Worldwide Services in Mixing, Mastering, Audio Restoration, and more including Chicagoland’s Most Reasonable Recording and Production Rates.

I have been asked by other studios in the Chicagoland area why my rates are so low and how I can afford to have such low rates. The answer is simple, we are new. We want to build our client base, and the best way to do that in the beginning is make sure our rates are “introductory” and attainable for even the independent musician. As we build our client base and improve our equipment, our location, and our facilities, we want to make sure we adhere to the same principles that we started with… it’s all about the music, not gouging the musicians that make it. So as our rates rise over time, we will still strive to keep them reasonable for the working musician. However, our “introductory” rates will not last forever so take advantage of them while you can.

Studio Rates

Studio time for recording at our demo rate is only $20/ hr.

The recording at our demo rate is for a very simple recording. You want a mic on your voice and maybe an instrument, and you want us to hit record. Nothing fancy, just record the take that happens.

These recording sessions are for running through a song in one take, without the need for multiple passes or composite take recording. These simple recordings are unisolated, meaning we would record your voice and instrument at the same time, just as if you were performing it live.

We wanted to be sure to offer a very simple service like this at a rate that any independent musician or small group could afford because it is perfect for the solo musician or small groups who need a demo for shopping gigs at bars and coffee shops. You can go through multiple songs within an hour, keeping your costs extremely low while building a demo most venues require before scheduling. We are proud to be able to offer this low cost service for the working musician and you can usually leave with your demo on CD the same day as your recording.

The result is a great quality recording that represents your talent at a very reasonable rate at an investment that you can earn back within a few gigs. We’ve even had musicians record enough material to cut a simple album within a few hours with this service.

Recording at our demo rate is good for up to 4 mics for a single take. If you require more than 4 mics, our Production Rate applies.

Studio time for recording at our production rate is only $35/ hr.

An example of recording at our production rate would be: Taking multiple passes at a vocal section for composite takes. Isolating just your guitar as single track recording, isolating just your vocals as a single track recording, taking multiple takes we can review and record again. Recording through a solo and taking more than one pass at it, review it, record again, so and and so forth. Filling out your song with drums or other instrumentation, like a bass, strings, whatever fits. Producing beats for your hip hop, rap, or electronica.

Another facet of Production would be working closely with you to bring the song to something marketable, offering our professional opinions and insight to possible small changes our Producer believes the song could benefit from, allowing it to evolve to the final cut on the album. The whole time, our only goal would be to make you sound exceptional by working with you to make that happen.

Quite simply, our Production Rate is for anything other than a single take recording of unisolated instruments or vocals.

Post Production Rates

Mixing and mastering material recorded at our demo rate in our studios is a flat $5 per song, keeping that service extremely affordable for the working musician and giving you a way to afford multiple songs for your demos. You’ll make that money back within a few shows.

Mixing material produced in our studios is a flat $20 per song.
Mastering of material produced and mixed in our studios is a flat $20 per song.
Additional time required to composite multiple takes, correct pitch, refine midi, or other tasks necessary to get your material ready to mix is only $20/hr.

Mastering a 2 track mix-down of material not recorded in our studio is only $35 per song.
Mixing a multitrack recording (2 or more tracks) and then Mastering is only $65 per song*.

Mobile Recordings

Mobile solutions start at $30/ hr plus travel time at $10/ hr one way (which we pre quote… we don’t stick it to you for getting stuck in traffic, you only pay what Google Maps quotes, and we don’t charge you for the ride home). After recording your session, we can deliver in 1 of 2 ways… or both. We can export the project onto DVD from any of the DAWs on our Home page for only $15, or we can take it back to our studio for mixing and mastering.

Mixing and mastering of live captures without composite takes is only $15 per song.

Additional Services

We also work with nature sounds and scenes. Sound Isolation and scene building is $20/ hr.

Restoration of old recordings, or transferring vinyl to cd or digital media is also $20/ hr.

Service Area.

Our current service area for mobile recordings covers northern Illinois, including Chicago. Please feel free to contact us for a mobile recording outside or our service area, as we may be able to accommodate you.

As always, our other services such as Mixing and Mastering, Sound Restoration, Nature Sound Isolation and Scene Building, etc. can be attained worldwide. Please use our Contact Page to set up those services via mail or the web.

The Fine Print

All rates are tracked to the hundredth of an hour. Example – 1.04 hours.

Mobile rates are as follows: we start the rate clock at the beginning of setup. Once the recording process is over, we stop our clock and breakdown. This time is then added to the pre quoted travel time and your export options for your final invoice due at that time. We currently only accept cash for mobile recordings.

Choosing our Mixing and Mastering option for your mobile recording will be a separate invoice due at time of delivery payable by cash, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, or PayPal.

Studio time at the production rate paid at the end of the day via Cash will receive a 5% discount.

For your convenience we can bill you for production sessions payable through PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account to pay the invoice online, as we accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express in addition to a PayPal account through online billing.

Billing will require a billing address (proof thereof by means of utility bill), valid state ID (which we will photocopy for our files), and a $50 deposit per session due at the beginning of your session, which will be applied to your bill as a partial payment. Billing for production sessions adds an additional 5% for administration. All invoices payable online will be due within 15 days of the invoice. A 5% late fee will be applied to any invoice not paid within a 15 day increment.

Recordings done at our Demo Rate are cash only, day of, no exceptions, one hour minimum.

All services accrued preparing any and all material for mixing and mastering in post production (work done after you are recorded) will be invoiced on the 1st and 15th of every month, payable online as described above, due within 15 days.