Choosing The Right Studio For You

Skate the Razor,
Both Friend and Foe,
Greetings.

Music Recording & Engineering
Choosing The Right Studio For You

Hi everyone, and thank you for sharing a few moments of your time with me.
I just completed writing an article for Helium.com and I thought some of you might find it interesting, if not valuable. Read on.

Having spent over three decades as a professional musician and producer, I have been fortunate to work alongside some amazing talent. Over the years I have designed and built a number of studios, for various clients, each with their own specific needs in mind.

Indeed, each recording is as unique as the individual artist. The process can be as simple or as complex as the project requires. There is no magic formula. The goal should always be for the essence of the song to transcend the limitations of the process.

What do I mean by all of this? Well for starters, don’t make the recording process any more difficult than necessary. No recording can be perfect, so don’t think about perfection. Think about the impact of the performance.

These days, we have far more options than limitations. Be honest with yourself about your goals and expectations. Reliable recording studios can be found in even the most remote locations. Visit the studio before actually booking any time. Don’t be afraid to ask the engineer to play you a song or two he has recorded recently. Be sure these are people you will feel comfortable working with for long hours at a time. Prices will vary from one studio to the next, so take your time and choose wisely. You shouldn’t need to spend a fortune.

In Recent years, computer based recording software has made it possible for artists to make affordable high quality digital recordings from home. However, this method requires an understanding of the software as well as the recording process itself. This is the fundamental difference between production and engineering. The producer sets the course, whereas it is the responsibility of the engineer is to navigate (twiddle the knobs). Some artists, like Prince and Moby prefer to do all three themselves, but no man is a mountain. Don’t assume you can handle everything yourself. Experience, good or bad, can be priceless.

It is always wise to copyright your songs for your own protection. Any simple recording of the song is acceptable and the process is way easier than filing your taxes. Downloadable copyright forms are available online, free from the Library of Congress. For more information, visit their website at: Library of Congress

If you have any questions you’d like to ask, you may contact me by e-mail at: sfefeedback@msn.com
or feel free to visit my webite: Sound Foundation Entertainment

Good luck,
Perhaps we’ll be hearing from you soon!

Brad


Skate the Razor

Banding Together

Skate the Razor,
Both Friend and Foe,
Greetings.

Some bands are good at it, some are not. Some musicians understand how important it is, others don’t. Frankly, some people are simply too concerned about they’re own egos to do the right thing. What is the “right thing”?. Banding together, of course! Networking, so to speak.

Far too many young musicians think the club scene is some kind of ‘dog eat dog’ scenario, but it doesn’t need to be that way. Nowhere has the pressure been greater than on the Sunset strip in Hollywood during the ‘Big Hair’ era, and yet my band, based in Phoenix nearly four hundred miles eastward, played alongside Guns & Roses, Poison, and other future legends without getting sucked down by personal egos. We were always supportive of the bands on the scene, and it paid off for us in big ways.

Of course, there are ways to be helpful and self serving at the same time. I would urge my guys to help the other bands strike the stage, for example. After all, the sooner the stage is clear, the sooner my band can set up. Doesn’t this just make good sense?

Ultimately it’s up to you, but having personally booked literally hundreds of gigs at dozens of clubs, I can assure you that a band with a bad reputation is far less apt to be offered the choice gigs, no matter how cool they may think they are. On the other hand, if you can’t network on the local level, what ever gives you the idea you’ll be ready to work with the big boys?

Get out there and get it done! Making excuses is not going to get you where you want to go. Don’t be shy to show your meddle and remember, networking is your friend. Now that’s what I call ‘sound reasoning’.


Brad

Skate the Razor