Q: What do I need to bring to prepare for the session?

A: As far as instruments, amplifiers, and speaker cabinets go, the more choices the better. You're welcome to use any or all of the instruments I offer, but we may find at the end of the day that what you bring from home fits the sound of the project better in the end. It's always better to bring your gear just in case - even if you only end up leaving it in your car. For vocalists: please bring a printed out sheet of your lyrics. Having an easily legible copy of your lyrics will help me to ensure that we get a clean, strong set of vocal tracks.

Q: How does the recording process work?

A: The recording process can be split into three basic steps: Tracking, Mixing, and Mastering

1. Tracking/Overdubbing - This step is most likely what you think of when you picture "going to the studio." This step involves the performance of each part. You will be playing your role in the music several times in order to achieve your best performance possible. You won't have to perform perfectly from beginning to end, the miracle of digital recording is the ease at which the engineer can take a note or phrase from one take and insert it instantly into another one. This of course does not mean you don't have to practice to be the tightest musician possible, but the atmosphere does not have to be tense and bent on getting immaculate performance.

2. Mixing - Many first-time studio goers are not aware that this step exists. During the mixing phase, the volume of the instruments are balanced against eachother. Also, studio magic occurs here as things that equalizers and reverbs are set to make singers sound like like they're in a cave, a church, a coffin... or wherever you want them to be ;) Each instrument will get this individual attention. Overall the mixing process generally does not take as long as the tracking process for traditional rock style music, but for those looking to achieve a more colorful sound we can easily spend many nights tweaking every detail. It it my duty to you to help you get the best sounds we can in as much or as little time as you'd like to allow in your budget.

3. Mastering - Mastering is all about translating the mix from the studio to everyday listening. This means listening to the mix on various sources (control room monitors, home stereo systems, cheap computer speakers, car stereo systems, etc) and listening to the song next to recordings of other artists to make sure levels are balanced. The goal is to be able to listen to your favorite artist, then listen to your song and not wonder "What just happened to the quality? It sounded so much better in the studio!"

Q: About how long does it take to track a song?

A: Well the answer obviously depends on the length of the song! A good way to predict would be to play the song at home: Rehearse the song from beginning to end. Time how long it takes you to get from start to finish five times and be in love with your performance each time. Combine the times for each member of your music group and that will be a rough estimate of the tracking portion of your recording session. I would estimate that for a well rehearsed band and a four minute song you could expect at least ten hours worth of tracking.

Q: I hear horror stories about producers yelling at the artist and making them change their entire songs, does this happen at Sonic Truth?

A: Not on my watch. There are going to be plenty of times where as an engineer and producer, I may suggest that some parts need to be longer, or shorter, or need a more active vocal line, or less guitars, or... well, you get the point. All of my input is meant to be constructive and since you are the client, it is your choice to take it or leave it. I will not forget that the song is indeed YOUR song, but I will offer any advice that I can from my experience to help make sure that your vision connects with your target audience.

Q: This sure sounds great on paper, can I visit your studio to get the feel for it in person?

A: I definitely understand the desire to see things yourself before committing to a session. Please contact me to set up a time for a free walkthrough of the studio. I'll be glad to open up a session for you to demonstrate briefly how the process works. You'll get to see all of the bells and whistles up close and in person and together we can decide if coming to Sonic Truth is the right decision for you.