All right. Enough of that. Just dont start talking about your album or how youre an artist and well get along just fine. First, well talk about how you want your songs to sound. A lot of bands want a live, in-the-studio experience. Regrettably, very few can pull it off because they simply dont have the chops. There is a fine line between exquisitely messy and just plain awful. It takes a lot of patience for the magic to arrive and I usually dont have that much time. So Id suggest something more flexible. Lets say we lay down the basics and record the drums, bass, and one guitar. Most bands can handle that as long as the singer gives them cues. If a hot cut of a basic track can be captured, some of the pressure is off. But now the details need to really shine. Can your singer sing? Can your lead guitar player rip a worthy solo without consuming an entire afternoon? If so, well have a blast. Ill be willing to work long hours. If not, well, go home and practice. A lot.
Things have changed drastically in the years Ive been recording. Tape is a thing of the past around my studio (and around most studios). Sure, it sounds better, but the costs are exorbitant compared to hard drive space. So well do what we can to warm up your tracks and that is plenty. Were not making an audiophile masterpiece, Im sorry to say. Youll get mid-fidelity. Hardly anyone expects more these days. The good news is we can automate mixes and operate on the cheap. Your CD (or worse, your MP3) product will sound like lots of other amateur recordings. If you want professional results, GO TO A PROFESSIONAL RECORDING STUDIO [see below for recommendations]. Its totally worth it if you have the musical goods and you want to be taken seriously. People who do what I do professionally have vast amounts of knowledge that I do not and will never possess. Consult them. Pay them. Raise the bar on yourself and become what you are already pretending to be. Now!
In the end, it is extremely unlikely that posterity will give any fraction of a damn about what you did in my garage (or anyone elses). That is totally okay with me and it should be with you, too. Lets live in the moment, shall we? Well make beautiful music together and have a couple of beers. We can blast your sonic creations from now until we go deaf from too much rock music. What could be better than that?
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[image-1]Where to record if you don't do it my way
This sampling of local recording studios is purposefully incomplete: gleaned for the discriminating, aspiring local recording artist. It contains several of the worthy, for-hire places in the Tampa Bay Area where you can commit your creativity to digital (and/or analog) posterity.
Atomic Audio A fave of indie bands and others with that DIY ethic, except that you wont be doing it all yourself, youll be having them sympathetically do it with you. .
Clear Track Productions A high-end professional set-up in Pinellas with deep talent and real gear. Could be a contender for top studio honors in time. [Control room pictured left.]
Morrisound Studios The granddaddy of all professional local studios, they can do it all, and they have. Near the top of the ladder of studios in Florida and the Southeast.
Red Room Recorders Real musician-run offshoot with tons of gear and audio options. This studio is diverse in its aspirations and it looks plenty welcoming.
Short Circuit Studio A multimedia house that claims to do it from soup to nuts, including video. Acclaimed locally for affordability and great results.
Springs Theatre Focused mostly on classical and jazz, this is an impressive space and it boasts some big-name clients.
Zen Recording Run by the inimitable guitarist and knobsman Steve Connelly, this place is a haven for everything from power pop to Americana to jam bands. Maybe Steve will add a sweet pedal steel guitar part to your song if you ask nicely.
Advice: Learn a little about recording gear (microphones, pre-amps, digital audio formats, etc.) and listen to finished products recorded at the studio(s) under consideration for your project. Also, learn something about how sounds are processed by using Garage Band on your Mac (or, better, buy and install Logic Pro). Then, take your ideas to a real recording studio and let the pros have at it.