How to go about finding a recording space?

[Ookpik]

Hello, I am interested in getting into recording other musicians (mainly solo, classical/acoustic). If one of you were to be approached by a musician wanting to make a recording, how would you go about getting space together, assuming you don't own any?

I've been googling around quite a bit and I feel I'm not getting as far as I might because I don't know the right words for what I want. Everytime I find something that I think might work well, I do so because of some preconceptions I have (ie churches sound good) that, given my inexperience, are unwarranted. I'd love some tips from others that have walked this path.

All of the results I've found that make mention of the acoustics of their facility turn out to be studios themselves, which seems to be factored into the pricing. What I want is to find a nice sounding space that I can bring my equipment and a musician friend to to practice recording. Budget is a consideration - I'm not making a commercial product nor being paid at this point.

[Howie J]

Other than churches, maybe look into community theaters or schools. The high school I work at has a 600 seat proscenium theater that we rent out to groups/churches/etc when it's not being used for school related events. Now days if schools can garner some extra cash, they will take it. Might not have AS good acoustics as a well built church or studio but usually plenty of space.

Howie J

[MaTr1x2051]

I do nearly all of my recording on-location in a venue. The artist is in charge of finding that space and booking it, although I do have some preferences. Usually I'm working in medium to large sized halls and churches. Some definitely sound better than others. They all cost the artist a bit of money to book as well... but a good live space will almost always sound better than a faked space in a studio if you're dealing with classical and other acoustic genres.

Part of what makes finding a space hard in my cases is the need for a well maintained concert grand piano for almost all recordings. If you don't need that to be provided at the venue, quite a few cheap community options open up. You can probably even get decent sized churches for free if you play it the right way.

[Petrus]

Churces are at least in this part of the world quite easy to get as venues (for classical music at least). Usually there is no fee, just that the artist gives a free concert (which can be used as practice session and recording opportunity also anyway). They are usually also happy to get CDs to sell recorded in their own church (not for free, but normal wholesale price). I just got 4 days of recording time in one of the largest churches here, the only cost is a concert some time next summer.

I even asked a artist whose large studio I visited if anybody had ever mentioned that it would sound good with a chamber music. "Oh yes!" was the answer, "two radio programs have been recorded here already". So he was a hobbyist also and was prepared to lend his studio for a good cause.

[pkautzsch]

Churches, castles, schools, multi-function congress rooms, concert halls.

You don't necessarily use a concert hall's studio (often they won't let you in their studio anyway), but set up your recorders in some other room.
It's about going there, looking at the room, listening to the room, maybe attending a concert there, paying special attention to traffic and bird noise, and this way making a list of which room is good for which type of ensemble.

[Ookpik]

Thanks everyone for the input!

[klaukholm]

We usually rent concerthalls or churches for this purpose. Most halls are available to rent, but they are not cheap.