Finding a Recording Studio

[lippy]

I'm assuming that a decent amount of people on this board are musicians. I've just going on what veteran cops call a "hunch". I live in the outer New York sprawl (a euphemism for North Jersey) and I want to go into a studio. I was wondering if anyone on the board had had good or bad experiences with studios in the area or had any sort of helpful information. I've never gone in a studio before, I've always recorded on my computer. But, it is time to grow up.

[Death Metal Moe]

My band has recorded about 7-8 times in the past 7 years at 4 different studios and I can say we were never fully satisfied.

ASK THE GUY RUNNING THE BOARD A LOT OF QUESTIONS!! He and any other staff will be micing your equipment and setting levels. Now I KNOW mixing and mastering can help, but if you don't get a sound CLOSE to what you want at recording, all the dials in the world won't save your recording.

Also, MAKE SURE you don't "settle" on a take. If it's not what you want, do it again. It will cost more, but NO AMMOUNT of $$ will take away that one part of a song you keep hearing your mistake in over and over and over and over again. Got me?

Lastly, I KNOW everyone is ORIGINAL, but get real. You sound like SOMETHING or WANT to sound like something. Bring the guy a copy of a few songs of bands you'd like to get a sound like. NOT the songs, just the album sound.

Oh yea, and KEEP IT METAL!!!

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[fezident]

Asking aboot what is a good studio is like asking "what is a good car". There a million studios out there and they all have good (and bad) things aboot them. The very thing one band hates aboot one studio could be the very same thing that another simply LOVES.

I suggest (as Moe did) that you go into any recording situation with a VERY clear (and realistic!) idea of what you'd like your music to sound like. Bring in a few discs that appeal to you sonically, and use them as a mix-reference.

Also, and this depends on how much time & money you have, don't be scared to experiment. We've all heard stories aboot producers who did everything from shredding a speaker cone with a razor blade to sampling underwater whale-calls to achieve various effects.

There are a million studios out there. I recommend that you research some of your fave bands (or local bands) and find out where their stuff was recorded and with what budget.

Fez 4 Prez!!

[Dirtybird11]

i record on a computer & in studios. studios suck in my oppinion. u gotta play by their rules. record when they have time for you, always on the clock, $$$ ..
studios are an endangered species im afraid. you might be suprised how many bands & artists reocrd on macs.
you dont need to spend lots of $$ for a good reocding

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[Death Metal Moe]

Yea, home studios are OK for people with the equipment and have the mics and software for it, but a beginner is still going to benefit from the experience of a studio and the staff.

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[Zipgun]

If you have money, go to <a href=http://www.traxeast.com/>Trax East</a>.

If not, PM me with your details and maybe I can help.

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[Gringo Star]

Different studios will get you different results, so it kinda depends on what you're looking to end up with. Your decision will also hinge on what kind of music you're recording.

I will go on a "hunch" and assume you're recording with a band (live instruments), and it's been my experience that the single most important step in getting a professional recording is getting the drums to sound the best they can. The last time I recorded, the drums were recorded to 2 inch tape and they never sounded better.

It also depends on your budget (which may depend on how many songs you want to record). It would help to know what you ultimately intend to do with these recordings, too. As with anything you get what you pay for. A home recording will almost always sound like it, but if you're recording just to hear what the songs sound like, then there's nothing wrong with going that route. If you intend to release the tunes to the public, you'd be better off spending the extra time and money on a real studio.

All that being said, I'm not too familiar with studios in North Jersey. The farthest north I've been is either Showplace in Dover (which is actually out west), or <a href="http://www.soundspa.net/">Sound Spa</a> in Edison. Other than that I can recommend plenty of reasonably priced studios around the Shore area.

Good luck.

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This message was edited by Gringo Star on 2-5-03 @ 2:07 AM