As an unsigned band looking to get support from a local indie label, is it too much to ask to record at Elelectric Audio with Steve behind the boards? Maybe someone can clue me in as to what has happened in the past in the studio? At what stage in their development do most groups come to you if they arent financing the recording themselves?

-Ryan

Call him, he answers the phone. There's no prerequisite to recording with him.

Chris

I more mean how does Recording with Steve compare to other studios in chicago as far as indie Labels are concerned? Is having Steve as your engineer not possible at $450 a day to an Indie Label who has just signed a new act? What Labels in Chicago prefer Steve or have bigger pockets?

-Ryan

ryan-

make the record you wanna make - the rest will come in time. if you want steve to make it - call him.

if i understand your question, i don't think any specific label is going to be impressed that you made a record with steve - or anyone else for that matter - *in and of itself* - it just means you have the money to do it and you booked the time. however, if your songs are good and you're a good band, and a label is already interested - then that can certainly be an advantage from a marketing standpoint and from the labels perspective - we've all seen the ads that say "recorded by steve alibini" as a selling point.... but i mean, if steve recorded monkeys making farting noises that wouldn;t necessarily mean touch and go would be interested in putting it out would it- if that's what you're asking....

but, maybe skin graft would....

no, I KID, I KID!!!!!

as far as i know - indie labels in chicago, and everywhere else just want shit done as cheaply as possible. it's a struggle to spend money on this stuff. if you want it, do it out of your own pockets. i've given up on waiting for someone to give me money to do what i want.

i've always been a big believer in doing things as absolutely the best that you possibly can, because if you conduct yourself like a professional - people will treat you like a professional. and, regardless of what happens, if some indie label puts it out, or you put it out yourselves, or noone puts it out.... 50 yrs from now you'll know that you didn't cut corners in what you wanted - and noone can take that experience away from you.

whatever - i'm going to bed.

-nick

Thanks for the insight Nick.

Does anyone know what the typical budget is of a bigger local label looking to put a band in the studio?

-Ryan

Try the rate calculator elsewhere on the EA page. It's pretty user-friendly and it will give you a rough idea of how much money you'll need. However, I would also recommend calling the studio - the people there have been doing this a long time and are well aware of the economics of rock. They're nice, too. Don't be shy - nobody's going to bite your head off on this one.

My band just finished up our record with steve a couple weeks ago. This is the first professional recording we've ever done as a band. We paid for it with our own money. It took us 10 days to put down and mix 13 tracks. I can't say enough good things about working with Steve and his studio.

We have a great product, it sounds just the way we want it to, and we don't owe the label half our lives. We worked hard to make the money to pay for this. As an unsigned band, that is going to impress a prospective label (at least any label i would want to work with) a lot more than asking for money to make a record.

If you want a career in music, you have to do it yourself.
take care and good luck.

I think another thing to think about is this...

Are you planning to record a record for $10,000 (5 days tracking with Steve, two days mixing, plus tape, mastering at SAE or John Golden) and then giving it to a label that is more prone to sell 1000-2000 cds/records in all? If that is the case, you can understand how that is a money loosing proposition and only really really good (read: rich) friends or big (read: rich) fans or poor (read: rich) business sense people would go for it. And we haven't even begun talking about the expense of actually pressing of the CDs or records and accompanying artwork films and computer work and printing, etc.

I have seen many young bands that think all they have to do is be associated with someone known or play on the same stage as a bigger band and everyone will like them. Maybe that does happen but more than not it does not. I think if you think that every record Steve records sells really well, you should do more research. I think every record Steve records (that I have heard anyway) is recorded very very well, even when the band stinks.

Again, I liken it to bands who can not draw 50 people to there own home town shows, yet they spend their time calling the Metro or Vic (big 1000 plus seat venues) to try and hook up shows. You have to be somewhat objective about what you are 'worth' to a club, a bill, a record label. You have to earn it (have people who like you and will pay for your music), you cannot just buy in.

There are a lot of us whose basements are full of brown cardboard boxes filled with records and CDs (and sometimes cassettes...thanks a lot Evergreen!) that have not and probably will not ever sell. I have no regrets (well...maybe the cassettes..) but I have been lucky to come very close on the proper pressing sizes or all the releases I have done due to my necessity of keeping things in control. I don't have any extra to spend.

I think if you are honest with yourself and have an idea of how many you may end up selling according to how much touring you do and time you put into the band, etc you may come up with a better idea of what you SHOULD budget for such a project. I think being honest and working out the numbers backwards is better than having images of Axel Rose in your head and shooting the moon. That happens too much and is now both predictable and boring, not to mention a waste of someone’s money.

All that said, if money is no worries to you or your label and you like the way Steve records music, go for it. You will probably not get a better recorded record anywhere. Just don't do it for your delusions of grandeur. Like with everything else, try to be honest with yourself.

My two cents...

I like your two cents, Mayfair. Well put. Thanks for that post.

Mayfair wrote:and sometimes cassettes...thanks a lot Evergreen!

what evergreen cassettes?! are they for sale?