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[dconstruction]

Though I am now an owner/operator of a [small, part-time] studio, I've never actually been a client of a studio, so I've got no experience with how others run their business.

Last night, I was told by a client that she was surprised by the amount of set-up time (40mins: drums, vox, bass, guitar), and that the other studio she went to was "plug-n-play".  I'll admit, I'd just changed the heads on the drum kit, so it was not perfectly set up - and I don't have enough mics to leave the kit permanently mic'd up.  But even if I did, "plug-n-play"?  That sounds crazy to me.  I might choose a completely different configuration from one band to the next - and I won't know until I hear the band, especially the drummer.

But maybe I'm just a rank amateur.  

How much preparation do you guys do before a session (engineering wise, not production)?  Are you "plug-n-play"?  What's acceptable (i.e. chargeable) set-up time?  40minutes might have been slow, but from load-in to record, not that slow.  Or is it?

And because it's leaving such a bad taste in my mouth, I'll go ahead and vent: hinting that I was wasting time doesn't really sit well when you're drummer's never heard the songs before.  Seriously, this was just an expensive rehearsal.

That I recorded really well.

So she can go home and listen to how crappy it sounds when the drummer's hesitating and anticipating and playing the same damn beat throughout the entire song.

[/rant]

L

[rankus]

40 minutes is NOT slow!

This is one of the reasons I like to charge "by the song" ...

[scottoliphant]

(take this for what it's worth, since I'm in the same boat as you "Though I am now an owner/operator of a [small, part-time] studio") I don't have a kit set up all the time, so usually included. And, i quote them a day rate, unless we go extremely high over 10 or so hours. I try to get the drummer there early / set up his drums night before so i can mic in the morning while the coffee brews, and then get sounds. It's always a little stressful obsessing about the drum mics and placement while the band sits around, but it gets easier if i remind myself it's part of the job (and I'm just trying to get it right the first time). Also, I do a little client education (ie, telling them it will take x hour/s to get drum sounds / set up, giving the bass player a little extra time to sleep off his hang over while someone else goes to fetch breakfast tacos).

[el duderino]

in my experience, studios give you 1 hour before start time for set-up. beyond that hour its part of your session, unless specifically asked for and/or negotiated when booked.

40 min setup is not slow unless its something along the lines of a tamborine overdub.

[M Carter]

Yeah, we normally include 1 hour of setup time gratis with any session.  If a client is seriously concerned with time, we'll offer them the evening before the session (provided it's not booked) at a reduced rate.  

That said -  40 minutes is really not a big deal for set up time.

It sounds like you're dealing with first time studio goers .. .

Matt

[NelsonL]

I take 40 minutes to put a reel on.

Anyway, that seems pretty fast to me for vox, drums, bass and guitar.

We charge by the day, which has it's pros and cons as you can imagine. But, nobody really ever rushes us.

Tell her plug and play is for usb mics only.

[scottoliphant]

Quote:

Tell her plug and play is for usb mics only.

haha! that should go on the rate sheet.

[Cary Holding]

If I'm recording drums, I make sure all the mics are in place before the client gets here.  Likewise for other instruments I know are being recorded during the session.  Vocals, keys, guitars are pretty much the same deal.  If we're in uncharted territory, like hunting for a certain guitar/amp combo, and experimenting with mic placement, then it takes as long as necessary.

[Iain Graham]

Session starts when the client says it will start.

If they say can our drummer get in early to set up, then they are at least liable for my time. The rest is between the studio owner and the client. If am in early to use my expertise to mac the kit, how does that differentiate from any other part of the session?

If I know what's coming in, then i'll have a game plan in my head, and maybe a patch list or pro tools template set up before they arrive.

If they are late and I know what's coming in, then i'll get set up as much as I can.

If they're late and I don't know what's happening, then they're responsible for paying me to get out of bed and hang about waiting on them.

[dconstruction]

I kinda see it the same way, Iain.  But I'm struggling to balance that rather draconian view with a softer "customer-friendly" approach.  It's just that I'm not that soft or friendly.

In this instance, I didn't book a long session.  It seems like a lot of you are charging in blocks or by the song.  When, say, booking a whole day, not charging for set-up would be more tolerable.  From my standpoint, if we're recording 7:30pm to 11:00pm on a Wednesday night, and you're asking me to spend 40 minutes of my time off the clock, then you just reduced my income by 20%.  That's a pretty hefty tax.

[M Carter]

In that case, I'd make a policy of a minimum booking.  3 hours is pretty reasonable.  If someone can't commit to that amount of time, it may not be worth the time/money anyway, right?

Matt

[Iain Graham]

We have a minimum 3 hour booking policy as well.

It's hard. But like I said, I charge for my time to do setup early with the drummer. It's up to my boss whether the studio is billing for that. He will get a bill for my time.

I don't really fuck around with chargning for my time and expertise. It's how I make a living.

[NelsonL]

dconstruction wrote on Fri, 09 March 2007 08:43

I kinda see it the same way, Iain.  But I'm struggling to balance that rather draconian view with a softer "customer-friendly" approach.  It's just that I'm not that soft or friendly. In this instance, I didn't book a long session.  It seems like a lot of you are charging in blocks or by the song.  When, say, booking a whole day, not charging for set-up would be more tolerable.  From my standpoint, if we're recording 7:30pm to 11:00pm on a Wednesday night, and you're asking me to spend 40 minutes of my time off the clock, then you just reduced my income by 20%.  That's a pretty hefty tax.

I don't understand how anything can be off the clock on such a short session, that's just silly. Is your studio in your house? When I was doing that people we're a little less respectful of my time, I guess they thought it was chill because I was technically at home.

Sometimes a one day session at our place runs 7.5 hours, I love it when that happens because they routinely go 12 hours at the same flat rate. Things tend to balance out in the customers favor here, but we're bulding up our client list as a result.

[floodstage]

My policy is set up is free if the session is 4 hours or longer.

40 minutes is not a long time to get drum sounds, especially if they bring their drumset.

I have a kit in the studio that stays mic'd up that people can sit down and play (it's already plugged!) if speed is more important than getting "your" sound.

[j.hall]

i only read the first post......

here's a super qick run down of my typical scenario for tracking a record.

get call, quote rate, get hired, schedule pre-production meeting, maybe do pre-production with band, maybe not........load into tracking room i booked.  

i typically take 2 - 4 hours to set up drums.......i can do it much quicker, but i'm kinda of anal with the drum sounds i print.

if i'm at westend studios i'll set up every body and make them all roll together hoping for some extra tracks while drums go down.  this takes time and even more time come headphone mix time.

i charge a day rate for tracking and per song rate for mixing.  i just tracked a 5 song EP in my friends basement.  we cranked the entire thing out minus a pedal steele and background vocal in two 10 hour days.  i'm totally exhausted.......but it sounds cool......so fast setup CAN be done.  but i charge for setup time......in my eyes i'm WORKING.....i don't work for free.