Let’s say you’re a band, or a film producer, or, well, whatever, and you think you might be needing to book studio time. You heard about Freeborn Sound Studio through the grapevine and now you’re visiting this page. First I’d like to say welcome!, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your interest. I know we’ll have a great working relationship.
The first thing to do is to shoot me an e-mail at mail@freebornsound.com, giving me an idea of what your project is about, and when you might like to begin work. You can phone me, too, at +49 30 4373 5144, but please bear in mind that sometimes the work gets wild around here, and I don’t always have time to chat. You might have to leave a message.
People serious about booking time are welcome to come down and have a look. Just tell me when might be good, and we’ll set up an appointment.
The first and most important thing to remember is that creativity is king, and I sincerely want your creativity to flourish. I think you want that, too, and so there are some specific things that I recommend you do- and some specific mental preparations- before you come. I work with all kinds of people here, some experienced, others beginners, some perfectionists, others who shoot from the hip. Unless I happen to be the producer of your project, it will be your responsibility to know what kind of results you are looking for, and please remember that I would have no trouble making Elvis sound like Elvis, but I cannot make you sound like Elvis! Sure, I can give you the same sort of treatment Elvis might have gotten, but you are you, and that’s that. So be the best you can be, and be ready.
Are you ready to record?
It’s a good idea to make a sketch of the floor plan of the studio, and I’ll be happy to tell you about my experience in getting the most out of the rooms. Devote some time to making a plan for which instruments will need to be isolated from the others, and who will be playing what live, or as an overdub. Knowing this stuff in advance makes a huge difference later, and affords you much more time to experiment and try things out, should you want to.
I won’t publish my prices here, you’ll have to phone or write or bump into me on the street to ask me that. I have a standard pricing scheme, it’s very cheap. Feel free to pick up the telephone and call right now: +49 30 4373 5144 is the number. You get a discount if you book well in advance and I ask that you pay a deposit, which is not (or only partially) refundable. Again, give a ring, we can talk about it.
If you prefer, I will send you and invoice, which is due not more than 30 days after work begins, but I also offer a discount for cash on the day.
You might also consider paying with a credit card; I accept PayPal.
My prices are normally all-inclusive, and assume that I will be your engineer, because about 90% of my business works that way. But if you have your own engineer, you WILL save on studio costs, assuming that I trust him/ her to take care of my gear and not screw anything up. In most cases there will be some sort of orientation session, where we get to know each other and I show him/ her the system, then you’re on your own. I am VERY interested in this sort of arrangement, it’s very much encouraged, so once again, give a ring; we’ll discuss it.
I do not work off the books. You must pay sales tax and you will be given an invoice.
A couple more critical details:
In these days of terabytes all over the place, some tend to forget the importance of archiving and storage. Strange, because it has never been easier, or cheaper!
If you’re recording analog, your possibilities are limited. I will be happy to organise blank tape for you, but you’ll pay less if you buy it yourself. A reel of two inch tape runs for 17 minutes at 30 IPS, or 34 at 15 IPS. There are arguments for both, I suggest you read up on it, or talk to me about your options. When you leave here you’ll take the tape with you. Store it in a cool, dark, dry place, away from any kind of magnetic fields!
If we’re going to Pro Tools, remember that I do not guarantee the safety of your data once you have left the studio, unless you arrange specifically for me to act as your archive, for a nominal fee (don’t forget to leave me time at the end of each day for this purpose). I recommend that every artist bring along a USB or Firewire external hard disk for the purpose of making constant backups during the session. And I strongly recommend that this hard disk be used for nothing else! After the session, put that disk somewhere where no one will be tempted to use it for other purposes! Hard disks burn out, just like light bulbs, and you don’t want to lose those data.
It also can’t hurt to bring along a few CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, and covers for them. A typical session burns up several to many of them for a variety of reasons, And it’s cheaper if you bring your own.
IF YOU HAVE SPECIAL TECHNICAL NEEDS, be sure to let me know ahead of time. Will we be recording at high sample rates? Will we be sync-ing to video playback? Will the end product be for film/ video/DVD? Do you need LTC time code? We’ll have to discuss it to make sure that all the formats match.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WILL MIX OR EDIT ELSEWHERE, AND THOSE WHO BRING AUDIO FROM ELSEWHERE HERE: FSS runs PRO TOOLS. If your data are in another format (Logic, Cubase, etc.), or data from here MAY BE be worked on in another format, PLEASE have a clear picture of the challenges involved in this, before we begin working! I will be glad to advise you on the particulars. Also bear in mind that preparation for transferring between formats can take time, which will be billed.
MAKE SURE YOUR EQUIPMENT IS COMPLETE, AND WORKING! There are lots of instruments and amps laying around here for you to use, and I’ll be happy to discuss what you might need. Make sure that I understand exactly what you’ll want from me. But most musicians play best and sound best on their own equipment, assuming that it’s all working properly. Take the time to have your guitar checked out for intonation problems, and get that scratchy tone control fixed! By all means, get new strings! Reed players, bring enough reeds! Etc., etc., etc… There are shops around here where you can get that stuff, but nothing takes the wind out of a session’s sails like wasting valuable time, running around town.
TUNING YOU DRUMS WELL IS EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT AS TUNING YOUR GUITARS WELL!!!
MAKE SURE WE ALL KNOW WHAT TIME THE SESSION STARTS, and do whatever needs to be done to assure that everyone shows up on time and with everything he/ she needs. The drummer should not have to go home to fetch his drum key, forcing the rest of us to wait around for hours.
BRING WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR SUSTENANCE DURING THE SESSION, or even better, BRING A FRIEND who will get it for you. I usually have good coffee and tea on hand, but if you need Diet Coke or Doritos or whatever, think about it before the session. And by the way: PLEASE, PLEASE take your empties with you when you go!