So studios are all going the way of the Titanic. Anyone bucking the trend?

[juicylime]

Would love to hear about people that are going against the trend and doing well. Surelythere the big studios have fallen becuase the little ones are doing well? Or is everyone sinking? I mean come on, more music is being recorded than ever before. And are any mega studios opening up withing the last few years and managing to do well.

I sometimes wonder if studio owners are like car sales men when it comes to admiting that they're actually doing good. Even the ones living in mansions say that business isn't good enough.

[Fretbored]

The economy affects everyone. Funny you should mention car salemen. I've been in Studio work for years, but now I'm selling cars. Oh, wait a minute...you wanted success stories.

[Infernal Device]

I think things will change in the next few years. To what, I do not know. I have a hunch that Chinese mics and cheap little grey boxes with faders will go the way of the ADAT.

I understand many are having a difficult time right now. I feel bad for those who work hard. I am booked every day (except weekends, I do not work weekends) until the end of June. I know several studio owners who are slammed with work, while some go in every once in a while to blow the dust off the gear and see if anyone called. I do not fully understand one or the other.

Perhaps it is the "communication age". I know places with large format consoles and fantastic rooms that went under, while some people who talk a lot of crap and use guitar center gear are making money.

I read a thread somewhere else that hit it....it is easier to sell dreams and name drop, than it is to sell reality and hard work.

[dbbubba]

I read a thread somewhere else that hit it....it is easier to sell dreams and name drop, than it is to sell reality and hard work.

This is VERY true!

I know guys that have recently gone under, I know guys that are about to go under and I know guys that are just starting to build a room!
All here in the Dallas area!
Crazy!

If I could pay the mortgage, car payments, the needs of two kids and everything else I'd have a room.
I know where some vacant rooms are that were once quite established are presently sitting dark.
I know of another really sweet studio space that might be in it's death throes.

I wish my stuff wasn't in my garage and that it could pay the bills.
Not in this age!

Like my good friend and a thirty year studio owner said last year,"Danny, a recording studio is a buggy whip."

[themaidsroom]

i think mid-sized studios are going to come back. i don't meet people who like
working in digital. i meet people who convince themselves they can't afford to work
in analog. twenty-five years after the onset of digital, my tech tells me there are
more and more A827's in use right now in NYC. i have kids who who come in and
can hear the difference in a snap. it is more fun to make records with a board
and tape machines. it sounds way better. there is still an elite of this business
that works only on tape, and there are defectors of all ages. digital sounds
good if you don't know analog. digital is losing it's appeal......if you had an m-box
when you were thirteen, you are obsessed with music and you want to make
a record, you know, you have done your homework, and yes, 2" 16 track will
blow away any digital format assuming you can actually play......and you arrive where
that format is available.....
smaller analog studios will make a come back......all my look and sees right now
and all my work is tape........what i love is more and more there are engineers
making records all on tape........no digital.......if you hear it, it's simply obvious....
i am having mike spitz rebuild an atr-102 for me right now with a 1" headstack.
as soon as i can afford it, i would like to get a second machine so that i can make
vinyl ready master reels in house.....to me that is the future of the most talented
players and singers and songwriters..........can't do that on a computer




be well


- jack

[Tibbon]

Many are closing, but everyone's trying to grow at the same time.

I do know of one studio that is opening on the East Coast that just broke ground and is slated to be a multi-million dollar facility with a fairly killer setup.

[Dan]

Originally Posted by dbbubba

I know of another really sweet studio space that might be in it's death throes.

I wish my stuff wasn't in my garage and that it could pay the bills.
Not in this age!

Like my good friend and a thirty year studio owner said last year,"Danny, a recording studio is a buggy whip."

Where's this sweet studio space? You'd better not be talking about me.

All you darn home brew guys undercutting real studios.

It's a war of attrition, and we will not go quietly into that good night. That being said, last year was one of the best I've seen in a while, and things are looking up.

I don't know any mansion living, Mercedes driving studio owners. Well, not ones that get their income from the studio.

[Mr.HOLMES]

I read a thread somewhere else that hit it....it is easier to sell dreams and name drop, than it is to sell reality and hard work.

This is a deep truth you are speaking out.
Today Kids do not want to hear that it takes hard work and a bunch of patience to lern a thing very good.

Make the test your self.
Tell a young band a recoding session would be easy and not stressi for the band.
Tell them everything will go well.

They will book the session without thinking about if you are telling the truth.

One time a guitar player told me after 5 h:
Hey man you told us it would be easy to record profesionnal.... but it is hard work.

me:
If I would have told you that it is hard work to perform in front of microphone like a professional musician you would not have booked the rec. session. but you also would not have a cd in the end.

what cares the singers a good education.........
WE HAVE CHEER SOUNDING MELODYNE.
for guitar players we have guitar samples
for the drummer we have bfd and drummagog

maybe in 10 years the band is coming to the studio.
hi, we can not play any instrument but we like to become a band.

can you compose us a demo in the computer that we can sell on our gigs.

to the main topic.
i think running a big studio is only cost effective if you have deep contacts to the big jobs.
all the big studios i know in germany they have build up a second branch of business.
sometimes it is the whole production process till to the finisehd cd.
or education courses for home producers.

also i believe that it takes a lot of marketing knowledge and advertising budget to stay in the hard line competition.

a friend of mine sold his big studio because he would not be a door to door salesman anymore.
he told me that it had nothing to do with recording any more for the owner as with making business to get the studio running night and day.

also he said that he do not like chumming up hiself by the big jobs.
with years as daws where getting better an better they treated him like a waiting boy.

and he had good contacts he had more than 4 world hits with his own band.
so i can fully understand if someone is saying that he is not willed to put his self down because he love to own a studio.

[Sigma]

i am happy with the work i'm getting

[dbbubba]

Originally Posted by Dan

Where's this sweet studio space? You'd better not be talking about me.

All you darn home brew guys undercutting real studios.

It's a war of attrition, and we will not go quietly into that good night. That being said, last year was one of the best I've seen in a while, and things are looking up.

I don't know any mansion living, Mercedes driving studio owners. Well, not ones that get their income from the studio.

No.... not you guys!

I'm not saying anything though.

[RCM - Ronan]

I do not think it will be realistic for a large number of really big studios to stay in business, which is a shame because its such a joy to work in a big well maintained studio. But its seems that medium studios run by guys/gals that have a bit of a name can do well. These last two years have been the busiest of my life. But I know enough about the music business to count my blessings while they are around. The biz is always up and down, I have just been lucky to be enjoying a few years on the up side of things, while guys I know who are at least as talented as I am are having trouble.

[soypancho]

Originally Posted by Dan

All you darn home brew guys undercutting real studios.

Give me a job in your real studio and I'll dismantle the home brew stuff!

I don't think I'm alone.

[Kadden Heart]

who wants to partner up with me, take out a loan,...
i think we should build a studio in LA.
take out 100million dollars. build a freaking castle, with like,....15 rooms. all better than EVERY studio in america.
hire a cuple of people.... and ee what happens.
of course the rates will be like,...500/HR,..but the major lables will flock to a price that high.

genious.
who's in?
lol

[Benmrx]

Things are going good over here (wood ) The studio is booked solid for the next 2 months. Not a single open day.

It's a (what I would call) mid-sized studio.

Neotek Series IIIC (36 channels, short loaded to 27 at the moment)
MCI 2" 24 Track
002R + Apogee AD8000
DP + MOTU 24 I/O
Royer, Coles, Red, AT
UA 6176, Distressor, Manley Elop, DVC, H3000, Lex200
Quad Eight Sidecar
Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hammond, Upright Piano
Decent Live room with a good amount of acoustic work
ISO Booth
Big Control Room

There is a lounge, but right now it's more of a tech room.

Not getting rich, but don't expect to. And the studio itself is a big group effort.

[johnbohn]

As far as I can tell in Nashvile, the only studios that really got hurt bad we're the big multi-room studios. Everyone else seems to be doing fine. It's a tough market but I know a bunch of guys who make more than enough money.

[redddog]

Originally Posted by themaidsroom

i think mid-sized studios are going to come back. i don't meet people who like
working in digital. i meet people who convince themselves they can't afford to work
in analog. twenty-five years after the onset of digital, my tech tells me there are
more and more A827's in use right now in NYC. i have kids who who come in and
can hear the difference in a snap. it is more fun to make records with a board
and tape machines. it sounds way better. there is still an elite of this business
that works only on tape, and there are defectors of all ages. digital sounds
good if you don't know analog. digital is losing it's appeal......if you had an m-box
when you were thirteen, you are obsessed with music and you want to make
a record, you know, you have done your homework, and yes, 2" 16 track will
blow away any digital format assuming you can actually play......and you arrive where
that format is available.....
smaller analog studios will make a come back......all my look and sees right now
and all my work is tape........what i love is more and more there are engineers
making records all on tape........no digital.......if you hear it, it's simply obvious....
i am having mike spitz rebuild an atr-102 for me right now with a 1" headstack.
as soon as i can afford it, i would like to get a second machine so that i can make
vinyl ready master reels in house.....to me that is the future of the most talented
players and singers and songwriters..........can't do that on a computer




be well


- jack

Wow. You really do hate digital.

[themaidsroom]

it's hurts my ears

[jimmyjimjim]

We are doing great!

Mid to small size.
We have great gear.
We do not do analog-tape at the moment but it's not about the medium, it's about QUALITY.
We have a superb network amongst up and coming young credible artist.
This does not make much money, but it makes the established people with money want to come and feel the "magic".

We have a small space but with great microphones, great outboard, some bits of exotic stuff that makes even non-techy folks name drop us for the gears-sake.
And we deliver a great atmosphere, a great creative safe haven for musos.
We have the musical expertise.
We can deliver a superb real string quartet for cheap, we can write those arrangements ourselves.
We can arrange those horns and play them ourselves.
We've got accsess to a couple of the best rythm sections in the country.
We have the real instruments, bought over time with bargain prices: Grand Piano,
rhodes, wurli, organs, vintage amps, exotic synths etc. etc.
Everything works! Both the 60 year old mikes and the macintosh.
We have a great CV, and we are cheap compared to others at the same level.
We don't work with the biggest artists, we work with those who are making the trends and at the same time sells just enough records/gigging enough to afford going to the level beyond doing it themselves.
We deliver good results, and we are not afraid to work hard.
We are doing very well, but we are not getting rich.

[jayfrigo]

We're doing well. Nobody is buying a Ferrari, but we're busy, growing, expanding into new areas, working with artists you've heard of, and making the numbers work (main room is Storyk designed SSL G+/Studer/PTHD). There are definitely enterprises that will show a greater return for less committment, but I don't want to be in those businesses.

The one thing that won't work is to simply open a room and hope people will see the advertisement and come give you money. You need a hook to draw in clients, whether it's an engineer/producer with a steady workflow, or some unique service that the competition in the area is not able to provide. If you have one part of the business that can feed work to the other parts, then so much the better.

Unless you have a trust fund or a friend with royalties from some recent platinum, you must remember that this is a business, and plan and react accordingly.

[EJW]

Eh, we're not doing so great right now. But, we didn't put all our eggs in one basket either, so we'll be ok in the long run, regardless of what happens.

[Steffmo]

Me and my team are holding our own in a mid sized room with excellent ambiance and great vibe. Not opulent at all..... but pleasant.

A year and a half ago I took out the big analoge console and put in an 02R96 and a ton of Pres and comps. We always had good mics, but this upped the sonics. I still have a Studer A80 24 Mk 4 24 track... which will be here forever, but sees little use.

I have seen a difference in the kind of things that make me money. My Hammond C3 generates work....as do the Wurlitzer, Rhodes Stage, and other vintage stuff. And my space....a nice sized tracking room with 28 foot vault ceiling.

When everyone has a DAW you have to look to other things to differentiate you from the basements. Experience, credibility, good product, helpful sincere vibe. These things don't come in a plug in. At least not yet.

I for one think around here the studio business has already bottomed out and is on the way back.

[tonymission]

I dunno, I live in downtown Atlanta and am on call with 4-5 studios and shit's just always always rockin. Now I dont work at any BIG studios, nothing that looks like the Record Plant or anything, but most of them have 100k+ setups with a couple rooms and damn, there are TONS of them that I'm obviously not involved in.

That said, there's a lot of funny money floating around Atlanta so I dont know how much of the "success" (studios not closing down) can be attributed to that. Ive been approached twice over the last month by big dopeboys asking me if I could put together a "really good studio for under a million"... lol

I'm not sure what to tell them... for a variety of reasons. I might just chomp the bit and be the man for a minute, just not ask any questions.

[Greg Curtis]

There's a huge need for a great mid-sized scoring stage in L.A. right now....

[joelpatterson]

Originally Posted by Sigma

i am happy with the work i'm getting

I'm purt near delerious. Live concert recording is something that seems to be immune from any avalanche of M-boxes and laptops with Garageband. You need to know what you're doing. You've got ONE chance to do it. It's very visible. And... it's fun!

[Sigma]

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

I'm purt near delerious. Live concert recording is something that seems to be immune from any avalanche of M-boxes and laptops with Garageband. You need to know what you're doing. You've got ONE chance to do it. It's very visible. And... it's fun!

hey joel have you gotten into that...here's the CD at the end of the show thingy yet?

it seems to be popular in these parts

[joelpatterson]

Originally Posted by Sigma

...here's the CD at the end of the show thingy yet?

I did that once or twice, when it was a stereo church organ thing and there really wasn't going to be any post production... and then it turned out the masters I was burning on my HHB Burn-It Plus would skip in people's home CD players! So... that was that.

With a whole band, so much is decided afterwards in the mix, I'd be pretty sure that the best job you could do "on site" would be horrid compared to what you could do calmy and deliberately the next day... unless you're mixing the same band night after night and every input is repeated.

[Musiclab]

I'm in the burbs of NY just 20 minutes out of mid town. Things have been very busy for the last 6 months, before that slow and weird, I have 3 ongoing album projects here
one which will finish in a few weeks, plus a few smaller projects. but in this economy, I take NOTHING for granted. Jack I wish I could say the same about analog projects here,
only one is analog, the other 2 are digital. Getting clients to go for the tape at 250 a pop
hasn't worked. I'm going to pickup some RMGI to use as rental reels, but no one is asking for 2", and thats doing a rock album and jazz album.

[Reptil]

actually economy's going good. (in holland, and also in Ireland - Ireland most millionaires per capita in europe) however the emphasis is not on content generation. (because the wrong people are at the helm, regurgitating is a way of life for them)

mid- small size is already here. they're catering for a smaller volume market.
the big game pop music industry may further implode but there's smaller markets.
electronic dance music, electronic music, indie, classical, "ethnic", etc..

all of this I got from my trannie balanced glass ball.