and there when I find time.

My only problem is that no studio in Athens wants to put their "rates" on the internet. And I understand that completely. No one wants to say they charge $200 an hour because they are probably flexible based on large bookings. I mean if I am planning on only needing three hours then I expect to pay more per hour than someone booking three straight weeks.

I have 13 songs. One is 11 minutes long but the others are all under 4 minutes, two being under 3 minutes. The genere is like indi/alternative/roc n roll type stuff. The instrumentation is Drums, guitars, bass, and vocals. There are at least two guitars on each song. One bass part, and nothing fancy as far as drums are concerned. Not mush in the way od MIDI (perhaps a few strings and the ocassional odd nosie on a few songs).

I am a one man band in that I will record everything myself... how long should I expect to book for 13 songs and how much should I expect to pay? I am not talking about going into some Big bad hollywood or Air Studios. I am talking about a more modest local studio.

Any advice or tipps would be of monumental importance, and would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!
 
My very very rough rule of thumb (it depends greatly on the musicians) is to budget 10 hours for a typical song. You've got one extra long song, so lets say the equivalent of 15 songs -- 150 hours for tracking and mixing would be in the ballpark.

Studios range from $25 to $xxxxx per hour. I'd figure $50. per hour for a good studio block rate.

Bottom line? We're looking at $7,500., plus another 2k or so for mastering -- $10,000 easy.

This amount can skyrocket depending on how practiced you are before the recording sessions, and how quickly you can lay tracks down, and how quickly the engineer can get the sound you want. Of course, if you want chocolate muffins, then the price goes up by a factor of 10.

-lee-
 
A personal opinion...

I just know I'm going to get thrashed for being your first response...!!

If you don't mind my (projectedly) long repsonse... I have a few opinions as well...

- First of all - The "pat" answer:
Judging by the people I record in my studio, they spend an average of 2 sessions (That's few to no instruments mind you...) per song... They average about 3 hours picking over the songs per session...

- To be conservative I'd say you'd spend about 6 to eight hours per song - playing instruments - singing rework, etc...

- In our area a reasonably priced studio runs for about 75.00 to 100.00 per hour (I haven't checked but I know this is about right..)...

- Supposing you'd spend 100.00 per hour for all your songs that comes up about 8 to 10,000 dollars for all 13 songs...

- Many studios also charge extra for certain things that you may take forgranted in your studio... Such as automation and effects like the ones you'd see in Logic, etc, etc...

- Forgive me as well... But my suggestion would be to listen very carefully to how your production comes together and make sure you get what you want... You've had a long time to think about the sound your'e looking for and you've actually worked to apply a lot of the techniques that you've learned from experimenting on your own..

- I too did the same as you did... I worked a lot on my own and decided that I wanted a more polished sound... But, when I went and recorded, I watched the engineer do things that I didn't particulary care for... And in some cases on my project, I thought I could have done better on my own...

- Which leads to my next suggestion that you should "qualify" the studio you decide to use... Some studios in our area are geared for comercial work... However, Every project that comes out of that studio - Sounds like a COMERCIAL!!! - And that's one of the highest priced studios in the area... Some groups will come out of there saying "Listen! we went to this professional studio and got a great project...!" Meanwhile, in my head I'm thinking... Geez... Sounds like that jingle I heard on the television the other day!!!...

But they were satisfied... (That's a good thang!)

- I guess all I'm trying to say is -
I have this feeling by your request you REALLY know the type of sound you're looking for... Listen for a studio that will give that to you... Then go to that studio and do your project

BUT!!!

While your there - WATCH!!! - LISTEN!!!! - CHECK THE GEAR THEY'RE USING!!!

Then when the project is done, you can say... "This is a PRIME project" - "I got exactly what I wanted" - AND NOW I can go and get the gear and do this on my own... You'll find that every studio has it's own sound... Every engineer has their own technique.... Learn and apply those things to your own experiences...

Good Luck in your endeavors...
(Did this help?!)

Riverdog
 
HA! (PS)

HA GOOD! Someone snuck in under me while I was typing!!!
 
;)

And we used different math, but both came in around $10,000.

-lee-
 
MY 2 eurocents: I recorded in several places, commercial projects, demo's, indie bands,...

It depends... full-CD's are in general between 7,500$ and 25,000$ over here (the first recorded, mixed, mastered, pressed and artwork done in 5 days! the result was somewhat noticeable)


Herwig
 
My 2 cents worth - Both of those areas (Atlanta and Athens) have a lot of studios. Make you a list of the studios starting with the "best". Contact each one and ask about doing intern (translated - free) work. Who cares if you have to run for muffins, coffee, whatever. You can't buy the experience you might get if you get into a good studio or around a good engineer. I would do that here on nights or weekends in a heartbeat if there were any around here (which there aren't). Watch and listen to everything going on. Never come across as a know-it-all or offer your opinion unless asked. Remember you're there to learn, hook up mics and get coffee. Save all that money you would have spent to learn how the pros do it and buy the gear you need with a better understanding of what you do and don't need.

Like I said - just my 2 cents worth.

DD
 
I have never been to a "REAL" recording studio. But if it cost almost 10,000 dolars to record 13 songs they better be running to get coffee for me and calling me sir.
 
I have never been to a "REAL" recording studio. But if it cost almost 10,000 dolars to record 13 songs they better be running to get coffee for me and calling me sir.
Click to expand...

If you go to a studio the first time, install a small taperecorder in the control room and record the engineers talking while someone else is recording...

+

Mind you, a 10,000$ budget to record a fullcd is nothing. Especially when comparing to *any* major label release.



Herwig
 
Thanks for all the great info guys!

I guess you are all right. It is a bit rediculas to have tons of sweet pro pre-amps, a nice Mac, and a sweet MOTU interface and then still go to a studio and pay a ton to track things there. I am not concerned about guitars. I have a sweet Marshall tube amp. I can record the bass guitar either DI through a bass POD or I can borrow a friend's bass amp and experiment with micing the bass amp technicques. I have a rather nice TAMA drum kit with really nice Zildjan, Paiste, and Sabian cymbals. I can tune the drums nicely as I have about 13 years of experience with drums. But I have no real room to record them in.

I am having a hard time thinking outside the box too. I can't think of a good place to record in. I could record in a church, but I am afraid that the drum sound would get "lost" in a space as large as a church. I have access to my old high school auditorium, but again I am afraid that my drum kit will just sound weak and papery in such a large space. Either that or it would sound as if I am playing in the Grand Canyon.

I could clean out my parents garage and try it there. It has a huge faulted cieleing that is in an "A" frame. The walls are covered with gardening equipment and I thin that you would be hard pressed to actually find a parallel surface in that place. But there is absolutely no sound proffing. That is not a problem for the neighbors or anything. I can just do it during the day. But I am afraid that the "Noise floor" will be horrible. I mean there will be birds chirping and people mowing their lawn. Cars driving by, sprinklers watering the lawn. etc etc.

What would you guys suggest for a drum room?

Also... I am recording using Logic Audio Platinum on a Mac. I am assuming that any studio where I might take my stuff to be mixed will be using ProTools. How in the hell do I make it so that my project (song) will be loadable into Pro Tools?

Is there an FAQ or article somewhere written on how to save your audio files so that they can easily be handed over and mixed in a ProTools env.?

Thanks for your help thus far guys!

Cheers!

Mike
 
Personally, I record in a small room (because it's all I have). It's 11'x16'x7'. I use 7 mics/tracks for a drum kit and I feel I get a decent sound. I'd imagine that a church would be an outstanding place to track drums.
 
If I had the gear that you do, I'd be looking for someone to work with me and do the mixing while I did the music. If you can find someone with a good ear and lots of patience to help you cut your own masters you could save a bundle on studio time. Once you get past the studio work the pressing isn't really that expensive. either way I wish you the best. Dani
 
Flat Rock

Dude are you from the same Flat Rock NC that Carl Sandberg is from? If so then I absolutely LOVE that little piece of country. When I was a kid my family had a summer house on a lake in a small town just outside of Hendersonville NC called Saluda. It was/is the best, most peqaceful place on the face of the Earth.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top