RECORDING STUDIO FAQ

You've got questions, we've got answers

If you can’t find the answers you’re looking for below, don’t hesitate to contact us or call at (647) 848-7351.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Our minimum booking time is 2 hours with a junior engineer, 3 hours with a senior engineer. Some engineers/ producers may require a longer minimum session time. For rentals our minimum booking time is 4 hours.

Yes, all our sessions include a certified recording engineer and/or producer to aid you in your musical endeavors. The hourly rate includes recording, editing and tuning. Provided we have the time we can work on vocal mixes on an hourly basis. For stemmed out mixes and mastering we will provide you with a flat rate fee once we assessed the song. Our rate information for independent artists can be found here, please contact us directly (647) 848-7351 to get a quote for your special projects.

A 50% deposit will be required in advance to secure all studio bookings, which is credited to your session bill. In the event of cancellation, this deposit is refundable or transferable when ample notice (min. 48 hours) has been provided. As you will be working in a professional environment, a deposit shows us that you are committed to your project. It also secures your desired time in our calendar ensuring that you get the days you want without other clients taking your time.

We are dedicated to serving everyone in our local community regardless of talent, age, or ethnic background. We want everyone to be able to share their love and passion for music. In addition, all our engineers and producers coach and mentor their clients during the recording process, so even if you have never sung into a microphone before – we’ve got your back!

Bring your A-game! It is best to come rehearsed and refreshed before you enter the studio to ensure the recording process goes smoothly. We can easily tell when you are not prepared as it will be reflected in the work you put forth. After all, our job is to ensure we get the best you possible!

We also recommend clients bring a USB stick or portable hard drive to take home any project files created at the studio. We are not responsible for any session files once a project is done so keep your files saved to a safe place. 

Yes, if they are what you normally use and are familiar with. We do have some instruments in studio available for free. In addition, you can rent any specific instrument you require at a small fee when you provide us ample notice (min. 48 hours) before your session. You can check out our gear list here.

We strongly recommend you bring your own Karaoke or instrumental tracks before coming to the studio on a portable USB stick. If there is a specific version of a song available online, such as on YouTube, we can download this during your session. Of course, the quality of the song being used is very important – don’t forget that garbage in equals garbage out.

Yes, but should you wish to sell this recording later you will need to get licensing permission from the song’s publisher. All liability will fall on you to secure rights for a song’s commercial use or distribution.

Once your project is completed and your files are provided to you digitally or in hardcopy format (CD), we are no longer responsible for keeping a long-term archive of the files. We can email or electronically transfer you a copy of your final song as a compressed (.mp3) or uncompressed (.wav) file, but the full project is large and we recommend that you immediately back it up on a USB stick or portable hard drive. Although we generally keep files on our system for up to 6 months, we cannot guarantee that your files will be available.

Yes! Depending on the project and complexity we can tailor a package just for you. If you don’t have a working demo we can schedule a writing session with our songwriters / producers which will take your rough concepts and craft the structure of your song. If you do have a working demo than great we have some great production packages which include arrangement, custom instrumentation, recording, mixing and mastering. 

Contact us or give us a call at (647) 848-7351 to discuss the details of your project. 

Yes, absolutely. We use Melodyne to manually edit your tracks to perfection. Our engineers and producers skillfully and patiently go through the structure of your vocals to ensure the best sound possible.

Mixing is the process of blending  multiple recorded tracks together using a mixing console or digital audio workstation (DAW) software. It involves using equalization, compression, tuning and a variety of other harmonic tools to achieve the best sound for each vocal and instrumental track or stem, and most importantly the best balance of how the these tracks fit together. The result is a two-channel, stereo performance. We can also enhance, reduce noise, mix and edit files that were pre-recorded by you or by another studio. After recording your tracks, mixing is the most important step in making a record. Click here to learn more about our online mixing and mastering services.

The term mastering is used to refer to the process of taking an audio mix and preparing it for distribution. The goal of mastering is to correct mix balance issues and enhance particular sonic characteristics, taking a good mix (usually in the form of a stereo file) and putting the final touches on it. This can involve adjusting levels and general “sweetening” of the mix. Think of it as the difference between a good-sounding mix and a professional-sounding, finished master. Click here for examples comparing mastered and unmastered tracks.[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”How do I prepare my song to be professionally mixed?”

Exact methods will vary depending on the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) you are using. Generally, you want to export your files in a .wav format, 16 to 24 bit, 48 to 192 kHz resolution. Include rough mixes and reference mixes. To export, render your tracks from the start of your song (all files must be of the same duration). Separate sounds into one instrument per track. Archive all tracks into .zip or .rar files.

For full details on how to prepare your songs to be mixed, you can read our blog article here.

TERMINOLOGY

Adlibs – Background vocals that are added to a track, generally unrehearsed lines.

Air – Refers to frequencies above 12 kHz. A quality that allows the song to breathe a little. A feeling of spaciousness. Similar to shimmer.

Angular – This means nothing. If people use this term, ask them to explain themselves. They’ve just gone over the deep end.

Attack – The attack knob controls how soon the compressor kicks in. The attack is defined in milliseconds (ms), and the lower the number, the faster the attack.

Body – The frequency range of an instrument where it produces its richest tone, often around 800 Hz to 1 kHz.

Boomy – Too much low-frequency energy. To get rid of boominess, cut frequencies below 120 Hz.

Boxy – Too much 400 Hz to 600 Hz energy.

Bright – Lots of high end, usually referring to frequencies above 8 kHz.

Brown – A term for the sound that Eddie Van Halen used to get from his guitar amp. Brown usually refers to a low midrange quality (200 to 400 Hz) — not to be confused with muddy, however.

Cold – Lacking warmth. Often used as a derogatory term to describe digital recordings. It could also mean too much high end in a recording. In this case, reduce frequencies above 10 kHz slightly.

Crisp – See bright.

Dark – Lacking high-frequency brightness. Could also be dull.

DAW – Digital Audio Workstation is computer software for recording, editing, and mixing audio files.

Decay – The decay is the length of time that the reverb lasts. Larger or more reflective rooms produce a longer decay.

Density – The density parameter controls the level of the early reflections (the first few milliseconds of the reverb sound). This parameter enables you to simulate different sizes of rooms because, in a larger room, the main section of a reverb takes longer to reach you.

Depth – Full-bodied sound. Often the result of enhancing frequencies just above and below the main body of the instrument.

Diffusion – Diffusion affects the density of the reflections in the main section of the reverb sound. A higher diffusion setting results in a thicker sound.

Doubling – Double tracking or over-dubbing is layering a recording over an existing track.

Dry – An instrument without effects applied to it.

Edgy – An extreme of punchy, bordering on uncomfortable, depending on the music.

Gain – You use the gain knob to adjust the level of the signal going out of the compressor. This is listed in decibels. Because adding compression generally reduces the overall level of the sound, you use this control to raise the level back to where it was going in.

Grainy – Poor digital resolution.

Harsh – A derogatory term for poor digital recordings. This could also refer to frequencies in the 5 kHz to 8 kHz range that are too pronounced. Reduce harsh frequencies to suit your taste.

Lead – Main content in the verse or hook that contails most of the lyrics.

Mastering – The process of taking an audio mix and preparing it for distribution. The goal of mastering is to correct mix balance issues and enhance particular sonic characteristics.

Mixing – The process of blending multiple recorded tracks together using a mixing console or DAW software. It involves using equalization, compression, tuning and a variety of other harmonic tools to achieve the best sound.

Muddy – Lack of definition in a sound, often as a result of too much low-mid (400 to 800 Hz) energy.

Nasally – Too much midrange energy, around 1 to 2 kHz in some instruments.

Plosives – The result of saying or singing “p” or other stop consonant sounds (t, g, k, d, b).

Predelay – The predelay is the amount of time from the sound’s beginning to the start of the reverb (described in milliseconds). Predelay helps to define the initial sound signal by separating it from the reverb. This parameter is essential in making your reverb sound natural.

Presence – A nice balance between an instrument’s attack and its main tone. Usually attained by adding 2  to 5 kHz frequencies.

Punchy – A nice attack and sense of presence. A punchy sound can come from your performance, your instrument, or the effective use of compression (or all three). To create punch with a compressor, set the threshold to compress just a couple of decibels (dB), set the attack long enough so that the initial transient passes through uncompressed, and set the release so that it doesn’t remain longer than the instrument and so that it isn’t short enough to pump the compressor.

Ratio – The ratio is the amount that the compressor affects the signal. For example, a ratio of 2:1 means that if a signal goes 1 dB over the threshold setting, its output from the compressor is only 1/2 dB louder.

Release – The release parameter controls how long the compressor continues affecting the signal after it has started. Like the attack, the release is defined in milliseconds.

Room size/ type – Whether you use a reverb patch within your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) or a separate outboard reverb unit, you can choose the type of reverb that you want to use. You have the option of a room, hall, or plate (a type of reverb that uses a metal plate to create the sound). As well, you can choose the size of the room in either meters or feet.

Round – Sometimes refers to sounds that have a pronounced midrange quality. When a sound is round, bass and treble are slightly reduced.

Shimmer – Frequencies above 12 kHz. Similar to air.

Sibilance – Pronounced “s” sounds.

Smooth – The opposite of punchy. Smooth sounds are those that have an even level to them. The body of the sound is not overshadowed by the initial attack.

Sweet – Good or great, depending on how enthusiastically you use the word.

Threshold – The threshold setting dictates the level where the compressor starts to act on the signal. This is listed in dB (decibels).

Warm – Lacking harshness or coldness. This is a catchall term used to describe anything from analog equipment to a pleasing quality that can’t be put into words. Use this term around non-recording people whenever you want to sound like you know what you’re talking about. When someone else uses this term repeatedly, take his or her recording advice with a grain of salt (a large one).

Wet – An instrument with effects applied to it.