A: After recording the instruments (whether you recorded for yourself and saved them as wav tracks, or you recorded in another studio), the studio engineer will make the initial decision on how to mix the recorded instruments in relation with the other instruments and consequently how the song as a whole should sound like. You must trust the taste of the engineer. In short, the studio engineer interprets your recordings according to his personal taste.
Of course, you can always give the engineer beforehand, some sample cds of artists whose mixes you want to emulate in your own recordings. This will give the engineer your idea on how to mix the song (don’t expect you’ll sound exactly like the sample cd you gave, coz mixing is dependent on a lot of factors). But in this stage, you leave the studio engineer alone. Just go home and let him work. It will usually take the engineer 2 days per song to mix the song, depending on the complexity of the song arrangement. Mixing entails a lot of editing work to fix artist errors, noise etc…The studio engineer will then inform you that the initial mix is done and ready for pick-up.
Try listening to the initial mix in different players (in the car, in your cd player, in your friend’s component etc), take down notes on how to improve the sound of the initial mix. Then you can schedule with the studio engineer for a client sit-in mixing session. In such session, you sit beside the engineer in front of the mixing machine (the computer), and you may now then direct or instruct him on how to change some parts of the song. At the end of such session, you can have the mix saved in the cd (service fee is free but you have to pay P20 for the blank cd, unless you bring your own), listen to it at home, then take down notes again for items you missed in the first round, then schedule another session.
The number of sessions depends on how many changes you want (perfectionists beware), until you achieve the final mix. Of course, if you are already satisfied with the initial mix, then there is no need to sit-in with the engineer. You can then request the studio engineer to save the final mix of the song in a cd (service fee is free but you have to pay P20 for the blank cd, unless you bring your own).
Q11: When do I get charged for 150/cd?
A: One instance is when you request the studio engineer to record more than 5 whole tracks, regardless of where you recorded the tracks. Another instance is when you request for the master file containing all the info and data for the final mix, regardless of the number of whole tracks. The number of cds will depend on the amount of data to be saved.
Q12: What are other instruments/effects/stock available in the studio?
A: It is advisable to use your own instrument or effects as you are already comfortable with it. As much as possible in recording, you should always go for that which is already tried and tested- your own gear. Don’t be too much adventurous and experimental because studio time is ticking.
But if you insist to try others, you can rent bass (washburn), electric guitar (epiphone les paul korea, fender strato mexico), acoustic steel guitar (Oscar Schmidt Washburn) for 75/hour each. While 50/hr each for guitar effects (digitech gnx2, boss CH1 chorus, MT2 Metal Zone Distortion, EQ, Korg Pandora PX1, Morley PWV-II Wah Pedal). The studio also has a ready stock of blank cds, for P20 and guitar strings. So if you want to save on expenses, don’t borrow instruments and effects, and bring your own cd and guitar strings. Of course, sometimes the studio runs out of supplies.