Why did you build your studio?

[Glenn Bucci]

I am wondering why you have built your studio and I figured I would take a poll. Indicate in the response if you have a project studio or pro studio. (Project is in the house, Pro is at a separate location - for this thread) My studio is a project studio. First with a 4 track cassette recorder, then the Tascam Studio 8 reel to reel, then to Cubase and then Samplitude with Apogee converters.

[Teddy]

+1 for 'own band + friends'.

I did it because I've been recording music in some shape or form for about 14 years, but always 'getting by' with whatever was at hand or having to go to 'proper' studios for quality demos. I learnt a lot from watching other engineers and also through being forced to be creative with budget gear. With my current band, we are on the verge of breaking through, but the next step is some good recordings - the figures we'd have to pay to get the tracks recorded and mixed professionally were huge and scary (e.g. 1000GBP per song to be mixed), so we decided to put the same money into our own small but specialised facility - OK, it won't be *top* quality, but this way, we get to use it again and again for many years, rather than paying top whack for a one-off recording! I also believe that becuase we're a dirty garage rocky kind of band anyway, 'very good vibey demo' quality is probably good enough to get us noticed, rather than having to have it 100% professional, releasable-by-a-big-label-quality -fingers crossed. I also plan to increase my experience by donig some recording for friends in my spare time.

[gearaddict]

My dad bought all the gear when I was 11..so thats when I got started, Im now 33..I would just record my stuff and some friends.

Anyone remember the old Tascam's with those dolby rack units that were with it?

[Mr.HOLMES]

I think Project Studios with small affordable fees for Bands have a good future.
It is bit difficult to make the customers contacts but it is going to be a good ground when you did some Bands for free and than other Bands ask and you can ad a low fee.

After 2 years I am happy that I can take fair fees 150€/day and after two more years I hope that I can take 300 € per Studio Day.

There is to much deflation in this business here in Germany.
Fair fees must be paid because without this your studio will go bankrupt.

I often myself wonder how low fees are in Berlin some Studios only take 300 but they have high end gear and desk there and great room acoustics. If I do my calculation for the money I have put into the studio as a little one I ask my self how can big Studi survive with 300 € a day inclusive the engineer.

Is this just a hobby is the owner a millionaire?

150 per day is the minimum I need.

[macleodgrant]

engineering is one of the hardest things to get skills up to scratch for and it's one of the most finicky things to do, but oddly these skills aren't worth a lot of money any more

[3rd world order]

because i'm a control freak... and a philanthropist.

[alyricalmind]

I think most people initially build a studio to record their own music.

[henryrobinett]

The closest is the last option, but it's not accurate enough for me to vote.

I started out recording my own CDs. The first was basically a midi studio with an Akai 1212MG 12 track. Then Adats, then DP/Logic/PTle. My preferred is DP.

I started doing side projects to bring some extra cash in. My skills also became more honed.

But I figured it's best to have multiple income streams.

I don't have as much time or a record contract justifying my own projects, so I do remote recordings of my gigs and do some little writing. But primarily I fire the studio up, otherwise, to make money recording other people, mainly singers and their CDs; jazz, classical and pop.

[joeq]

I built my studio in my house when the commercial studio I was at closed down and I needed a place to be able to keep my clients. At this point, it is more "pro" than the previous location, even though the old studio was in a public building and the new one is in my house.

actually the new one IS my house, - it has taken over every room in one way or another.

[Teddy]

Originally Posted by Mr.HOLMES

There is to much deflation in this business here in Germany.
Fair fees must be paid because without this your studio will go bankrupt.

Not just Germany - I recorded in the Townhouse in London a few years ago, it was such a great place, I just found even they went bankrupt! there are more and more studios these days because an 'acceptable' level of gear is more and more within reach now, it's possible to get great results without paying a huge rate.

[Mr.HOLMES]

Originally Posted by Teddy

Not just Germany - I recorded in the Townhouse in London a few years ago, it was such a great place, I just found even they went bankrupt! there are more and more studios these days because an 'acceptable' level of gear is more and more within reach now, it's possible to get great results without paying a huge rate.

And thats the problem of the big studios.
If you do not have customers with the big bucks like Mc Cartney or Stones etc.... you have to close your doors. But I believe there are a lot off overhang out of the 80s 90s where studios just came up from nowhere.

I mean there is still a magic in big studios which I can not beat with my setup.
But you know I have customers which I had show that the sound in a mini studio can be great.

But most bands have no money because they live for the music.

[danbronson]

I'm a 23 year old college student (still...sigh) living at his parents house. This shit is just for the love of recording. Recording myself, my bands, or my friends' bands. I'll probably regret spending all this money when I'm in debt and trying to pay the rent/mortgage at my own place, but what the hell. I love it.

[BDL]

I started with a $19.00 battery powerd cassette tape recorder of my dad's. My songs were played on my mom's upright piano, never in tune.

Now 35 years later I have a home studio with the best in digital pianos, a decent mixing console, and other pro gear that we can all buy today-- computers etc.

And, we are not unlike the best -- people who have the same thing going. They just have finer tools of the trade, but most have really put in th yars to get to where they are today.

I have a day job, so I can afford to work my music in my spare time.

[malekmusic]

i build up my studio for myself but got lucky that i could start producing for some artists. so im mainly the only musician im recording besides of those singers of course.

in germany you can only survive with your studio if you can find a place/genre for yourself.

[dft3670]

My first "studio" in 1975, consisted of two stereo cassette decks. My first multitracker. Recorded the first track into one deck then y-pluged the first deck output into the left channel of the second and overdubed into the right channel. We did it over and over. There was so much hiss it sounded like a gas leak in the room on the final take.

I built my home studio a few years back because it's a place to be creative and relax. The same reason we messed around with those cassette decks back in the 70's. Some guys play sports or fish. I sit in a dimly lit room and twidle knobs and watch waveforms.

[gearaddict]

Originally Posted by BDL

I started with a $19.00 battery powerd cassette tape recorder of my dad's. My songs were played on my mom's upright piano, never in tune.

Now 35 years later I have a home studio with the best in digital pianos, a decent mixing console, and other pro gear that we can all buy today-- computers etc.

And, we are not unlike the best -- people who have the same thing going. They just have finer tools of the trade, but most have really put in th yars to get to where they are today.

I have a day job, so I can afford to work my music in my spare time.

+1...Like I said..I started at 11 with the tascam 12 track Reel to reel..now I have different gear, but I have also had 22 years to learn regardless of the gear!!!

Oop's I lied...At 9 my dad sold my pearl drum kit because I wanted a tascam 4 track cassette recorder.(and we were poor)...Thats what I started with..My dad would not let me touch the 12 track yet, not untill I proved myself and did some cool stuff with the 4 track..I was learning how to mix and bounce 3 tracks to one ..to free up 3 tracks at age 9..I am now 33.WOW...I feel old

[Tube World]

I built my studio because I could not afford to go to a pro studio for recording which is a hobby of mine. I like the fact that in your own studio you can go back and redo things without the pressure of the clock.

[dbbubba]

My dad brought home a Realistic (Radio Shack) 1/4" quartertrack deck back in about 1967 at about the same time I started figuring out what was being use to record the music I loved.
Dad had a Les paul Fr. and a weird Silvertone Les Paul type GTR plus an Alamo tube amp.
I was ready to rock!

It just grew!

I have built studios over and over as my economic and personal live flowed along.
I have a converted garage that has more gear than my last full on music studio had, but now it's a hobby in the sense that it doesn't have to earn any money.

LOT'S of gear later... I'm still at it!

[Mr.HOLMES]

Originally Posted by Tube World

I built my studio because I could not afford to go to a pro studio for recording which is a hobby of mine. I like the fact that in your own studio you can go back and redo things without the pressure of the clock.

Good point ......makes me feel better with my investment.....THANK YOU

[Yoda117]

I got tired of fighting traffic to go into Philly, or schlep up to NYC in order to audition.

I'm a gearslut by nature, so it was a logical move (by my logic at least).

Once I got serious and really invested in some quality gear, picked up some vintage and boutique items, I was hooked.

It's been all downhill from there...

[Dean Roddey]

- It was either that or get my legs waxed
- I wanted the cutie upstairs to think I was a musician
- I really needed to suck at something new
- I was having trouble getting thrown out of my apartment
- I needed a more concrete means to fail to express myself
- I hadn't sold a bunch of stuff at a huge loss in a long time
- Lusting for cars, women, houses etc... that I can't afford just wasn't enough. I needed something else to lust for that I can't afford.
- Ever since I was a kid I wanted to turn tiny electrical signals into bits.

[BDL]

I enjoyed your stories here. My wife really didn't mind much that I made my latest investment in my studio last summer. She knows where to find me and that I am a lot easy to live with. It also inspires me to work harder at my day job, so I can look forward to getting something new occasionally.

It's a simple life.

[DigitMus]

My "project" studio is 2300 sq. ft. in a purpose-built structure on my home property. I have over $100,000 invested in microphones, and over 1/4 million in recording gear/instruments. It is for me and my friends (some of my friends have gold & platinum albums, and Grammys).
I will, on occasion & by invitation, ask people who I've recently met to record here - my rate is $125/hr. period - for any and all services, no deals, no discounts ; you cannot bring your own engineer, and the house rules are not negotiable. [No "hangers-on", no lateness or the session is cancelled, no intoxication, no conducting other business on my time, no prima donnas (if you can't get over yourself - guess what?- I can!)]
My rates for friends (unless there's a label or backer involved) are $0 for anything, including beer. The house rules are the same as for paying clients.

This is how I've managed to maintain my sanity & enthusiasm after several decades as a musician, engineer and producer (& tour manager, tech., composer, arranger, psychologist etc.).

Scott