Carter
Total gear slut
Day job and the money I make off of studio time sold.
D
Dwnlow68
New member
tone_aot said:Hi folks. Just curious how everyone accumulated the gear for their studios. I want to have my own "real" studio so bad. I've seen alot of pics of home studios that look fantastic in here. Alot of you must have excellent jobs! I'm still in the "searching" period of my life. I'm really good with computers so i'm trying to figure what computer field to major in that will get me paid so i can have my studio one day. How'd you finance your gear? It's taken me about 2 years to get what i have from working at various jobs. I'm currently a customer service rep.
I work 2 jobs to support my hobby/habit, and can never seem to make enough money for what I want. I started w/ a tascam 4 track and then moved to 16 tracks of adat now moving onto 24+ tracks 24/96 digital
I
I-AM
New member
It takes time and lots and lots of money. I served in the Military for 8 years, and as soon as I left boot camp I started buying stuff.
Also, I got a lot of my stuff on credit. But when it was time to pay it off - I knew I would be eating tuna fish helper for a little bit.
Music is a very expensive hobby. I would suggest excercising balance and wisdom with your purchases. Buy once and buy the best...it may cost more but you will never need to re-buy something.
Make financial decisions that are not totally dependant on making it big in the music biz.
My 2 cents...
Also, I got a lot of my stuff on credit. But when it was time to pay it off - I knew I would be eating tuna fish helper for a little bit.
Music is a very expensive hobby. I would suggest excercising balance and wisdom with your purchases. Buy once and buy the best...it may cost more but you will never need to re-buy something.
Make financial decisions that are not totally dependant on making it big in the music biz.
My 2 cents...
punkin
Univalve & Avatar Speaks
Piece by piece. Think this "what do I need" not "what do I want". A lot of good stuff has been tracked with crappy or low end gear.
guitar junkie
Guitar User.
hard work and research....
I worked at cutting grass, painting rooms, swapping guitars around, even picking up cans in the ditches beside the road....
I got my first good guitar doing that, now I try and get some little things here and there to pay off... and oh yeah I am single....
I worked at cutting grass, painting rooms, swapping guitars around, even picking up cans in the ditches beside the road....
I got my first good guitar doing that, now I try and get some little things here and there to pay off... and oh yeah I am single....
dcwave
New member
The 1st version of my studio (ca. 2000) came to me as a form of payment from the radio station I did work for - they were going out of business and had no cash, so the DAW, dongles, etc came with me. Other than that, the studio pays for itself (I only run it about 60 hours per month total).
RICK FITZPATRICK
New member
That alone will shave years off the process
Since I've been married during my whole home studio hobby, my wifes "honey do" projects seem to always take precedence over studio purchases(ie..remodeling projects 
). So do lifes little side trips..ie..kids, taxes, divorce, child support, moving, health, cars, jobs, gas, etc. If you can eliminate these, you'll be miles ahead. 
Otherwise...good luck building your studio before turning 60. 
Obi-Wan zenabI
Active member
Seeker of Rock said:Day job. What I do is my second love besides music, but where and how I do it is stressfulMake decent money, though, and use the little extra we put in savings for necessary living stuff like home repairs and upgrades, and studio/studio stuff. Savings account is not very happy at the moment though
Are you a teacher?
'Cause that sure fits my job description.
I fininaced $1200 worth of sheetrock and soundboard with plastic, split the other two grand that I've put into my studio between plastic and day job earnings.
That's a lot to go on the credit card, but with a baby due and a room to clear out of music stuff, I was definitely on time constraints.
An impending baby is a great way to get your spouse behind the whole Idea of a recording studio!
Joe
T
thegunshyboy
New member
punkin said:
yes! you can do wonders with a small amount of gear. sometimes alot of gear can really complicate things. and alot of it for me is research. if i'm looking for something i research the hell out of it, make a decision on what i want, and then scour ebay and messageboards until one pops up at a price i'm willing (translates: able) to pay. i get it, and if it's something that may be an upgrade i compare it with what i already have. if it's better i'll keep it and sell the original piece, which goes towards the next upgrade. if it's worse, i return/resell what i just bought and move on.
andycerrone
Banned
What I did is dump like, $500 into a studio, and started recorded local bands really really cheap, whatever I made went back into it, and now my studio is getting quite improved and I can charge more, making more money faster, etc. etc.
jpw23
New member
One little piece at a time and I use most all of my bbq sauce money to buy gear...paypal is a great thing!
distortedrumble
all up in yo grill!
working a part time job, living at home, piece by piece. asking for money instead of gifts for christmas and birthday. used my income tax return. got cheap gear to get it started and sold bits of the cheap gear to get a more expensive piece. no girlfriend! $1.50 beer or $.25 beer on college nights for drinking. Its better to hit up a house party and stand near the keg. I think thats about it.
Blue Groove
New member
...
I got lucky. Through touring with a group for five years, and then going to Berklee, I gained two main things, experience and cash. Through contacts I made along the way, I got alot of good advice on the recording scene and what gear is studio standard and what gear rocks the standards, and how to get a nice blend. Really researching the gear you buy helps, no money lost on "I heard this is great" and getting it home and hating it.
Start with a good room, the rest will fall into place. Open small, but high quality.
A great thing to do is get toghther with a friend that knows business ins and outs (even a business student, they can usually use your plan for thier classes, and you'll get FREE consultation from their prof. without the hassle of the meetings). A great business plan can get you investors, don't be discouraged if you get turned down thirty times, it happens. Research the local market to make sure it can support you. Talk to other studio owners in the area.
I got lucky. Through touring with a group for five years, and then going to Berklee, I gained two main things, experience and cash. Through contacts I made along the way, I got alot of good advice on the recording scene and what gear is studio standard and what gear rocks the standards, and how to get a nice blend. Really researching the gear you buy helps, no money lost on "I heard this is great" and getting it home and hating it.
Start with a good room, the rest will fall into place. Open small, but high quality.
A great thing to do is get toghther with a friend that knows business ins and outs (even a business student, they can usually use your plan for thier classes, and you'll get FREE consultation from their prof. without the hassle of the meetings). A great business plan can get you investors, don't be discouraged if you get turned down thirty times, it happens. Research the local market to make sure it can support you. Talk to other studio owners in the area.
TragikRemix
I am NOT a Gear Whore. ;)
TexRoadkill said:
nah, that didnt work.
well, i'm a 16 year old workaholic, with no necessary expenses.
NO NECESSARY EXPENSES- probably the ONLY reason why I am able to build up my studio.
but, slowly. piece by piece. using credit.
selling drugs sucked, i lost money in that. beating up 2nd graders for their lunch money is more profitable.
TragikRemix
I am NOT a Gear Whore. ;)
oh yes, and i removed the girlfriend from my life last year. she costed way too much
nah, not really.. it just wasnt for me...
...of course, (after a year of no sex), i regret that.
but i should add, i do not have any form of a social life whatsoever, besides the guys i work with. i dont go out and have fun like i should be doing... i work way to much, i'm sure ill regret it like everyone says i will...
nah, not really.. it just wasnt for me...
...of course, (after a year of no sex), i regret that.
but i should add, i do not have any form of a social life whatsoever, besides the guys i work with. i dont go out and have fun like i should be doing... i work way to much, i'm sure ill regret it like everyone says i will...
TragikRemix
I am NOT a Gear Whore. ;)
ok asshole, enough with the unsigned negs about taxes.
.
.
daav
Flailing up a storm.
In the computer industry, IT, IS, what have you, the entry level jobs are generally better than average, but they tend to keep you at that level and salary for a long time, unless you get out.
I manage a tech support call centerr for a software company, and the way to get more $ is either great patience, with 3-5% increases each year, or promotion. I didn;t start making any noticable money until i started to move into management.
Networking will be more money than the support reps i work with, but like has been mentioned, there are long hours and it is very competitive these days since in the past 15 years every college has a 2 and 4 year degree program and every yahoo who plays too much xbox thinks they are technically poriented and go into that field. I persoanlly think it is over hyped, for everone making good $$ in technology there are tons scaping by trying to get that great opportunity.
Like most things, the big factor is the individual, are you outgoing, easy to get along with, egoless, and ambitious? if so, you are more likely to get ahead than if you are extremely talented. Relationships with people AND talent are the biggest things here. Along with that , not missing a lot of work and prienting yourself to the job are big- i am constantly struggling with people who are skilled but not working toward the goals of the team, and prefer to do it their way, whcih cuts their effectiveness where it counts.
LAst piece of advice-- be patient and smart! if you are in your early 20s and not spending more than you make, and looking for opportunities to move ahead, you WILL be sucessful. Appease yourself with building your studio a bit at a time, but don;t let yourself get into debt over it, or anything else. I htink of it like a video game, where you have x resources and need to reach a goal to "win". if you look at it objectively, you will find ways to work the system. if you let short term desire put you in a hole, you will struggle.
as for studio gear and everything, knowledge is power. I get overwhelmed at how hard it is for a newbie to decipher the ad hype on new gear. Behrringer stuff sounds perfect for all studios if you read their copy. However tyot he informed, there are "bargian" items that are truly good quality (and hold value). Build your studio with stuff that holds value so you get something back for your investment when you are ready to upgrade. If you can't physically build a sweet studio right now, focus on learning the skills that you can use when you do.
Daav
I manage a tech support call centerr for a software company, and the way to get more $ is either great patience, with 3-5% increases each year, or promotion. I didn;t start making any noticable money until i started to move into management.
Networking will be more money than the support reps i work with, but like has been mentioned, there are long hours and it is very competitive these days since in the past 15 years every college has a 2 and 4 year degree program and every yahoo who plays too much xbox thinks they are technically poriented and go into that field. I persoanlly think it is over hyped, for everone making good $$ in technology there are tons scaping by trying to get that great opportunity.
Like most things, the big factor is the individual, are you outgoing, easy to get along with, egoless, and ambitious? if so, you are more likely to get ahead than if you are extremely talented. Relationships with people AND talent are the biggest things here. Along with that , not missing a lot of work and prienting yourself to the job are big- i am constantly struggling with people who are skilled but not working toward the goals of the team, and prefer to do it their way, whcih cuts their effectiveness where it counts.
LAst piece of advice-- be patient and smart! if you are in your early 20s and not spending more than you make, and looking for opportunities to move ahead, you WILL be sucessful. Appease yourself with building your studio a bit at a time, but don;t let yourself get into debt over it, or anything else. I htink of it like a video game, where you have x resources and need to reach a goal to "win". if you look at it objectively, you will find ways to work the system. if you let short term desire put you in a hole, you will struggle.
as for studio gear and everything, knowledge is power. I get overwhelmed at how hard it is for a newbie to decipher the ad hype on new gear. Behrringer stuff sounds perfect for all studios if you read their copy. However tyot he informed, there are "bargian" items that are truly good quality (and hold value). Build your studio with stuff that holds value so you get something back for your investment when you are ready to upgrade. If you can't physically build a sweet studio right now, focus on learning the skills that you can use when you do.
Daav
Creamyapples1
www.murphycabs.com
Lots of good advice here. I've just acquired stuff over the years, with the last year and a half actively working on a "proper" setup. Just remember (esspecially you guys still in your teens) time is free and plentiful. Use it to your advantage.
tone_aot
Owner of ToneJonez.com
Thanks for the advice daav! I needed that. It's so hard choosing a "normal" career when you know what you really wanna do (music). I would like to go into a career field that pays alot so that when i start making moves with music, i won't be focused on making music for money, even tho i do want to make some money! I'd be an idiot if i didn't. But, i don't want that to be the MAIN focus. I know alot of folks just pick a career and later in their life they find out that's not what they wanted to do. I don't wanna be like that. I'm thinking long term when making my career choice. I just don't wanna think so long that i never make a career choice! Thanks guys. I'm surprised this thread is still goin.
Thanks guys. I'm surprised this thread is still goin.
daav
Flailing up a storm.
i think that we'd be so much better off not putting pressure on people in the late teens and early twenties to decide what they want to do for the next 45 years. One one hand, you can get started and stick with a career path and get to a pretty good earning capacity. But over the ten years that takes, the chances that you grow dissillusioned with that job are great. If you jump around and try alot of hats, when you find the 'right' thing you are already behind those that have been investing all their time into it.
maybe music for you is the right thing that you can invest in from the beginning. instead of computers, consider electrical engineering (old school studio preparation) or try to get a job with computers in a music oriented business, like a pro studio or equipment manufacturor, or what have you. Leverage the connections there to jump over to pure music when you are able, who knows?
best advice is that if you know what the long term stuff you want is, make strategic moves to prepare for it, knowing you aren't going to get it right away. take the job in the great studio at less money knwoing that 2-3 years done the road you will have earned enough knowledge and networking collateral to step out on your own.
jsut ideas, good luck. If it helps, i got a "real" job for the first time at about 26, and was able to move up to the point where i can pay a mortgage, get married, start having kids soon and such, and I am pretty happy with that. Ont he other hand, i need the job for all of the above, and there is nothing equivalent to jump over to in the music world, so i am "locked in" so to speak .Not a bad thing, it is my choice and i am happy with it, actually, but if i had made the same choices around music instead of computers 9 years ago, who knows i might be in the same place running a studio. Probabaly not, but who knows.
Daav
maybe music for you is the right thing that you can invest in from the beginning. instead of computers, consider electrical engineering (old school studio preparation) or try to get a job with computers in a music oriented business, like a pro studio or equipment manufacturor, or what have you. Leverage the connections there to jump over to pure music when you are able, who knows?
best advice is that if you know what the long term stuff you want is, make strategic moves to prepare for it, knowing you aren't going to get it right away. take the job in the great studio at less money knwoing that 2-3 years done the road you will have earned enough knowledge and networking collateral to step out on your own.
jsut ideas, good luck. If it helps, i got a "real" job for the first time at about 26, and was able to move up to the point where i can pay a mortgage, get married, start having kids soon and such, and I am pretty happy with that. Ont he other hand, i need the job for all of the above, and there is nothing equivalent to jump over to in the music world, so i am "locked in" so to speak .Not a bad thing, it is my choice and i am happy with it, actually, but if i had made the same choices around music instead of computers 9 years ago, who knows i might be in the same place running a studio. Probabaly not, but who knows.
Daav