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Recording Studio Fort Collins, CO

970-204-1721 studio@seldomfed.com

 
 
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Time Box Demo Deal:

Seldom Fed Productions Demo Deal - $450

3 Songs, 10 hours total time (*), CD  1-off copies,   (CD-R  .wav data backups optional)

Step 1 - load in and set up. Set up drums and get the best sound possible in about an hour. Drummer be on time! A Kick drum mic. hole should ideally be in the lower front head of the kick drum, on the side. 
Step 2 -  more setup and headphone mixs Get mics on all amps and instruments, run bass DI if possible, put up mics for scratch vocals, acoustic instruments etc., get a headphone mix that works. Another hour. TUNE UP.
Step 3 - do a recording, record 1 tune, listen, adjust setup as needed. TUNE UP
Step 4 - get two takes of each song

We'll track 3 songs, 2-3 takes each. Then pick the best of each for vocal overdubs. We don't spend a lot of time listening between tracking takes. 

Food / Breaks Take breaks as needed. If we need a break you can go out, or bring a snack and eat in the lounge. Fridge and stove avail. in the lounge. Also cable TV.  
Step 5 - overdub vocals Most people want to overdub vocals - a good practice to get the best sound. Takes about two hours. Careful what you eat that day!! No milk, cheese, alchohol etc. Keep the voice fresh.
Ear breaks - rest our ears 30 min break if needed after voc. dubs
Step 6 - one instrument  overdub per tune Includes one overdub to fix or add something on each tune. We're in the 'time box' and can't spend a lot of time fixing every flub. That's why you have to have your arrangements READY when you come in.  We'll make sure we fix the really bad stuff.  So this could be fix a few bass notes, or overdub a guitar lead etc. 
(*) Step 7 - Mix and cut a CD-R. We'll usually mix at a later time the following week so ears are fresh. Depends on how well the day goes. Typically the tracking takes about 6 hours which leaves up to 4 hours to mix. Since the goal is a good quality 'demo' and not a CD project - we can usually get a good mix done in an evening. We'll do basic mastering and will give you a playable CD and a 24bit stereo master data disc.
Step x - Mastering

This is an optional step. We do Mastering! And we will master your demo.

If you record an album or critical recording for mass distribution (ie. not a 'demo') with us - we generally recommend mastering be done by another facility to get the most benefit from it. Mastering can give you that final polish from someone with a different perspective, and a different room with equipment specifically designed for the task. This will often improve your product. We can suggest mastering facilities on the front range.

Your preparation:

Get a good nights rest! You'll be in the studio for about 8 hours on day 1. We only really work and log about 6 hours the first session, but you will be pretty crispy by  the end of the day. Bring all your equipment, tuned and ready to go. 
DRUMMER: New and properly tuned drum heads make a big difference in sound. Bring your DRUM KEY. It's ideal for me if the hole in the kick drum front head for microphones is placed either on the side or bottom of the head. We'll probably have to tune the drums a little if you have them set up for stage sounds. If possible have them professionally tuned before you come in. (I have a drum tech. that can come in for $50) Stage tuning does not often work well for studio recording. Bring sticks. Optionally you can use our Yamaha kit. Bring fav. cymbals and your snare if you like.
GUITAR AND BASS: Have extra strings on hand. New strings on guitars are recommended. Put them on about 2 days before the session. BRING AND USE ONLY 1 TUNER for all guitars and bass. Make sure your intonation is set properly. We usually run bass direct thru a tube preamp.
KEYS: don't forget any expression pedals you use, keyboard stand and seat
SINGERS: Don't drink milk or eat heavily.   
EVERYONE: Have songs rehearsed and ready to record. Do not work out intros and endings in the studio. Bring the band ONLY. Girlfriends ,  roadies and 'managers' get in the way. We are here to work on creating a  recording of your art for your career goals - it's work, not a party. Official business partners are welcome (producers or manager ) Bring a camera or video to take pics - we want it to be fun and relaxing. When you come back to mix - again, only band members and producer are welcome, no friends. Ideally you will delegate a 'producer' in your group or have someone filling that role for you, this person is the primary spokesperson for how the mix should sound. If the entire band is in the control room making decisions - it will take forever and sound bad when we're done. Bring a CD or two of a favorite sound or group so we can get an idea of the kind of mix you are striving for. And of course bring your checkbook  or cash - all CD's, scratch tapes etc. are released only upon full payment at the end of each session.

No Visa  - sorry.


Notes:

Budgeting for studio time is only one component of your total project cost. It is often the largest component as well. A general guideline you can follow for estimating studio time is; for a demo, figure 1 hour per minute of final product, and for an album figure 5-8 hours per minute of final product.  This is for all tracking and mixing. It does not cover the costs for mastering and reproduction. Every project is different, we'll help you estimate your costs based on your budget and your goals for the finished product.  We've done enough of these demo packages (~50) to know that 3 songs is about all you can get done in 10 hours and have it sound good, unless you are extremely tight and rehearsed AND there are minimal or no overdubs. If we find ourselves ahead of schedule, we may be able to do an extra song. The engineer make will make that decision. You can choose to do more songs if you want to pay the full $45/hr. rate for any time exceeding 10 hours. 

We'll do everything possible to make sure you get a demo that will sound good and help you reach the goal it's intended for. We can't do a CD project in 10 hours - but you'll be surprised and hopefully have a great time doing it. If for any reason we have hardware failures during the session and we cancel in mid-session. I'll guarantee that we'll give you a full 10 hours of time and won't charge for hours lost. That's not your problem , it's ours. However, I can't guarantee how soon we can reschedule - hopefully quickly.

Chris

studio (at) seldomfed.com

To contact us: Call 970-581--3915