How Can We Book Your Studio?

Contact us by phone or through this website. Generally, if you ask about a date and we have it open, you can book your session whenever you want. It's that simple.

 

As a result, we don't write tentative dates in our schedule. Old House requires a 50% deposit on the time you plan to book. That way, we know that you will be there and you know that we will not book something else during that time. Once we receive a deposit, the date is yours. Deposits are non-refundable, but if unforeseen circumstances arise, you can reschedule your session once as long as you give us seven days' confirmed notice.

 

What Hours Are You Open?

 

All sessions are booked by appointment, but we will work just about any hours necessary. We will do sessions seven days a week.

 

What Are Your Rates?

 

Our rates are extremely competitive in terms of the functionality and flexibility of the studio, caliber of instruments and equipment, and expertise of our staff. Please feel free to check with other studios in the area and call or email us for rate information. We have what many people consider to be an excellent day rate, which we prefer to book, but we can work by the hour as well. Our rates include the cost of an in-house engineer and there are no additional "hidden fees."

 

How Long Is "A Day" At Old House?

 

A day is as long as everybody needs it to be. Most sessions start around 11AM and continue until people are tired or the day's work is finished. There usually comes a time when people get worn-out and the progress of the session becomes self-defeating. We don't like to work past that point.

 

Can We Record With Everyone Playing At The Same Time?

 

Unless the ensemble is extremely large or has unusual considerations, yes. Old House is set up very well for live ensemble recording. Good isolation with excellent site lines, coupled with a flexible headphone/cue system and an abundance of microphones and outboard equipment for a large number of inputs makes Old House and excellent facility for this type of recording.

 

Do You Have Instruments Or Gear Available For Musicians?

 

Yes, especially when it comes to drums and guitars, although we do require that you use any of it. (You are more then welcome to bring any of your own equipment.) We have one of the best instrument collections of any commercial studio in the area and we provide the studio's equipment at no additional cost (with the exception of drumsticks, new drumheads, batteries, guitar strings, or picks). Certain pieces of equipment in our collection are made available by our staff, so if there's something specific you would like to use, please check beforehand so that we can ensure it will be there for your session.

 

Can You Recommend Musicians For a Project?

 

Yes. We know many, many instrumentalists and singers who can provide talents in classical, jazz, rock, country, bluegrass, R&B, gospel, and many types of ethnic and folk styles. If you need an arranger for a project (for horns, strings, etc.), we know several excellent ones, as well. Rates for these musicians vary according to the specific project.

 

We Have A Home Studio. How Can You Help Us?

 

We have, on numerous occasions, mixed projects that were recorded in people's homes or other facilities. We have also tracked music for artists who have done additional work at home. This allows the artist to take advantage of Old House's space, acoustic design, and selection of instruments, microphones, and outboard equipment for more involved sessions, while maintaining a pace and/or privacy element with which they are comfortable in their home setups. The setup at Old House is specifically designed for the ability to track an entire ensemble at the same time. The arrangement of our isolation areas and recording spaces, our large microphone and outboard gear selection, and our flexible headphone setup allows for full-band tracking with no problems.

For transferring digital files between recording formats, the most efficient way for us to transfer is via DVD-Rs of Broadcast Wav files in an ISO 9660 format. This format is an accepted standard for most modern digital recording systems. If you would like us to work on something that was initially recorded elsewhere, we ask that you get us the audio files well in advance of your scheduled session, in order to ensure that there are no unforeseen problems with the file transfers. We can (and typically do) also provide you with DVD backups of WAV or Broadcast WAV files of your project, which can be opened in almost any modern DAW or digital recording device.

 

Do You Provide Mastering?

 

While we are technically capable of providing mastering for most projects, we prefer to recommend people who specialize in that area. We have had good experiences with many mastering engineers locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally and will happily refer you to someone who will fit your specific needs.

 

Do You Handle Duplication?

 

We can handle very small-run duplication jobs, but generally, we refer projects to one of several different companies, depending on the size of the duplication order. There are several excellent local companies and large international companies to which we can refer you.

 

What Can We Do To Prepare For Our Session?

 

The best advice we can offer is to suggest that you plan well, rehearse, make sure that your instruments and equipment are in good, working order, and know what you plan to achieve in the time you've allotted. Anything that you can do along those lines before you get to the studio means you'll be doing those things while you're not paying for studio time. Here's a list of specific thoughts and suggestions about how to prepare for your time in the studio.

Can Freelance Engineers Use Old House?

 

Yes, assuming they meet certain qualifications for working at a commercial facility. Old House is set up in a very logical and easy-to-understand manner (well-labeled patchbay, mic closet, ergonomic equipment layout, etc.), but because each studio is different, we require that freelancers book a staff engineer from Old House as an assistant. Please contact us for additional questions, rates, or to discuss qualifications.

 

Who Designed Your Website?

 

Our website was designed by Chris Garges with assistance from Scott Applegate and Jason Hausman at Hot Sake Creative. The photographs of the studio were taken by Flavio Mangione and Chris Garges. We welcome any comments that would make this site more user-friendly.

 

Feel free to contact us by email or by phone at 704-488-1790 if you have any additional questions or concerns.