Cost of setting up recording studio

Cost of setting up recording studio

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Discussion

KB_S1

5,967 posts

230 months

Monday 9th March 2009
quotequote all
If your man in France wants a studio, with engineer and has a good budget then perhaps I could help actually.

Is he near any good wine makers and are the roads around him interesting?

elster

Original Poster:

17,517 posts

211 months

Monday 9th March 2009
quotequote all
GetCarter said:
Most recording studios are going bust. Setting one up from scratch would be financial suicide.

I now pay less than 50% to hire the same studio that I did 10 years ago.

Sorry to be a downer, but there it is.
This would be for a location where the nearest studio is a good 2 hours away and costs a small fortune. The setting up costs would be not really a worry, as in no need to get them back in full. The use of the place to others would be to pay for the running really.

There is a demand for this here, the French just don't seem to stray from what they have been doing since they left school.

elster

Original Poster:

17,517 posts

211 months

Monday 9th March 2009
quotequote all
KB_S1 said:
If your man in France wants a studio, with engineer and has a good budget then perhaps I could help actually.

Is he near any good wine makers and are the roads around him interesting?
The roads around are fantastic, even more so as you never see anyone. Ha ha.

The wine here is very good Saint Mont and Mediran. Also lots of Armagnac, as well Armagnac is not far from here.

GetCarter

29,414 posts

280 months

Tuesday 10th March 2009
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elster said:
This would be for a location where the nearest studio is a good 2 hours away and costs a small fortune. The setting up costs would be not really a worry, as in no need to get them back in full. The use of the place to others would be to pay for the running really.

There is a demand for this here, the French just don't seem to stray from what they have been doing since they left school.
Well then... It really is 'how long is a piece of string'... but if I were in his situation, excluding the building, but INCLUDING accoustic treatment, desk, cabling, mics etc, then a minimum of £100k - up to as much as you like. The studio I worked in for many years spent more than half a million just on the desk.

RedLeicester

6,869 posts

246 months

Tuesday 10th March 2009
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Ooooh stop it Carty, you're not helping. I was being terribly parsimonious with my £30k.... snigger.

chevy-stu

5,392 posts

229 months

Tuesday 10th March 2009
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Why not find one of the number of studios closing down and buy all the gear as a job lot ?

The building work will be a massive cost, I've never build a decent recording room, but loads of rehearsal rooms and they all worked out between £10k and £20k each, just for an (almost) soundproofed box.

pistonlager

710 posts

195 months

Wednesday 11th March 2009
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Get yourself an AkaiDPS on Ebay and a few mics and headphones,
500 quid tops.
Those Akai's sound good and it'll teach you all about recording.
If you get bands wanting to record get some quiet daytime sessions at a rehersal facility, sorry carpeted cell.
Should you get some good stuff down take the .wav files to a Pro Tools studio and get it mixed professionally.
It's far cheaper.

For recording unsigned hobby musicians you'll be lucky to realise £300 a day if you had a proper studio,
It's a very hand to mouth environment now.






GetCarter

29,414 posts

280 months

Wednesday 11th March 2009
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I love that post. Good on him.

So to the OP... £500

smile

pistonlager

710 posts

195 months

Thursday 12th March 2009
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GetCarter said:
I love that post. Good on him.

So to the OP... £500

smile
Is that 'OP' optimistic ?
Fancy an Ebay challange?
1* digital recorder,
2*cans,
2*C1000, 1*sm58, 1*57, 1*D112,
Vocal mic,maybe a Joe Meek,
powered monitors, a couple of mics stands and some leads.
That's plenty to record a jazz combo If you've never recorded.
You could buy an old Allen and Heath desk just for show and a token nod at the past..... Saying that, they're probably free now.




GetCarter

29,414 posts

280 months

Thursday 12th March 2009
quotequote all
Well of course... I mean you could record a jazz combo on a cassette recorder. You don't NEED to spend shed loads... but as for £300 - well I just spent nearly twice that on a single mic. Depends what quality the chap wants, and as has been said 'the setting up costs are not going to be a worry'.

KB_S1

5,967 posts

230 months

Thursday 12th March 2009
quotequote all
I just submitted a request for a hard drive spec and it is likely to be over £700.

Just shows that string really can come in all sorts of length.

I think a far better plan for the OP's friend is to suggest a budget - initial outlay and sustainable - and some indication of what they expect to be able to charge. Then take the amount of work they can expect, cut that in half and perhaps some serious suggestions can be made.
Any more than that and you are into professional consult territory and there are plenty people around who would be willing to take up that work.

Especially if it involves visiting a good wine region.

Oh and don't buy any C1000's. Hammers are far cheaper and do just as good a job of knocking loose nails back into place.

elster

Original Poster:

17,517 posts

211 months

Thursday 12th March 2009
quotequote all
The guy did used to have a recording studio, before he had children. He was just thinking about having a modern one.

Personally I have just started making dance music, so have no knowledge other than what I did at school about recording.

Just thought would ask the masses.

If a studio was going bust, is there a media gossip grape vine to find out? As much as bad things happen to people, can lead to help others.

pistonlager

710 posts

195 months

Thursday 12th March 2009
quotequote all
elster said:
The guy did used to have a recording studio, before he had children. He was just thinking about having a modern one.

Personally I have just started making dance music, so have no knowledge other than what I did at school about recording.

Just thought would ask the masses.

If a studio was going bust, is there a media gossip grape vine to find out? As much as bad things happen to people, can lead to help others.
Ah! If he knows his onions and no set up worries, there's some lovely kit about.
I'd love to see what a TL Audio Valve desk sounds like.
There's also plenty of Studer 24's around too.
Hope he enjoys his shopping spree.

Apart from ebay. There's Funky Junk and Audio Toyshop to shop at.




Edited by pistonlager on Thursday 12th March 09:53