FAQ

Below is a series of questions frequently asked by clients.

The answers will help when planning and budgeting your recording session.

Q. How long does the recording take?

A. Recording time varies dramatically from artiste to artiste or band to band. The main factors when working out your recording time are:

Rehearsal - are you well rehearsed? The more pre production you do will ensure a smooth recording session and less ‘outtakes’.

Setup - a solo artiste using backing tracks will only take 15 mins to get a good microphone level and headphone mix but a more complicated setup will take a lot longer, especially if there is a large drum kit and other instruments to mic up and sound check. It all depends on the band size and instruments used. Roughly, give at least an hour to setup and sound check a drum kit.

Mixdown and Mastering - please don’t forget the mixing and mastering! This can take almost as long as the recording itself, sometimes longer. You can have a perfect recording only to have it ruined by a rushed mix. If you have a complicated composition e.g. lots of guitar overdubs, layers of keyboards and backing harmonies, then budget for a long mixdown time as the more busy a track the longer it takes to balance the mix. After the mixing comes the mastering which puts the ‘cherry on the cake’. This polishes the mix and gives it that extra kick to make it ‘shop ready’

Q. How many tracks can I/we record in a day?

A. See above. Also, it depends on the length of the songs, you can record more short 60’s style two and a half minute songs than say a twenty minute Pink Floyd Epic!