How did you fund your Studio?

[MaTr1x2051]

As we all know, the initial investment for a professional studio can range on the low end from $250,000 to the high end of $1,000,000+. Both of those figures are high for any individual to personally supply the capital...

So how did you all go about getting the funding for your venture?

[maxpidge]

Originally Posted by MaTr1x2051

As we all know, the initial investment for a professional studio can range on the low end from $250,000 to the high end of $1,000,000+. Both of those figures are high for any individual to personally supply the capital...

So how did you all go about getting the funding for your venture?

spent twelve years in a ford plant, took a buyout!!! $100,000

[TehGuitarist]

Sorry but buyout? Do you mean a loan?

[maxpidge]

Originally Posted by TehGuitarist

Sorry but buyout? Do you mean a loan?

no, Ford motor company gave me $100,000 to quit my job!!

[The Byre]

Originally Posted by maxpidge

spent twelve years in a ford plant, took a buyout!!! $100,000

I spent twelve years in the back of a Ford!

i.e. gigging (PAs and lighting) and sleeping rough to save money! I used that money to start a business.

[Kyle S]

damn pidge thats the highest buyout ive ever heard of. you a GL or something?

[surflounge]

Originally Posted by The Byre

I spent twelve years in the back of a Ford!

was it a "flatbed Ford"?

[maxpidge]

Originally Posted by Kyle S

damn pidge thats the highest buyout ive ever heard of. you a GL or something?

whats a "gl"

[Math5461]

Acquired gear till I was about 10k out from making a go at a small project studio. Then I got my pops to give me a loan. He had gotten an inheritance from my grandpa who had spent his whole life managing a Wells Fargo. So essentially I have my Grandfather to thank for this opportunity.

[lakeshorephatty]

Buy used.

Be patient in choosing the gear you want.

Try lots, buy once for each piece.

Keep the audio recording chain and monitoring chain as high quality as you can afford but buy more cheaply anything supplimentary.

Do as much as you can with less channels.

Expand slowly. Your efforts to learn don't cost anything. Put as much effort into your skills as you can. They're your best investment and practice has no price other than your time.

I've spent nowhere near your lower figure at this point, and may not in my lifetime, but I'm getting pretty happy with what I can create. I'm sure there is a long way to go but i'm having fun and thats that most important thing.

Russell

[narcoman]

big record deal, big publishing deal. Sold a few records.

[mdjice]

Sold Drugs, organized prostitution for a little while and did a few jobs as a hit man oh yeah and Sold my mom's garage inventory on Ebay

[maxpidge]

Originally Posted by narcoman

big record deal, big publishing deal. Sold a few records.

[therecordinghous]

one piece at a time. i decided early on to spend the bulk of my money on hardware and not technology like having the biggest baddest computer and the latest hot plugin. those are the biggest money holes to watch out for. since i avoided them early on, now i can afford to waste money on them.

[lakeshorephatty]

Originally Posted by therecordinghous

one piece at a time. i decided early on to spend the bulk of my money on hardware and not technology like having the biggest baddest computer and the latest hot plugin. those are the biggest money holes to watch out for. since i avoided them early on, now i can afford to waste money on them.

+1, sept I'm not at the stage where I have got enough hardware!

Russell

[rack gear]

Originally Posted by therecordinghous

one piece at a time. i decided early on to spend the bulk of my money on hardware and not technology like having the biggest baddest computer and the latest hot plugin. those are the biggest money holes to watch out for. since i avoided them early on, now i can afford to waste money on them.

that's the truth - if I could trade all the money I've spent on software and plugins over the years on hardware... oh man...

these days I invest 70/30 on hardware over software. I still have boxes I bought in the 80s and don't have software I bought five years ago...

[naex]

cash baby. all cash. Part of my goal in owning my own studio was not having to owe anyone anything. I have this mindset with personal finances also and it's liberating.

I built it all myself to save on labor. All gear was bought on craigslist or from my old partner. I got alot of it from buying over the years also.

[Math5461]

Originally Posted by naex

cash baby. all cash. Part of my goal in owning my own studio was not having to owe anyone anything. I have this mindset with personal finances also and it's liberating.

I built it all myself to save on labor. All gear was bought on craigslist or from my old partner. I got alot of it from buying over the years also.

Yeah, but where did you get the cash?

[Math5461]

Originally Posted by mdjice

Sold Drugs, organized prostitution for a little while and did a few jobs as a hit man oh yeah and Sold my mom's garage inventory on Ebay

The only real answer on this thread. I think.

[bass man]

Was on the road for 15 years with my bass as sideman , made couple of records with my band as band leader ,sold couple of them . Spent all the extra money on High End piece of Gear ,almost never bought new gear but Second hand from good people.Was looking for the right/affordable place for many years , got a loan from the Bank . Learned how to do everything/most things by myself ,got a lot of help from great people on this forum. Fight , fight and some more fight ,well couple of beer every now and then , you got the picture ....

[naex]

from bustin my ass doing sessions, session work, royalties, and from part time jobs over the course of a couple of years. I just finished my control room and plan to go full time in the next 6 months. So Im super excited.

[naex]

and crack sales.

[Math5461]

Originally Posted by naex

from bustin my ass doing sessions, session work, royalties, and from part time jobs over the course of a couple of years. I just finished my control room and plan to go full time in the next 6 months. So Im super excited.

what did you do in the sessions? Player or engineer? If engineer where/how did you get the gear? Royalties? So your a songwriter?

[nicholassss]

Demos. making terrible punk bands sound sweet.

but mostly delivering pizza and living with the parents.

went from mxl mics and a mbox 2 mini to 003 and i just ordered some pres and an new mic. and next check compressors put away for some more sweet stuff.

buy from craigslist. local. killer deals.

[naex]

I've done sessions where Im a songwriter and sessions where I am the engineer. I basically lived in the studio. Literally at one point. Most of the sessions I did were as a songwriter with my mentor/producer/co-writer acting as the engineer. The gear I've bought over the last 14 or so years and I also got some donated to me from my producer.

Like I said earlier too, I dont have any real debt besides my house so I can spend the extra assests coming in to fund my (future) business.

[The MPCist]

got my gear/studio from publishing...

[Led]

Mostly publishing/licensing and royalties here too. Everytime I had a decent gig I would buy a secondhand piece of gear.

[dan p]

Got my gear early on from doing gigs.
Then gear I bought from 1993 through now with royalties from commercials,one piece at a time.
In the 80's I middle manned some great Cali buds to help pay for stuff.


Dan P

[Jam]

Like most on this thread it's a combination of things.

I've worked normal jobs and saved up.

Invested ( should that be reinvested ? ) income from advances, writing, recording and mixing.

Picked up the odd bargain.

Part exchanged, bought and sold, sometimes even wisely.

But the bottom line is one piece at a time over a number of years.

James

[xj32]

Originally Posted by Jam

Like most on this thread it's a combination of things.

I've worked normal jobs and saved up.

Invested ( should that be reinvested ? ) income from advances, writing, recording and mixing.

Picked up the odd bargain.

Part exchanged, bought and sold, sometimes even wisely.

But the bottom line is one piece at a time over a number of years.

James

+ 1

This pretty much mirrors what I did as well.

The good news is that now after 10 or so years of this I own my gear, my studio is on land that is owned by my family out in the country so now my only overhead is utilities, upkeep and improvements as I can afford them.

My biggest advice is decide on an outline and business plan and be realistic!

Who are you gonna record?
- Singer songwriters
- Indie Bands
- Rap and R&B
- Jingles
- Scoring


what do you want to do?
- Tracking
- mixing
- post production
- scoring
- mastering

what can your area / town support? or simply will it support what you want to do?

Where will you put your studio?
- Bedroom
- Garage
- warehouse
- storefront
- whole house


Each of these questions when answered honestly will help you hone in on what you will need when it comes to gear and capital.

The biggest reason I say HONESTLY, is that it may be easy to say...I want to record everything, and I want to arrange, compose, produce, track, edit, mix and master, and I want to do 5.1 for film, ect. But the reality of that mindset in today's world and economy is a quick recipe for failure.

Gearwise, I would also recommend that once you decide on what you realistically want to do. You figure out what you realistically need to accomplish said goal.

Make a list of that gear in order of importance to get started at the bottom of the ladder/foot in the door.

Then stick religiously to the list one piece at a time as you and your clients grow and dictate.

This way your cash flow, clients, skill level and gear will all grow proportionately.

Of course this is not as sexy and romantic as getting a big lone for $250k or more, jumping into the driver's seat and roaring out of the gate.

Remember, this IS NOT a business where if you build it, they will come...they won't. Why? Well there will always be 20 other guys in town who have the same gear, less gear, more gear, do it cheaper and maybe even better.

Be patient, be aware and be smart.

XJ