Recording $200 / day + studio cost
In-house recording $100 / day
Shattered Glass Records is a well-equipped professional studio. It is not large, making it ideal for a record requiring a tight or intimate sound. It excels at recording smaller acoustic instruments, vocals, electronic instruments and most any overdubs.
Remote recording $200 / day + expenses
...or setting up a professional recording studio in your living room, within reasonable driving distance of St. Louis.
Recording in a more relaxed, familiar space can impart character and vibe on your records that usually takes a lot of hard work to create in a more controlled studio environment, and the sonic results can be excellent and are always unique.
Third-party studio recording varies by studio + expenses
For some projects, recording at a physically larger studio might be the best choice. I maintain good relationships with many of the recording studios in the St. Louis area for that reason, and I also love to travel if you are located outside of the St. Louis area.
Mixing $300 / song
Mixing your record is a crucial step to getting a professional, finished sound. It is taking each track that was recorded and combining them into one stereo file that is ready for mastering (ideally) or release. It involves balancing those tracks so that your record has the emotional impact that it deserves, and then ensuring that your record will translate well to any listening environment. Everything I mix gets the same dedicated effort and emotional attention, whether it is a record that we have recorded together or one that you have recorded somewhere else.
Full Production $750/song + expenses
A producer is a music professional who walks with an artist at every step to create a finished master record that is suitable for release. As a producer, it is my job to help you develop a vision for your record, and to then champion your vision tirelessly across hundreds of decisions, making sure that the record we make is the record you want to make. This service includes everything you need: pre-production (advice on song strength and selection, song structure and arrangement, tempo and key selection), production (booking third-party musicians and/or studio time, coaching musicians in the studio, editing and tuning performances as necessary, overseeing everything), recording, mixing and, for digital releases on tight budgets, mastering. Basically, you tell me your dreams and I make sure you get a professional record delivered on time and on budget.
While this rate is a good number for a single produced entirely in-house, the specifics of your project will dictate the budget (or, often, the other way around), so if this is a service you are interested in contact me and we will talk through everything so that you will have an accurate estimate before we begin. I also have set rates for larger, more traditional projects ($2,000 / EP, $5,000 / LP, + expenses) that are much more cost-effective and very popular.
Notes
A “day” is defined as a period of time where you, your band, and the engineer(s) all feel comfortable working. It is more than a few hours and less than the point where everyone is exhausted. I also offer reduced rates for simple projects requiring less than a “day”.
For any recording session, you should arrive at the studio with the means to pay for your session. On larger projects it is common to divide payments over time, so don't be afraid to ask if that is helpful for your budgeting.
“Expenses” includes any costs related to travel and accommodations, as well as the costs associated with hiring third-party musicians or booking a third-party studio. Before you commit to anything we will thoroughly discuss all possible expenses so that you have an accurate estimate.