TraxUnderground Recording Studio Services

Recording
Recording sessions at TraxUnderground Recording Studio are done by appointment. A $50 deposit is required to book studio time. Please give 2 days notice in the event of a cancellation. Your deposit will be credited to your future sessions but is non refundable. Payment is due at the end of each recording session and no recorded material will be released until the studio balance is paid in full.

Studio Rate
The current studio rate is $45/hr and that includes:

24 track Multi tracking & editing (48 Track available - see engineer)
Recording Engineer
Recording media (no need to purchase Hard disks, tapes…etc)
Use of the studios musical equipment (Marshall, Mesa Boogie ..etc)
Mixdown
CD of finished recordings

TraxUnderground will store your projects multitracks for 7 days after your final mix is complete. Should you need to keep your multitracks for future use, arrangements can be made to purchase the recording media.

Studio session musicians are available for an additional charge and must be scheduled

Traxunderground is a studio partner with DiscMakers. All of DiscMakers services are available through Traxunderground at a discounted rate.

Some helpful tips to make your recording sessions a pleasure!

BEFORE YOU GO IN

Record your songs during live gigs and pre-production rehearsals. Even a simple cassette recording on a boom box may reveal weak parts of songs.
Have all the musical and vocal parts worked out.
Using a computer or sequencer? Prepare all sequenced material before the session.
If you plan to use a click track, make sure your drummer is comfortable playing to it. (To get tight, practice to a click track at a very slow tempo.)
Rehearse more songs than you plan to record. You never know which songs will sound strong on the final tape (Example: If you plan to have a four-song EP, prepare six songs just in case.)
Take care of your body before and during your recording sessions. Eat well, get enough sleep, and keep your ears rested and clear.

SETTING UP

Make yourself comfortable and relaxed. It will show in your final product. TraxUnderground has a very relaxed atmosphere and out studio and engineers are not intimidating. We will do everything possible to bring out the best in your band and recordings.
Make sure your engineer understands your vision. Go over your songs with the
engineer before recording.
Use new strings, cords, drum sticks and heads - and bring spares!
Find out the hours of the local music store just in case...
Don't use new or different gear that you haven't used before, even if it's "better than
what you have." Surprises can cause problems.

THE RECORDING PROCESS

Be on time! Give yourself extra time to make sure you are not late for your session. Car pooling is the best measure to insure all band members are at the studio at the same time. Nothing is more stressful than waiting for late band members.
Remember, it's emotion and feeling that make the best song, not necessarily the best
technical rendition.
If you mess up a part while recording, don't stop and start over. That can easily cause
you to burn out. Instead, check to see if the engineer can punch in the correction.
You don't have to fill all the tracks on the tape - don't try to force something that
won't fit.
Always keep in mind the focus of your music. If it's the vocals, plan to spend the most
time on them. Don't waste time on things that don't highlight the focal point.
Get the sound you want while recording. ( Never assume that you can fix it in the mix.)
Unless you have unique effects, record individual tracks clean and add effects later.
Don't necessarily double track everything. Doubling a lead vocal can hide the subtleties
that make a song personal and likeable ( although it works well for a chorus.)
Know when to quit for the day. If you are tired, it will show.
KEEP GUESTS OUT! It's your recording. Guests will distract you and may sway your opinion
of how the music should sound.
Tune up often.
Singers: drink room temperature water, don't use ice! Ice constricts the vocal chords.
Hot tea with lemon and honey works well to relax your vocal chords. Always warm up before
recording your vocals.

MONITORING THE MIX

Listen to your music at moderate levels in your car or on a boom box. This is how most
of your fans will listen to it, and mixing at loud levels will fatigue your ears and distort
the "true" sound.
As you review each mix, make sure you can hear all the instruments. Tweak the mix on a
small pair of speakers at an extremely low volume. Headphones are also very valuable at this
stage, but don't base your final decision on them. You should be able to pick up each
instrument even at this level.
Know when to quit for the day. You're better off quiting a session early when you are
tired than wasting time making a bad mix that will have to be redone anyway.

MIXING

Determine a band spokesperson ahead of time. An engineer getting five different opinions
on how to mix will grow tired and might cause a rushed job.
Allow engineer to mix your recording, have them do the first mix. Their
ears are better trained than yours. Try to keep an open mind.
Think about the songs as a whole and not just the individual instruments. Otherwise
everyone will want to hear their instrument louder in the mix.
Count on and budget in unforeseen delays.