Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - Thinking of starting a studio. Talk me out of it!

balanceman · 29th March 2010

We already have a plethora of the kind of studio you are talking about here in Oakland.
My assistant runs one. My carpenter. my electrician. the HVAC guy. The postman. Arrowhead water guy. PG&E meter guy.....

In 1990 I was doing the same thing you are doing. I was going to rent a small rehearsal space for $400/mo. and record other folks to cover the rent so I would have a place to work on my own stuff paid for by other people.

I ended up bumping into a local studio owner at the videostore I was working in. He invited me to come and intern at his place and use it during off hours for my own stuff in return.

I never rented the space and moved all my gear into his studio. They started using my gear on projects and began calling me for tech support all the time. I started getting engineering gigs there and over time became the lead engineer of the studio leaving him frr to focus on business.

Through that experience, I began freelancing at at various studios around town + landed an assistant gig at a bigger facility. That turned into engineering proper albums with great mics/ etc...

So, I guess I'm saying - it's muddy water at the level of studio you are talking about. Maybe try reaching out to more established studios around the Bay (there are a lot!) and get an assistant position. You will learn a lot about the studio business and it may push you in a direction you never previously thought about..

There's nothing wrong with recording rappers for $15/hour (this is Oakland + that IS who will call). But it can be a huge pain in the ass. Esp. w/ the usual liqour and weed involved! You may learn a bit about interpersonal relations, but it will be tough to learn what goes on at facilities with a long track record an client list..

If you just want a place to work on your own stuff- get a job to pay for it- you will want to be there all the time when you're not working the job. If you try to make the studio pay for itself, it may just turn you off on being there entirely...

29th March 2010	#16
balanceman Lives for gear Joined: Dec 2003 Location: oakland Posts: 744	We already have a plethora of the kind of studio you are talking about here in Oakland. My assistant runs one. My carpenter. my electrician. the HVAC guy. The postman. Arrowhead water guy. PG&E meter guy..... In 1990 I was doing the same thing you are doing. I was going to rent a small rehearsal space for $400/mo. and record other folks to cover the rent so I would have a place to work on my own stuff paid for by other people. I ended up bumping into a local studio owner at the videostore I was working in. He invited me to come and intern at his place and use it during off hours for my own stuff in return. I never rented the space and moved all my gear into his studio. They started using my gear on projects and began calling me for tech support all the time. I started getting engineering gigs there and over time became the lead engineer of the studio leaving him frr to focus on business. Through that experience, I began freelancing at at various studios around town + landed an assistant gig at a bigger facility. That turned into engineering proper albums with great mics/ etc... So, I guess I'm saying - it's muddy water at the level of studio you are talking about. Maybe try reaching out to more established studios around the Bay (there are a lot!) and get an assistant position. You will learn a lot about the studio business and it may push you in a direction you never previously thought about.. There's nothing wrong with recording rappers for $15/hour (this is Oakland + that IS who will call). But it can be a huge pain in the ass. Esp. w/ the usual liqour and weed involved! You may learn a bit about interpersonal relations, but it will be tough to learn what goes on at facilities with a long track record an client list.. If you just want a place to work on your own stuff- get a job to pay for it- you will want to be there all the time when you're not working the job. If you try to make the studio pay for itself, it may just turn you off on being there entirely...