Interesting KVR article: "10 Reasons we need commercial studios"

 
Thought-provoking stuff - check it out HERE.
 
 
 
Here's the full article for anyone who can't access the KVR website or view images at work:
 
 

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My local studio, the Music Annex, finally closed its doors a few months ago. I owe the Annex a debt because it was there that I learned about recording and music production.
 
The people that owned it weren't stupid. In fact they were good business people that watched their numbers. They diversified through the years so that they could keep their music recording business alive. In the 80s when cassettes were the way people listened to music they added a major tape duplication operation, which morphed into CD duplication (Remember when CD duplicators were prohibitively expensive). In the 90s, when home studios were booming and taking away their music production business they opened a post-production studio in San Francisco and started a service to provide audio for toys and games.
 

 
 
 
In the late 90s during the initial growth of the commercial web they made the assumption that a big part of the advertising industry would find its way to the Bay Area because of their proximity to the heavily financed ".coms." To take advantage of the perceived trend they invested heavily in building a video editing facility alongside their existing audio infrastructure. It proved to be a disastrous decision when the .com bubble burst and the advertising business didn't materialize. They were left with a tremendous debt that the business never really recovered from.
 
Project studios first appeared when successful producers and recording artists started building studios in their houses so that they could record any time they felt like it and avoid (or at least isolate) the distractions of stardom. It was an extremely expensive proposition until the price came down dramatically in the 90s with the widespread adoption of comparatively inexpensive DAW software and hardware. As a result commercial studios like the Music Annex are disappearing.
 
During the 133rd AES Convention I thought it would be interesting to look at the reasons why we all need them:

1. Commercial studios invest in leading edge technologies. They are required to do this to satisfy demanding clients and compete with other studios at the professional level. This allows clever companies in the Pro Audio industry to continue to develop technologies that the rest of the industry eventually benefits from.
2. Commercial studios often have large collections of vintage gear. The best studios have microphone collections that project studios can only dream about. Many vintage guitars, pianos, and synthesizers have found their way into commercial studios where they are alive, well maintained, and well recorded when the time comes.
   
   
3. Commercial studios have their own techs. This is huge! Please raise your hand if you spend as much as 20% of your music time trying to figure out what's broken. The lead tech at the Annex was Roger Weirsima who could fix anything (analog gear, cars, plumbing, washing machines, etc.). I long ago lost track of the number of times I have called him over the years with a technical question or a problem that required his refined soldering skills.
4. Each project that is done in a commercial studio makes it better. This is true of a project studio as well, but when there are many engineers working on many projects, each project contributes to the knowledge base of the engineers and support people that frequent the studio. Generally there is only one or two people in a project studio, so the experience will be more limited.
5. Commercial Studios provide live rooms and the best true sound isolation. Their recording engineers know how to place musicians within their rooms both for optimal acoustics (bleed, etc.) and of equal importance for music interaction. Although there is lots of high quality modeling plug-ins in the market there is still no substitute for the real thing when music is being played live. As Russell Bond from the Music Annex says: "Today, it's the 'live room' that is the most valuable asset a commercial studio can boast because of the versatility and controllability. A well designed room is transparent to the recording process and it's dedicated purpose is intended to be a comfortable environment to be creative in".
   
   
6. Big studios (like Skywalker in San Rafael, CA) can accommodate a big band or symphony orchestra for film and TV dates. Got that big band arrangement or string quartet you have written and are just dying to hear it rendered by humans. Yes, you can render these pieces using one of many great sample library packages, but everyone that has experienced their music played by a real orchestra will tell you that it isn't even close.
   
   
7. Certain commercial studios have a well-regarded (in some cases legendary) 'room sound' with is a characteristic of its own. Often people will book session in specific places such as Avatar in NY or Motown in LA for a certain perceived "vibe".
8. Nothing beats a commercial studio for film sync with lots of input channels and output buses (for stems), lots of people in the control room and large projection screens.
9. Commercial studios usually offer mastering engineers and mastering rooms. Although there are some great mastering plug-ins on the market having a new set of ears at the final stage can be very helpful.
10. Commercial studios have a built in network. Nothing is ever assured when trying to place any creative work, but working in commercial studios can increase the odds of making the right contact. Most studio owners keep a Rolodex of musicians, songwriters, arrangers, etc. Where else could you hope to find a community of people to:
    • Write and arrange music with.
    • Listen to and critique your music.
    • Introduce you to others with similar interests.
    • Potentially place you or your music in their own network.

 
I did a little research at The Village in Los Angeles and I can say that this community idea is alive and well there. The operation is run by Jeff Greenberg, who creates a comfortable and fun atmosphere for his clients to work within.
 

 
 
The building is like a labyrinth and easy to get lost inside. They make ends by doing mostly music and film recording, but the studio is also home base for successful producers and recording engineers like T-Bone Burnett, and John Alagia as well as songwriters like John Mayer and Mary Louis Goffin. Greenberg fosters a very collegial environment both socially and educationally. It's an operation worth checking out and if you are in LA you should.
 

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spacey


"Demand" is the bottom line reason.

It's a business and requires people willing to pay for the service.

I can't see musicians that aren't backed by somebody that really
believes in them, making the investment in todays music business.
When one invests they do so with the goals to recoup their
investment with gains. 

Reading about reasons the studios are needed while they are closing
up shop is testament to technology changing the music industry.

Not only is technology changing the business of music but it is changing
the musicians.
Before we may have defined a musician rather simply; A person that plays
a musical instrument.
Now there are many things being redefined such as "musicians" and "instruments" and
directly due to technological "advances".

If the technology is truly an "advance" then one may determine that paying
for "professional" studio time and technicians is "old school". Especially when the
equipment used is within reach- unlike the high cost associated years ago with analog
equipment.

The change also includes money.
Today a group may decide that rather than spend a $1,000.00 for one day in the studio
to invest in themselves.

You're right Steve. It provoked me to share a few thoughts about it. :)

Pro Studios have a tuff fight ahead. They may not only face a lower demand for their service
but also a real competition from the ones that couldn't afford the equipment in the analog
days.

 I couldn't have said it better. I have a soft spot for the big studios and I would hate to see them go away. I know there are successful operations,a few of those guys come here from time to time. The truth of the matter though is exacly what Spacey said. The pickin's are less and the pickers had better be smart and thrifty. Some relationships have been made at the top assuring us that there will still be large studios IMO, just not as many and the ones still standing may have to work differently.

 Good thoughts on this Drew.

Zonno

SteveStrummerUK


 

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I have a room like this in my house, with slightly different equipment.
It'my kitchen.
 
Yes, I do have a guitar in my kitchen.........
 
 

 
  
 
And some great points Mike and Drew.
 
 

Leland Skaar who has played literally on thousands of sessions for just about everybody since the 60's....and who is Phil Collins and James Taylor go to guy and main bass player says this about modern recording studios...


I am summarizing but here it goes ....


Most of Sklars recording sessions are now done with one maybe two people at there home usually in the bedroom. He lays down his part .... goes home ..gets paid ....or gets paid ...goes home 
 

And Sklar loves this technology 

What he says is missing in this environment is ... The whole band being there ... Recording ... And working out the parts ... Putting in the heart and feel ... Trying out things on the fly .... In general working as a group ....and playing with a live musician 

Typically when he lays down his bass parts ... The structure and production has all ready been thought out usually by one person ... And is lacking that group feel ... 

Sklar says he misses those days dearly ...


That's my summary ... I heard him talk about it in a you tube video 


Hes a great bass player ... Friendly and easy to talk to you ... He talks to everyone on his Facebook page and will friend you 

See if you can find this interview where he talks about this on you tube ... There are several versions of him telling this same story ...


Misses playing with the cats man ....  he would word it like that 


Hell of a guy ...and good insight to how things are now