Does the $450 studio rental day rate include an engineer?
Yes, one engineer (usually Matthew) is included in the studio rental. He will also be more than happy to co-produce, if you ask nicely.

What will one day of recording or mixing cost me?
$450

How do I secure studio time?
A 50% deposit is required to reserve your session. Please pay within 48 hours of reserving the session or the time will be released for other clients. The remaining balance is due at the start of your session. If you must cancel your session, please contact us at least 7 days prior. If you cancel after that date, your deposit is not refundable. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and cash.

Can we come in early or the night before to set up?
No. Sessions begin at the time you schedule them. Much of the engineering work begins as you start setting up so we have to charge for this time. Your session also includes set-up time, breaks and delays.

Do you have beats?
We have a large selections of drum tracks, samples, and sound effects. But remember that building up tracks is going to take time and creativity. There are no “walk in and sing and walk out with a CD” services available.

How can we save money in the studio?
Practice! Practice! Practice! The more rehearsed you are, the more likely you’ll be able to nail it in fewer takes. Arrive to the studio at your scheduled time. And eat before you arrive.

What are the hidden costs?
If you choose to hire your own producer or additional session musicians, you are responsible for their fees. Occasionally, a project will necessitate a second engineer and, in that case, you are responsible for their fees. These things will be determined in the pre-production discussion. If you want a back-up of your session (which we strongly encourage), you will need to provide an external hard drive. And Maryland State Law requires us to charge 6% sales tax.

Do you back up your projects?
We back up to our own hard drives as long as a project is in progress, but we can not guarantee the safety of your recordings. If you desire your own hard drive back-up (which we strongly encourage), please bring one with you.

What external hard drives do you recommend?
We like the OWC Mercury Elite and OWC Neptune Firewire drives.

What ¼” analog tape do you recommend?
RMGI (Emtec) 911 or Ampex/Quantegy 456. We like to order from National Recording Supplies.

Do you have a drum kit?
Yes. Two, in fact. A mint 1973 Ludwig Vistalite and a Yamaha Manu Katché Hipgig. When booking time, please let us know if you will be tracking with the drum kit so we can make sure the heads are in good shape and tuned.

Do you have an organ?
We sure do. It’s a Hammond organ with a Leslie Cabinet. We also have various vintage analog synthesizers (Roland Jupiter 6, Juno 106). When you book time, please let us know if you will be tracking with the organ so we can move it in to the studio. It’s a beast.

What is mastering?
Mastering is the final creative process during which the source material is processed using equalization, compression, limiting, noise reduction and other processes. Subsequently, it is rendered to a medium such as CD, DVD or analog tape. The mastered material is also put in the proper order at this stage. More tasks such as editing, pre-gapping, leveling, fading in and out, noise reduction and other signal restoration and enhancement processes can be applied at this stage.

Do you provide mastering services?
Yes, and we take special pride in our mastering services.

Do you do voiceovers, jingles, video editing, music for film or radio spots?
Yes, we do voiceovers, jingles, radio spots and music for film. Contact us for rates. We do not do video editing but we can recommend a video house and work in conjunction with them.

What is a producer?
Generally, a producer will oversee the recording sessions, coach and guide the musicians, organize and schedule production budget and resources, and supervise the recording, mixing and mastering processes. They will see your project through to completion and help you get the best takes. A producer, if anything, will raise the quality of the project.

What is a co-producer?
A co-producer typically reports to the producer and is someone who will engineer your album and make suggestions and subjective comments in order for you to make the best recording possible. They will be active in assessing takes and suggesting sounds, suggesting different arrangements, etc. Usually they will jump into the session cold on the first day. Generally, they will be the main engineer.

What is an engineer?
An engineer is someone that knows how to operate the recording equipment in the studio, acquire sounds and accommodate the requests of the artist or producer. The engineer has knowledge about mic placement and room acoustics.

Is Mobtown non-smoking?
Yes. You may smoke cigarettes outside of the building. Smoking “other stuff” is not allowed due to liability/impoundment issues and an imbalance of priorities in our government.