State of the location recording business.

[thenewyear]

I just found out yesterday that one of Scotland's few serious location guys has folded due to lack of work.

This guy was one of the best. He started out as the BBC's Scottish Symphony Orchestra's inhouse recording guy and had a list of awards as long as your arm. At some point he went freelance and ran a small truck with SADiE, Soundfield, Neumann and AKG mics.

He told me he hadn't broken even last year and has hung up his cables for good.

Its a sad loss and doesn't bode well for the rest of us.

[Remoteness]

It's what you make of it...

Back around 1997 I was very concern about the future of remote recording and how this would effect my business. I knew I had to do something about the way I operated my business. I knew we would have been lost in the sauce if I did not change the formula. At that time I felt the old style remote recording concept was going to fade away and I either needed to change my way of operation or sell my business before the future caught up with us...

Well, I decided to change the way we record on location. Moving away from the traditional remote truck and going with the modular equipment approach was the idea. Don't get me wrong, large consoles and remote trucks rock! I just wanted a lot more flexibility and limitless options.

My concept was to build remote trucks that had everything you needed but the principle equipment. A controlled environment with unlimited options was my key. Two out of my three trucks are based on this concept. We plan to decommission ole' Jethro very soon, making way for a third (midsize) mobile studio. We plan to offer small, medium and large truck packages.

This was a very strange concept to many of the large console designers and remote truck owners. I remember having cocktails and discussing my newly formed idea with two remote truck guys and a large console designer at the 2000 TEC award reception (I was nominated for an award that year) -- I got plenty of laughs and negative responses from them. At the time, I believed I was on point. I knew that in time if I didn't change my dynamic I would have been behind the eight ball today. Lucky for me, my prediction was correct and we're still in business.

Today, remote recording has become more and more compact. It turned into what I envisioned back in 1997. The advent of DAWs took this concept over the top. The remote recording model has changed forever.

So, the moral of this story is about FORWARD THINKING and POSITIONING yourself for the future. Like what happened to your Scottish associate -- Being one of best location engineers is not enough.

[cajonezzz]

Originally posted by Remoteness
It's what you make of it...

Back around 1997 I was very concern about the future of remote recording and how this would effect my business. I knew I had to do something about the way I operated my business. I knew we would have been lost in the sauce if I did not change the formula. At that time I felt the old style remote recording concept was going to fade away and I either needed to change my way of operation or sell my business before the future caught up with us...

Well, I decided to change the way we record on location. Moving away from the traditional remote truck and going with the modular equipment approach was the idea. Don't get me wrong, large consoles and remote trucks rock! I just wanted a lot more flexibility and limitless options.

My concept was to build remote trucks that had everything you needed but the principle equipment. A controlled environment with unlimited options was my key. Two out of my three trucks are based on this concept. We plan to decommission ole' Jethro very soon, making way for a third (midsize) mobile studio. We plan to offer small, medium and large truck packages.

This was a very strange concept to many of the large console designers and remote truck owners. I remember having cocktails and discussing my newly formed idea with two remote truck guys and a large console designer at the 2000 TEC award reception (I was nominated for an award that year) -- I got plenty of laughs and negative responses from them. At the time, I believed I was on point. I knew that in time if I didn't change my dynamic I would have been behind the eight ball today. Lucky for me, my prediction was correct and we're still in business.

Today, remote recording has become more and more compact. It turned into what I envisioned back in 1997. The advent of DAWs took this concept over the top. The remote recording model has changed forever.

So, the moral of this story is about FORWARD THINKING and POSITIONING yourself for the future. Like what happened to your Scottish associate -- Being one of best location engineers is not enough.

Steve, could you elaborate on this? as far as the downsizing of the gear truck...making yourself more scaleable....
I'd love to hear your spiel on why things would be going in the direction you anticipated.

[bunnerabb]

I'm all over it because it's about the only viable channel in this market, atm.

This is Ohio, USA, btw.

[hollywood_steve]

And its certainly no better at the other end of the food chain, either. I can't tell you how many guys with a notebook and a Digi 001 are offering "studio quality recording on location" in and around LA. I'm lucky that I'm not trying to compete for the live band recording work; I stick with acoustic music exclusively.

The live band recording scene is following the studio model only a year or two behind. In other words, the ads with "$19.99/hr." in large bold type are now offering remote services, just like the earlier ads offering studio recording.

I guess a studio who can't think of anything better to promote than their insanely low rates probably won't be around for too long, but they must be having some impact on prices for the more serious guys.

[thenewyear]

The revival of this thread made me realise that I hadn't thanked our revered moderator for his comprehensive and thoughtful reply to my concerns about the future of our industry.

In short; thanks Steve that was very interesting. The ability to diversify & meet client's needs seems to be the key here.

[Remoteness]

Neil,

Thanks a lot for that.

You know how to read my posts.
You also read between the lines.
I wish more readers did the same.
Many folks just want the quick answers, I'm afraid.
The easy way out does not always work because it doesn't teach you how to deal with adverse conditions or how to come up with a better idea. It doesn't give you the opportunity to imagine.

I have a big picture of Albert Einstein in my kitchen.
The phrase below his picture says,
"Imagination is more important than knowledge"

I look at that picture everyday.
It keeps me centered on the real goal.
I've been committed to that kind of thinking way before I knew he said those words.

[Don S]

Neil,

That is very sad news. Especially since accoustic music, I believe, is more appreciated in the UK than the US. Only an observation of the amount of performances while visiting London. Soundfield and Sadie is fantastic equipment. Unfortunately, alot of music here is played back via MP3 on an ipod. And becoming moe popular everyday. If you don't believe me check out the performance of Apple's stock price over the last year.
Plus, remember the client has to pay a decent amount for quality. Some cannot justify the price when they see a single mic (even though it costs 5 grand) on a stand or hanging. Hence why the digi001 w/powerbook people exist.
I remember playing an orchestra pops job in a mid sized cathedral. There were mics on every desk of strings and winds. I asked the engineer why he needed so many mics for such a small space. He replied by saying the conductor likes seeing lots of mics even though he was using only about 1/4 of them! He was called for every job that season. We have to make the client happy at any expense, even beyond reason!
Best Regards,
Don

[Remoteness]

Originally Posted by cajonezzz

Steve, could you elaborate on this? as far as the downsizing of the gear truck...making yourself more scaleable....
I'd love to hear your spiel on why things would be going in the direction you anticipated.

I was looking back at the older threads and realized I haven't responded to Craig's post…

Craig,

I believe technology made this happen. The advent of smaller, more compact devices formed this new path in audio (and video) production. Think about all the large studios that went belly up because of this technology. Now editors, sound designers and music mixers can complete or fine tune their work with their laptop on the subway in route to a meeting with their client.

With regard to my situation, scalability is key. IMO, those wonderful “old school” remote trucks that have everything you ever wanted installed in the rig maybe (are) a thing of the past. They are limited to handling big productions. What about high quality events that need a more scaled down approach or the productions that need a completely different setup inside the truck? Analog one day; digital the next; a combination of the two on another day -- Modular is the way to go! Keep it simple in the control room, area or cabin. We use a lot of “old school” and "new school" gadgets. The setup can change to whatever the client wants. Backups are one thing but, why keep stuff (not in use) around when the client doesn’t need it there in the first place. Setup what you need, what you want and leave everything else home… Keeping is lean and simple.

Don’t get me wrong, I have great respect for big rigs. There’s a great need for them on big productions. Unfortunately, they cannot make it to every production venture due to their size and/or cost to operate.

[xaMdaM]

Steve,

I think you're just about dead-on with your statement. Versatility and modularity are key to surviving in todays market(s).

My approach is a tad altered, but (obviously) I think is valid as well.

I don't quite offer the kitchen sink, but I have/or can rent, just about whatever a "mid-level" client could/should want.

All of my gear is indeed modular and can easily roll in/out of the trailer. While I love working on big production, I don't try to seek it out as a client. I can't fathom how I'd handle it right now. My client base is primarily the church/gospel/bluegrass variety. I know the limitations of my gear and abilities.

Where I think I'm seeing the greatest avenue for work is in providing a REAL service to the client. By knowing your gig and gear, you're able to scale to the clients needs and that's where it's at.

Doing what it takes to get the session tracked is what you are being paid for. Do it. If you screw up, own up to it, fix it and go on. If the client screwed up, own up to it, fix it and go on.

I can't tell you how many horror stories I've heard about with even 2 track jobs... much less 32 tracks!

While gear is important, it's the combination of engineer and gear that get you work... So you the owner/engineer have to be adaptable as well.

Still, it's a shame for an engineer who's looking for work can't find any.

My paltry .02 worth.

Max

Originally Posted by Remoteness

I was looking back at the older threads and realized I haven't responded to Craig's post…

Craig,

I believe technology made this happen. The advent of smaller, more compact devices formed this new path in audio (and video) production. Think about all the large studios that went belly up because of this technology. Now editors, sound designers and music mixers can complete or fine tune their work with their laptop on the subway in route to a meeting with their client.

With regard to my situation, scalability is key. IMO, those wonderful “old school” remote trucks that have everything you ever wanted installed in the rig maybe (are) a thing of the past. They are limited to handling big productions. What about high quality events that need a more scaled down approach or the productions that need a completely different setup inside the truck? Analog one day; digital the next; a combination of the two on another day -- Modular is the way to go! Keep it simple in the control room, area or cabin. We use a lot of “old school” and "new school" gadgets. The setup can change to whatever the client wants. Backups are one thing but, why keep stuff (not in use) around when the client doesn’t need it there in the first place. Setup what you need, what you want and leave everything else home… Keeping is lean and simple.

Don’t get me wrong, I have great respect for big rigs. There’s a great need for them on big productions. Unfortunately, they cannot make it to every production venture due to their size and/or cost to operate.

[gregrw]

"Where I think I'm seeing the greatest avenue for work is in providing a REAL service to the client. By knowing your gig and gear, you're able to scale to the clients needs and that's where it's at.

Doing what it takes to get the session tracked is what you are being paid for. Do it. If you screw up, own up to it, fix it and go on. If the client screwed up, own up to it, fix it and go on."

Yup, nail head hit.

I've had people tell me that they *can* do recording on their own, but it takes less time to have me do it, and they're happier with the results.

But then, sometimes I wonder if they really can do it on their own...

I recently told my non-audio boss what to do with his job. This may or may not have been a stupid thing to do, but I couldn't stand the work, nor the company, nor the boss, nor the people, nor...

But anyway, I'm working on expanding my already-existing biz. My clients are low-level; that is, unsigned, local bands looking for a demo or indie CD. It's where I'm comfortable, and it's what works for me. The only time I go to the Tweeter Center (nee Great Woods) is as a concert-goer. (Well, there was that time I sat in on a session with Steve...Hey, you're not looking for help in Boston, are you? :-) )

I've found that diversifying is very helpful. I can do on-site recording, and live mixing and live recording. I've found that many live guys can't deal with the studio, and vice-versa. I'm even trying to do some audio-for-picture. I figure that if I can do all of these things, if any one of them slows down, the others are still available.

I also like to think of my equipment as being modular. I try to keep things organized such that equipment only goes out when needed. For example, the console is used on pretty much every project. Same with most of the mics. The FX rack is used on live shows, live recordings and at Home Base for mixdowns. The preamp rack and recorder(s) are used on live recordings, on-sites and mixdowns. The recorders are fiarly interchangable. If somebody wants to use analog, I just bring out that case instead of the HD24...which itself was fairly easily integrated into the system. Cables and AC pretty much always live in their cases, already plugged in and ready to go.

[Remoteness]

Max,

Sounds like you have a perfect business model for your situation.
Remember one thing, you are limited only as far as your imagination can take you.

Thanks for your thoughts and enlightenment.

------------------------------------------------------------

Greg,

Go for it -- Be your own boss! Expand the business you already ventured into.

Greg, I will call you the next time we're in the Boston area.
I knew you had a "real" gig so, I never followed up on future work with you.

You hit it right on the nail, diversification is key.

All the best to you and your new approach to business. You'll be just fine!

[gregrw]

Steve, thanks for the good wishes! Give me a call next time you're in New England. I'd love to pay a visit to the big truck.

I add a little bit to my site every day, and there have been hits. I just put ads into local print 'zines, and one on a local music website, lowellrocks.com. (Lowell, MA is just north of Boston.)

Freelancing for a company is one thing. Working at a corporate hell is something else entirely! So, I'm still freelancing for a local sound company; I think it's my 9th summer with them. I also picked up a GB band. They pay better, esp. at weddings, and I don't have to use my gear.

I've tried networking with other soundmen and video people. That's proven to be pretty tough. Whether that's because of New England coldness, or if soundmen everywhere are like that, I don't know. Still, a bunch of us are working on working together. (That makes sense, right??)

Anyway, I'm carrying on. It's scary as hell, but it's still fun. Let's see what happens in a few months...

-GRW

[John Suitcase]

I think we're in the same stage that other "art/trades" have gone through in recent years. If you look at desktop publishing, before 1984 (intro of the Mac), typesetting was a real job! You'd take your idea for a brochure down to the printers, and they'd typeset it for you, and you'd pay for that.

Then, along came Macintosh, with the laserprinter. Suddenly anyone with $2000 could become a "typesetter". And over the subsequent years, as Quark Xpress, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc became commonly available, the graphic design industry felt a lot of heat. But what happened long term? Tons of people tried to do their own ads, brochures, flyers, etc. 99% of them were awful. But the state of graphic design moved forward by leaps and bounds, and today, people who are good at it get paid very well, better than they did 20 years ago, before having absolutely kick-ass graphics was a requirement for businesses.

So, the playing field is being leveled. You won't be able to get work simply because you've got gear. You have to be significantly better than what a band can do themselves, or a guy with a digi002 and a powerbook.

It'll be a shakeout, and a lot of people will leave the "business", of course. But long term, you'll see higher quality recordings becoming more and more desirable, and the people who can produce those recordings will be rewarded.

It's all about skill now. That and reputation. And yes, it is scary, but it's also exciting! Go listen to Myspace bands. 90% of the recordings suck. Bands will screw around with recording themselves until they realize either a. they need to become serious about the recording part of things, or b. they're better off hiring a pro.

Our job is to emphasize what we offer that they don't. Gear? Maybe. But a lot of bands don't even know what an 1176 is, or API pre's etc. But what we do offer is professionalism. We offer tons of experience and knowledge. We offer the ability to get in there and get the project done. Today, not next week.

I think most bands will understand the economics of hiring a pro very soon. It's a bit like Home Depot and the home improvement craze. People all want to "do it yourself." It's cheaper! It's Fun! oh, and the end product looks like crap!

Home Depot's newest initiative, and what they're basing their future growth on? Professional services.

The DIY people will always be there. But home recording is a fad, in a way. When bands start to realize that they're so much better off learning more about their instruments, spending their money on great gear, and promoting themselves, they'll see the light.

Keep on doing what you do, get better, be the best in your market.

[cajonezzz]

I had to put the whole mobile side of the biz on hold when I lost my biz partner this last year... He owned the gear, I got and produced the gigs (usually mixing them back at the mothership studio) and the gear had to be sold to keep his wife from losing the house. We we're on a nice roll for a start up, doing a few solid live records right out of the chute
I'm still VERY much interested in doing the remotes... For me, I just see it as a way to expand my production work, by taking my skills to the artist, wherever they are. Tracking in different locals can be productive and cost effective on many levels. I'm not as interested in just having a rig/ truck as a "biz", but more using it as my set of tools for projects. That being said, it's also nice to be able to go do a live Gospel record or a local "street scene " festival and pay some bills... I think the ultimate for me would be a truck that I could mix in, that could be parked and connected to shore power at the home. ( not likely in my crowded so. cal burb ) More a shell with racks that can roll in. I think Steve is right on with the scaleable idea- I'd like to make that happen on a smaller level.

Where I'm really excited is the possibility of pairing up with a DVD production team, an editor and crew that could offer high quality "companion DVD's " to artists, events as a another ( more difficult to rip ) income stream.
I think the brick and mortar studio is important, and I love our place, but I've been making an effort to become "un attatched " emotionally to having a room ( other than a mix space built in the garage) and let someone else eat it on the overhead. I just don't see it as a viable biz ( recording ) if your not producing/ wrangling / creating the biz .
I'd give my left *** to work on a big boy rig ala Le mobile, sadly, I don't think we'll see anymore of those rigs being built in the future.
BTW, I LOVE what Cliktrack has done with his new truck... that was exactly where we were headed! awesome.

[ClickTrackAudio]

Originally Posted by cajonezzz

Where I'm really excited is the possibility of pairing up with a DVD production team, an editor and crew that could offer high quality "companion DVD's " to artists, events as a another ( more difficult to rip ) income stream.

BTW, I LOVE what Cliktrack has done with his new truck... that was exactly where we were headed! awesome.

Thanks, Cajonezzz... We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears in the market study, design and construction, so its always nice to hear people's opinions .

Needless to say, we had a LOT of discussion on exactly this topic before building the truck. We went through a 6-8 month cycle building a business plan to truthfully evaluate whether this was a viable business for a truck such as ours. "Do we need a truck or should we stay modular". Its obvious at what answer we came to.

We are actually speaking to a DVD production team next week to do exactly that. We designed the truck to be able to pull in and route multiple video signals with this idea in mind. We wanted the truck to be the hub of many "mulitmedia" events as well as the standard audio-only events. We realized that we need to find new avenues to keep the truck busy, and early response says that this is the right way to go.

I do fully suscribe to John Suitcase's comments. I've had multiple clients come to us who say that they used to do their own stuff but the quality vs. investment factor had to improve. The thing that is going to help us mobile people is making a potential client realize the inherint value added in hiring getting someone to do your recording so that they pay a reasonable price for quality that they will be thoroughly pleased with.

We also find ourselves in an interesting part of the market. Given the state of the truck we built, we are obviously targetting larger clients such as television and sponsored festivals. We are, however, also still targetting the smaller groups and will indeed still need to roll out the "marketing wheel" in order to get to these groups who would otherwise attempt to do it themselves.

Cheers,

Click

[Remoteness]

Fast forward six months from Click's last post...

How's the location recording business doing in your area?
Are you doing a lot of mobile or remote work?
What genre of music or type of production are you mostly recording these days?

[gpcramseysoral]

The location recording business is doing well in Pittsburgh. There are two very popular venues that do a-lot of recording. One is closely tied with a local radio station and they do allot of broadcasts from there. It's mainly jam bands, acoustic and rock stuff. The other is a professional recording studio performance venue and a skate park. The second one does quite a bit of major artists but I’m not sure if they record them though. There are also a few guy' around town who have or like me are contemplating working with some regional venues, sound companies, and churches. There's not allot of industry presence here. I’d say were doing better then most places i’ve been of similar demographics.

[ClickTrackAudio]

The timing of your message is actually quite apropos...

We were just discussing this with some friends of ours this past weekend...I was complaining about January being a little quieter than I would prefer, but some our friends put it in perspective...the truck has been on the road for just over 6 months...for being a new truck on the stage, we've done some pretty impressive gigs .

Its been an interesting and fruitful six months for us...

We've had periods when we're staring at the phone (there's only so much maintenance you can do!) and then we've had periods when we have too much to do all at once!

One thing we're finding is that a lot of our work is coming from out of town...typically within the 500km radius. That was partially expected, but not to the degree that its happened...so thats actually a good thing for us. As well, because we're based in Ottawa which is midway between two major centres in Canada, we can provide service to areas north and west of us that previously didn't call in a truck because of travel costs.

We seem to be getting an interesting mix of clients. We work fairly closely with a couple of major studios in the area, so that has brought us a few purely music projects, but DVD shoots and television production seem to be more and more the items we get called on for. In fact, we're just getting the truck ready to do a network gig fairly soon. Some other projects are purely mix projects...one of my favourite quotes was from an engineer friend of ours who was in the truck last summer mixing a project we had just recorded. We just happened to be in an area on the outskirts of town and when he opened the door and stepped out into a beautiful day he said "what else do you want...mixing a cool band an a beautiful day in the middle of nowhere!"

So in general, our area is starting to get used to the idea of having a mobile close at hand. It'll still take some time to build up a bit more, but things, in general, are going well.



And here's another question to add to Steve's list: Do you find the winter a slow time of year?

[gpcramseysoral]

The other thing is Casino's. We are going to get one the question is what developer's plan goes through. How does this relate to remote recording you ask? Well, one of the plans includes venues for large scale shows (atlest one indoor venue in addition to the outdoor 5k+ seeter in the area) The developers plan is for the south side. This is an area conjested with live music venues. If we were to get a regional attraction like this the already poupular South Side is going to Explode with entertainment.

[valleysound]

I have a small live sound production company and over the past year or so, there has been an increase in bands wanting a live recording. So I thought hard and researched a bit and looked at the market. I saw a potential for offering high end live recording(vs a jimmy rigged setup most people use).
I am not one of those people offering the $19.99 special, I would rather stay home than lower the bar. Being "new" to recording means I don't have an established name, yet by tying recording with my name and success as a live sound provider I have my foot halfway in the door.
What sets me apart from the "Musician's Fiend" recordists is my knowledge and skills #1, and my gear #2(I have the entire live recording package, not just a MOTU box and stealing a half click off the insert jack).
What I see in the biz is that there are some people who know and understand what is being done and are all too happy to pay for my service, but most do not know what is involved with recording and think I am insane in what I ask for my services. I see it as weeding out process. A more seasoned/professional band/artist is going to be much easier to record(in general) than then "new" kids on the block who can't even match their clean and overdriven guitar tones!
I am looking to break even this year as I establish myself, which means one acoustic act a month will pay for the recording gear, get me a full band and I made a profit!
On a completely slime ball club owner tangent... I went to a local club that would be cake to record at, 3 miles from my house, backstage rooms to be isolated in, acoustic to not too heavy rock, etc. I talk to the owner a month or so ago, asking if any bands would be interested in high end recording. He got really excited and said sure. Two weeks ago he buys a cd burner and emails everyone saying that he is offering demos, but it will cost you because he laid out a few bucks for a home owner grade cd burner. The sound guy mixes with head phones on to get a good cd. Heck I did board recordings for years, and they were free, but never would I sacrifice the sound in the room to get a "good cd"! A Peavey board and a Sm57 does not mean quality to me! Sorry about the rant.

[T.RayBullard]

Location Classical recording is live and well in Germany. I never have any shortage of gigs. Its been a great supplement to my US Army income. I do symphonies, Choirs, chamber music, and the odd jazz quartet. I hope some engineer will take pity on me in September when I go back stateside and want a job.

Originally Posted by Remoteness

Fast forward six months from Click's last post...

How's the location recording business doing in your area?
Are you doing a lot of mobile or remote work?
What genre of music or type of production are you mostly recording these days?

[Don S]

Teddy,

Glad to hear the arts are alive and well! Here in the states, the orchestra concerts (in NJ anyway) are getting cut way back. I could start a thread called the incredible shrinking orchestra. The symphonies I play with are using only chamber sized (2 trumpet, horns, and winds for the non classical geeks) for most of the seasons. Broadway is also taking a hit with the minimum number of union players in a pit shrinking.
In addition to the orchestra season and number shrinking, the audience is getting older. Very rarely do I witness people under the age of 40 in the house. This is scary due to the fact that boomers are going to retire and probably can't afford to live in Jersey anymore.
So, to answer Steve's question. Less classical concerts, more jazz this year. Oh and the Feds cut funding (again) to NPR!

[Bob Olhsson]

Funny, the prosumer gear manufacturers would have us think that kids making Erector Set records in their bedrooms is a revolution. The internet service providers would have us think downloading music files is a revolution.

I think the REAL revolution is how easy and inexpensive it has become to do remotes. This is likely to lead to an explosion of broadcasts that could easily set off an explosion of great new music exactly as radio did in the 1920s.

[thenewyear]

Bob,

that is a really heartening view although I wonder if you are being a little optimistic. The thing about radio in the twenties was that it was a brand new delivery mechanism & lots of people were able to discover music they would never have previously encountered.

These days I think we have a surfeit of delivery mechanisms for music.

However I do agree that it is cheaper & easier to do remotes these days & do hope that that will impact positively on the music world in general. I just hope they don't start taking us for granted...

[valleysound]

The cheapness and availability of remote (and/or all recording) gear has people questioning my rates. For a night of recording their band they think that they can buy a recording device that they can own and use all the time!! Hmmm, how about that split snake I use, or the mics, even cabling(not cheapo Hosa crap), etc!! Finally, figure in my years of experience in the sound business!! A couple of Shure PG mics and your brother-in-law does not equal quality or professional to me, or saying "Wait, we need to use a half click on your inserts to record, so you can't use those gates or compressors for your live mixing!!"
On the other hand I find that I am doing quite a few conference recordings, although most my gear is sitting at home on those dates!
I want to work, but I refuse to be the $150 a night bottom feeder that I see advertised everywhere!
I guess my final rant is that "real" musicians know what a professional recording is and what it takes to get one.

[cppi]

Listen to Steve Remote guy's!! Foward Thinking!!.. Change your business plan, be aggressive in your plan. If your in this for just fun it's one thing (hobbies are great) but if it's your livelyhood it's a whole nother beast. It's been my observation in most business'es "The one who stay's in it the longest" gets more of the pie! We all have seen alot of new upstart guy's buy all the gear to get started, get big loans, lines of credit ect, ect, but in 30 days the note is always due! and if you doin't have constant gigs and money coming in... you fold. Don't blame the little guy's doing it cheaper or the economy....IT'S BUSINESS! If your planning on staying in it for the long haul... then change how you conduct your business! Down size, pay off bills and loans, fire expensive dead weight employes (if you have them), whats your overhead/profit margin? This list could go on, make yourself bulit proof. Foward Thinking! Come up with ways of generating money, find nich markets to specialize in, do something that no one else is!! Even people who have been in business a long time can become a dinosour and die. You must evolve and morf into a new way of thinking and doing things if your going to survive in this market!

[joelpatterson]

Here we are, at a girl's boarding school in Massachusetts, making their "rock and roll band class" CD. The observant will see an Alesis HD-24, two Grace 101's, an MP-20, a Sytek, and (for monitoring) an Alesis Multi-mix. Nothing too fancy. But it does work so fine.

[John Suitcase]

Originally Posted by valleysound

The cheapness and availability of remote (and/or all recording) gear has people questioning my rates. For a night of recording their band they think that they can buy a recording device that they can own and use all the time!! Hmmm, how about that split snake I use, or the mics, even cabling(not cheapo Hosa crap), etc!! Finally, figure in my years of experience in the sound business!! A couple of Shure PG mics and your brother-in-law does not equal quality or professional to me, or saying "Wait, we need to use a half click on your inserts to record, so you can't use those gates or compressors for your live mixing!!"
On the other hand I find that I am doing quite a few conference recordings, although most my gear is sitting at home on those dates!
I want to work, but I refuse to be the $150 a night bottom feeder that I see advertised everywhere!
I guess my final rant is that "real" musicians know what a professional recording is and what it takes to get one.

I think it's important to be sensitive to the market. There are two "sections" to the recording market (it's been this way for 15 years, at least): The "Pro" market, which can charge higher rates, and primarily works with record companies and corporate clients who can afford their services, and believe that the resulting product is worth the price, and the "everybody else" market, composed of small indie labels, bands financing their own recordings, and local companies looking for audio production they can afford.

In my market, there's not much of the "pro" business, and what there is goes to the studios and engineers with the contacts, experience, and gear to get that business. The rest of the business goes to studios that charge lower rates, and to the home-recording industry, as bands try to do it themselves to save a buck. I hope to make my way to the "pro" level eventually, but I think the way to get there is to work a lot, and work with every good band I can. To do that, I have to be competitive. I have to be at least as affordable as the lower-end studios, and also be significantly better than what bands can do with their own gear. If that means I do $150/day sessions, that's what I do. Sitting around stewing about those "bottom-feeders" doesn't do me any good. It doesn't get my name out there, it doesn't build my client list, it doesn't improve my skills.

So, that said, you have to do whatever it takes to get the work. Once your services are in demand, you can then raise your rates. You're no longer a commodity, you are a premium brand. If you're not getting return clients, you're doing something wrong. And if you can't get new clients, you will never be able to raise your rates. Demand has to outstrip supply before you can charge a premium.

[T.RayBullard]

sorry to be off topic, and I honestly mean NO offense, but Joel, how long did it take to grow out the Winger hair?you look like Kip winger in your avitar.

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

Here we are, at a girl's boarding school in Massachusetts, making their "rock and roll band class" CD. The observant will see an Alesis HD-24, two Grace 101's, an MP-20, a Sytek, and (for monitoring) an Alesis Multi-mix. Nothing too fancy. But it does work so fine.