Investor Agreements Band Entity Creation Booking Agreements Record Deals Copyrights Publishing
Song Licensing Tradenames Accounting Records Taxes
Frequently Asked Questions
For those of you less familiar with how music recording works, we’ve created this list
of questions we are most frequently asked. There are also many online resources for educating yourself about recording and the music business. Just “Google” your area of interest.
Q: How much does it cost to record?
A: The cost is based on how much time is required for the recording and mixing of your music and then converting your final product to CD.
Your rate will consist of (1) an hourly or daily fee for studio time plus (2) the hourly fee of the particular recording professional you desire for your project.Click here to view our rates.We also offer special karaoke recording packages.
Q: Okay, I understand that it’s time based. How much time is involved in the process?
A: It’s really up to you, depending on your needs and a variety of factors:
Are you a band or a solo artist?
How many instruments?
How many vocal parts?
How proficient are the musicians in playing/singing their parts without mistakes?
What type of effects do you want added, and to what tracks?
What will the finished product be used for?
What genre of music is involved?
How “complex” is the music?
How particular are you, and how willing are you to accept a performance that is less than perfect?
How much editing and “tweaking” will you want us to do?
Do you prefer a “let’s get this done” session, or a more laid-back recording experience?
ETC.!!!
As you can imagine, we’re very hesitant to give time estimates, as one song could
take an hour, a day, or even weeks, depending on the above factors. But since it is the most frequently asked question we get, we’ll give you these non-binding, very
rough estimates: A well-rehearsed acoustic guitarist/singer could walk out of the studio with a 5 song demo in about four hours. A 4-5 person local band looking to
produce a high-quality demo or an album to sell at shows, etc., should budget about a day per song for the finished product. If you have further questions, you’ll want to be prepared to answer the above questions.
Q: There seem to be so many studios to choose from. How do I know which studio is right for me?
A: These days, new studios are popping up everywhere. That’s because in this digital
age of music production, all it takes is a computer, a microphone and a room, and there is created a "studio" (and the guy who runs it calls himself a "producer"). Most
of these are operated out of homes or small spaces in other businesses, which may be fine depending on your expectations and budget. The real question to ask is how
you are going to use your recorded material. Once you’ve answered that question, you will want to explore the four key elements that define a studio: (A) equipment and
software quality, (B) the experience and expertise of the person running the equipment, (C) the quality of the overall facility (e.g., acoustics), and (D) the intangible aspects of
the facility (location, atmosphere, vibe). Last but not least, never commit to a studio until you have had a tour, heard some samples, had an opportunity to ask questions, and feel completely comfortable with it.
Q: I want to record an album that I can sell. What should I look for in a studio?
A: If you want to create an album suitable for commercial distribution (including song
downloads), you will want to achieve the highest quality recording you can absolutely afford. Remember, your potential listeners will be comparing you to music produced
at the finest of studios in L.A., New York, Nashville, etc. Beginning with the equipment, the industry standard recording system is Pro Tools HD with Waves “plug-ins” (see
below for a comparison between Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools LE). There is also a lot of ancillary equipment that matters as well, such as microphones, pre-amps and
other “outboard gear”, the computer hardware, and the speakers the recording engineer uses to monitor the sound he is creating. You will want to do your homework
on this one. As to the recording engineer, take a look at his credentials and the other musicians he has worked with. Have a listen to something he has produced to be
sure he is competent with your style and genre of music. As to the overall quality of the facility, take some time to understand how they handle acoustics. The last thing
you want is to have the recording of your stellar performance interrupted by a plane flying overhead, a neighbor’s boombox, or a phone or doorbell ringing. (We should
know. We used to have a home studio until we realized that to do a truly professional job, we needed to build a custom facility.)
All things considered, the free-standing professional audio studios are generally a
safe bet in all these areas, although there are certainly some home and other studios that fit the bill. Just be sure to do your homework on these before making a
commitment. And once you are good with the studio’s quality, be sure it is a place where you are comfortable spending a lot of time. Is it conveniently located? Is it in a
safe part of town? What will you do to kill an hour while the engineer fixes something? Is it clean? Do you like the staff? Do you like the overall feel, or “vibe”, of the studio?
Will it look good as a background to the photos or video you will want to take during you session? Is it a place you’ll be proud to say that you recorded at?
Q: I want to record a demo I can send to record labels or to venues that might hire me to perform. What should I look for in a studio?
A: Again, quality is key. Those in the music business and on the listening end of
demos make pretty quick decisions in this highly competitive industry. Literally, you may only get 5-10 seconds, so you want that 5-10 seconds to be your best. We
recommend album quality, or near album quality for demos. And this may not be news to you, but the Internet has become incredibly important when it comes to
“discovering” new artists. Since physically sending out demo CDs may soon be a thing of the past, you’ll also want to be armed with the appropriate sound files for distribution by e-mail and the Internet.
Q: I don’t have professional aspirations. I just want to hear myself recorded, have a little fun, and give my songs to my friends and family.
What should I look for in a studio?
A: In this case, quality is less important and you will want to focus more on the facility
itself. Is it conveniently located? Is it in a safe part of town? What will you do to kill an hour while the engineer fixes your vocals electronically? Is it clean? Do you like the
staff? Do you like the overall feel, or “vibe”, of the studio? Will it look good as a background to any photos or video you may take during you session? Is it a place
you’ll be proud to say that you recorded at?
Q: Explain this “Pro Tools” thing to me.
A: Pro Tools is the industry standard recording system used in virtually all professional
recording studios It is used to record virtually all music you hear on the radio. It consists of software that runs on a computer along with special hardware that
connects the microphones and instruments to the computer. The important thing to understand is that there are two versions of Pro Tools: Pro Tools LE (“light”) and Pro Tools HD. A basic Pro Tools LE system can be put together for about $1,500. A
complete Pro Tools HD system can be a six figure investment with quality “plug-ins” and other important accessories. While LE is a fine starter or back-up system,
nothing compares to the recording capabilities of HD. And it’s the HD system that is the one used by major record label studios. Local studios often use LE, and simply
advertise that they use “Pro Tools”. A studio that uses HD will charge more for recording, but like anything, you get what you pay for. In a nutshell, HD systems simply
have far more advanced capabilities than LE systems and will make you sound better. And studios can easily transfer files between them if needed, which is common in the
industry. And if anyone tells you that their non-Pro Tools system is just as good, do the homework yourself to see what the major studios do in fact use. Of course, some
projects will come out just fine on a non-Pro Tools system, particularly if the engineer is proficient with that system. Again, do your homework to be sure. For more information about Pro Tools, visit the Digidesign web site.
Q: What are “Plug-Ins”, and do I need them?
A: Plug-ins are nothing more than additional software programs designed to work
with the Pro Tools HD recording system. For example, there is software that can correct your vocals if you sing off-key. There is software that allows you to plug your
guitar directly in to the computer and hear the same sound as though it were plugged into an amp with various effects pedals. There is software that can add instrument
parts and beats to your song. Plug-ins are how you add reverb, delay, EQ and the other common effects heard on literally every song you hear on the radio. There are
literally thousands of plug-ins on the market, so you will want to be sure your studio has a good selection of quality ones, such as Waves, Antares and Reason.
Q: I’m confused about all this digital and analog stuff. I’ve had people tell me that analog is the way to go. What is the difference?
A: Prior to the days of computers and CDs, recording studios used magnetic tape
machines to capture the sounds made by the musicians, which sounds would then be converted to vinyl records. Various other pieces of equipment were used to help in
the recording process, and they had very elementary electronic parts inside them. They created a certain type of sound; well, the only type of sound available with the
technology existing at the time. Those were the days of “analog” recording. With the advent of computers and digital electronics, sound engineers found that they could
capture higher quality, crisper, more sonically perfect recordings through the digital methods. Gone were tape hiss and other sound impurities and artifacts of the old
analog equipment. And as digital electronics evolved, the recorded sound became an even more precise duplicate of the actual sound (not dissimilar to what high
definition tv is compared to the original black and white models). And for those who preferred the “older” sound, software even evolved that could duplicate it essentially
perfectly. Like with any change, though, there are those who prefer things the way they once were. Maybe it’s a bit of nostalgia for the “good old days”, or maybe it’s ears
that have grown used to what was in essence a less than perfectly re-created sound. Whatever the reason, “analog” and “vintage” are buzz words in certain sectors of the
recording community today, and there are those who swear by the analog equipment and methods of yesteryear. So which is really better? Well, let’s take the example of
buying a car. Most of us prefer the shiny new model, fresh off the lot, if we can afford it. But there are those who would still rather drive a ‘67 Mustang or some other older
collector car, because it was the best during its day. The same really applies to digital verses analog recording systems. So which is better? You can probably guess our
opinion, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But there are two important things to remember: (1) no matter how it was recorded, it will end up on a CD or downloaded to
your computer or portable music player as digital 1s and 0s anyway, and (2) the average listening environment is a $10 pair of ear buds, cars with the windows down,
places of business with background noise, and houses with fans and dishwashers and washing machines. Ultimately, it’s the SONG that matters, and not whether it was recorded digital or analog.
Q: My recording needs are not musical. Can you help?
A: Our equipment can handle virtually any type of recording project. We’ve done voice-over, commercials, jingles, books on CD, training tapes, and many other types
of projects.
Q: What do I need to do to get ready for my recording session?
A: You should be overly prepared and rehearsed with songs that are totally completed
. You do not want to be spending valuable studio time re-arranging your songs or working through the rough parts of your music. You should also have a very good idea
in mind of what you want as a finished project, and you should be prepared to articulate that to your engineer. If you don’t really know what you want, no problem.
Just let the engineer know, and he will be more than happy to offer suggestions and guide you.
FUTURE Q&A
Q: What is “Mastering”, and do I need it?
A:
Q: What exactly is a “producer”?
A:
Q: Do I need a studio that also has a “record label”?
A:
Q: I love to sing and want to record, but I don’t write songs. What do I do?
A: Paradise West offers special programs for recording amateur musicians via Karaoke CDs. Click here for more information.
Q: I’ve written the lyrics to some songs, but don’t know how to write the music. What do I do?
A:
Q: I’ve written the music and lyrics to some songs, but I don’t know any musicians to help me record. What do I do?
A:
Q: Please explain the recording process for a song.
A: When you first arrive, some time will be spent setting up the instruments, the mics
and the computer program. Actual recording Most studios then commence track by track recording, starting with drums and bass, and then moving to guitars, keys and
other instruments and finally adding vocals. Strangely enough, ...daraoke style to the music you’ve laid down. Once all of the “tracking” (as it called) is complete, it is time to
begin mixing and editing. While a rough mix is often created as part of the tracking process, the final mixing and digital editing for a song can take almost as long the
tracking of that song. The final mix involves taking all of th eindiviual tracks and “bouncing” them (i.e. converting them) to a stereo track. THe final step is called
mastering, which in simple terms means doing some final tweaks to the stero mix and burning it to CD. Mastering of demos and even many ablums can occur at the stuio
level, but if you anticipate nationl commercial distribution, you may wish to consider sending your fianl mix to a specialized “mastering house”.
For those of you newer to the music business, realize that whatever your music
aspirations may be, you are going to need to get into the recording studio. If you are looking to expand your live performance gigs, a demo CD is your business card. If
your objective is a major record label deal, you will need a demo of the highest quality. If you want to self-market a 12-song CD, you will need to record a master. If you want
to offer your music for dowloadable sales, you will need the track. Helping you get your music in front of people--be they fans or those who might hire you--is why Desert
Star Music Group has invested so significantly in its recording studio capabilities. If we decide to work together, we will produce, engineer, mix and master your works
onto CD format, and then assist you with mastering and duplicating as many as you may need. Contact us for a free initial consultation on how we might be able to help
you with your recording needs.
(For those of you less familiar with recording, Pro Tools exceeds audio CD standards with up to 24 bit, 96kHz recording. As a digital system, we can do non-linear editing
of music tracks just like text on a regular computer system (cut, copy and paste, etc.). Our system has well over 1000 total gigs of memory and is easily expandable as
needed. And when you’ve recorded your last vocal track for your demo and it’s time to mix it all down and put it on CD, we hit a few buttons and a few minutes later, you’re
driving off listening to yourself on your car CD player!)
In addition to the Pro Tools software itself, we’ve invested in the finest plug-ins and ancillary software available, giving us virtually unlimited opportunities for creation and
enhancement of your music. For those less familiar with digital recording and processing, what this means is that we can take any vocal or instrument track and do
amazing things--pitch correction, voice doubling, beat correction, distortion, vocal transformation and pitch shifting, as well as add the standard reverb, delays, EQ,
compression, chorusing, flangers, sound effects, etc. (While we will always respect the purist musicians who disfavor such techniques, understand that 99% of the
commercially successful songs out there have undergone some type of digital enhancement!) For those of you who know what your are looking for, here is a partial list of our goods:
We realize that emerging acts cannot always afford the highest quality instruments, or have every piece of the musical talent they need to create their vision. That’s why we
offer the use of our basic instruments as part of our recording services and can arrange for specialty musicians if you need them. To assist you in planning, our instruments include:
RECORDING STUDIO
