I want to Know how and where you record your demos

What do you use to record your demos

  • Software Studio (Pro tool, cubase, logic etc) at home

    Votes: 105 63.3%

  • Hardware DAW (VS1680, AW4416 etc) at home

    Votes: 39 23.5%

  • Hire Project Studio

    Votes: 3 1.8%

  • Use tape based system at home.

    Votes: 19 11.4%
  • Total voters
    166
J

justinmstretch

New member
Is the project studio dead? Do we need engineers or Producers anymore?

Is the Digital Audio workstation the future of the Recording Industry?

Please answer the attached Poll !!!

Any other comments or opinions welome by e-mail.
 
I own a project studio

The number of people hiring my project studio has dropped over the last year, this is probably due to more musicians recording at home on computer or similar devices.
 
Your results by polling here are going to be just a bit biased. After all this is HOME Recording BBS... :eek:

I'd have to say that the falling costs of equipment, and the rising quality of software/hardware are bringing about more and more home studios, and also more "project studios". So, your market is thinning...

People would rather pay for equipment and try to learn than pay to rent your space/equipment/expertise...

Queue
 
home recording techniques

I do realise that the results of the poll will manly consist of home sound techs, my interest, however is in the adoption of hardware DAWs. I am currently writing a dissertation on the impact of DAWs on the project studio so really I would just like to find out how many are using Hardware DAWs such as the Yamaha AW4416 or the Roland VS2480 etc, thanks for the reply, please keep on voting folks !!!!
 
For producing my own band's material, I hire a commercial project studio... I've been going to Blue Bear Sound for a while now and it's a great place to record! ;)

:D :D


(mind you... I MAY be a bit biased!) ;)

Bruce
 
I do realise most of you people out there probably record at home. I just need to know your opinions on project studios, are they on the up or down. What do you think?
 
IMO, the PC DAW is hurting you as much, if not more than the Hardware DAW.

Hardware DAWs are for people who'd rather not have the "challenge" of fighting/tweaking to get things to work...

Hardware DAWs are for people who are more concerned with ease of use and stability than with flexibility and upgradability.

Queue
 
I think the amount of recording being done at all project studios is probably stable. (More overall recording being done, but offset by the amount that is being done at home.) Unfortunately the number of project studios fighting for a piece of that pie is on the up.

Queue
 
Project studios are up ... quality of demos and CDs are down.
I think it has something to do with lack of knowledge. Which is why a website like HR.com is one of the few beacons of hope for the musician trying to do it all themselves. Until that knowledge is widespread and consistent ... I don't think there's much threat to a pro studio that offers engineering/producing experience, quality equipment and a clean signal chain. Those who are in a "pro" situation should focus on CD (or AV, film, etc) gigs instead of the shrinking band demo market. There's not many serious record companies that would invest in a product made at a home studio ... unless the experience was there to compete quality-wise ... and that's iffy. Just my humble BS opinion ... feel free to disagree. :)

I don't fit into your poll ... I don't use any kind of DAW or tape-based multitrack and I haven't recorded outside my basement in years.
 
I can't track live drums in my studio, (although I do have V-drums) so for that I go elsewhere.

Ironically, my band is currently working on a CD and I can't record it at my place (we chose to use live drums). So we're gonna record the base tracks in a commercial studio - and maybe go back to my studio to lay down the vocals.
 
If its a really important project, like final cuts for releasing, I will rent out a tracking room. If the money is available, I'll have Mike Baker, an engineer off the 1st Days of the New album (really good mixer too), do setup and tracking so I can relax and perform. I get too wrapped up in technical aspects, and I get all stressed out trying to do everything. If its your own stuff and you;re performing, its best to let someone else, especially someone more knowledgeable, take care of setup and tracking. That way you can focus on performance.
 
Business for me has been steadily increasing since I've opened and as word of mouth expands.... so from my perspective, I'd have to say commercial project studios are still alive!

Bruce
 
tubedude has a good point. I often try to be engineer, producer and artist on my material, in my studio.

The producer is never satisfied with the performance, the engineer is an anal ass, contantly trying to get "just the right" sound on tape and the artist gets so stressed (since he rarely gets to actually play anyhing) that he can't ace the parts when the red light is finally on. And none of us can agree on a final mix!!!

No wonder we never seem to complete any of our own projects to the satisfaction of our production team!!! (Although we do like working on other peoples projects).

Oh noooo, I'm referring to myself in the third person, help me, help me!!!

Damn, I'm glad I spent all this money on gear to record my songs!!!!
 
im at home with a software based studio....Delta Audiophile2496 with N-Track......extra bedroom.....walkin closet is the vocal booth and where i hide when the wife is bitching thats its time to cut the grass and i just wanna bitch slap her and tell her to cut the muthaf&%*ing grass herself and .......:eek: .....sorry............
 
I record at home and wouldn't consider tracking anywhere else. I've been working on my recording chops for a lot of years and I don't know it all by a LONG shot but I'm very happy with the product I can turn out. I always have repeat customers and new ones from word of mouth. The fact that I can work at my own pace and track when the mood is upon me is what I find most attractive and I can pass that vibe and on to folks that record here.
 
There's still a LARGE population of musical type that don't have access to anything fancier than a 57, a cheap mixer they use at live gigs and some fucked up cassette deck.

Project studios- especially those that are mobile, will always have a place in this equation.
 
I think that what we are seeing, possibly more than just the fact that equipment prices are dropping, is that there is a backlash from independent musicians against the big labels.

Also, If you look at the really top notch equipment, the prices haven't really come down that much. What has happened is that some of the low end equipment has gotten better and that digital technology has opened the door.
 
I want to make two points:

1 I think Bigkahuna nailed something really important when he said: "Project studios are up ... quality of demos and CDs are down." Yes, we're seeing more people than ever before recording their own music at home, and yes, we're seeing loads of that recorded music sounding like crap compared to what they would get if they hired pro studio time. Is this taking business from the pro studios? Probably, but not much is my guess. Why do I think that? Well, I do my own demos, because I enjoy it, and because I'm learning. But if I was seriously trying to get something on CD that I was planning to wave in the face of the public and the record companies, I think I'd ante up for pro studio time. The pros can get better sound than me. Simple.

2 DVD-audio and video is coming on strong, loads of people are buying DVD players, and it's not going away - I think what we're seeing as we speak is the replacement of the 16/44 CD medium by 24/96 DVD. Pro engineers are excited about it and like it (well, who wouldn't, considering the excellence of its sound?). Now, mixing for surround adds considerably to the amount of gear and knowledge you need to come up with good product. So much so, that despite the unkillable enthusiasm and willingness to experiment on the part of home recordists, I don't see any homers here who are throwing themselves into 5.1. It's too much to bite off when you're still struggling with 2 speakers of stereo. What am I saying? Just this - pro audio's gonna surf into the future on the great big wave of DVD recording. DVD's gonna re-introduce that previous Great Big Divide between pro and home recording.

Some homers will use the skills they picked up with stereo mixing to make the jump to 5.1, but most homers will be content to continue to work with the 16/44 CD. It'll be like the 4-track Tascam days all over again.
 
I kinda do both..I track drums in a pro studio..Do my other tracking home..then I go to a different studio to computer edit..then to a different one to mix...This is on my stuff..If I play for someone else I dont touch the recording gear..I want to be as creative as possible for them..The only thing that I've tracked, at my place for a outside client is laugh tracks for TV and some voice overs for radio adds..Mikeh great 3rd person stuff..LOL..It does seem to work out that way!


Don
 
there is a backlash from independent musicians against the big labels.
Click to expand...

Wow. This is a tough one.

As much as I hope that the growing independant scene will someday prevail, it seems that any independant minded venture just gets gobbled up by the big guys as soon as it proves to be profitable.

I think most of us would answer the door when/if a major label came knocking..

More on the topic, with all of the little recording boxes that have found their way into bedrooms, it makes sense that there are a lot more songs being created that will eventually need to be worked on in 'project studios'. IOW, I imagine that there are even more people nowadays writing songs and realizing, "hey-I can do this!" and they will turn to people like us and say, "can you help me make it sound good?"
 
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