NAMM 2019

It was another great year attending the NAMM convention in Anaheim. This year I focused on making some new connections and getting to know more about the industry. I met many talented musicians and innovative thinkers. Yet, the information available was what really refueled my passion for recording and mixing.

Tony Maserati - NAMM 2019

I heard some great lectures by Tony Maserati, Fab DuPont, and Jacquire King, just to name a few. Taking mixes and letting them take on a life of their own seemed to be the universal theme from many of these talented engineers. Using parallel aux tracks to blend layers of textures was a reassuring message since that is how I do many of my layering techniques. What I found the most interesting was how each of these pros set up their EQ and compression chains. Seeing and hearing how they shaped sound has really opened my thinking about how to approach a mix.

I’m going to be spending a lot of my free time to practice some of these techniques and start developing some new signal chains. This will create a new sound for all of my mixes that will benefit every client at the studio.

Among the many things to see, experience, and hear at the NAMM convention, I also spent some time listening to the educational talks that where happening at NAMM U. I’d love to share some of the ideas and techniques that were discussed at these lectures. Set ups some time to come by the studio and we can engage in a discussion that will definitely help you get a better understanding of the music industry and how it can be integrated into your marketing and social networks.

The effort it takes to run a recording studio

The dream has been achieved! I am living the life I've always wanted and it feels great to work in my own studio everyday. The rewards are tremendous and there is nothing I'd rather be doing with my time. Being so immersed in my work on a constant basis has given me the knowledge and experience that is required to work at a professional level in this industry. I know many of you are looking to attain the same goal, so let me share just a fraction of my awareness with you.

First, running your own business, regardless of what you do, is no easy task. There are quite a few things you need to consider before diving into starting up a recording studio. Consider this, you'll need to cover your overhead and start up costs before you see a dime of profit. The initial investment is what overwhelms most entrepreneurs and that is just the tip of the iceberg. You're going to need a computer that is powerful enough to handle the processing, a DAW software program, an interface, lots of cables, mics, mic stands, headphones, headphone mixers, racks for gear or road cases, power conditioners, external hard drives, and potentially a studio space. This is just the foundation, there are plenty of other bells and whistles that you'll need to pull off a professional studio.

Now that that idea is rattling around in your head, tackle this notion, you will need to budget for electricity, water and sewage, garbage service, insurance, a security system, and rent. So your budget on a monthly basis is around $2,000 just to keep the doors open. That's the cheap end of the spectrum, which will probably not be adequate enough to compete in the market.

Now if you've invested a large chunk of change into an education in audio production, owning your own studio is the ultimate goal. These startup and recurring monthly costs are just scratching the surface of what you need to consider for operating a steady and reliable studio business. I just wanted to get your mind in motion for all that needs to be considered. Check back in soon as my next few posts will dive deeper into the elbow grease that is needed to keep a studio running smoothly and having the stamina to build a solid reputation to keep the machine well oiled.