Studio SQ
FAQ
Thank you for your interest in Studio SQ! We love supporting the SF bay area music scene and look forward to working with you.
Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding our terms and policies. It is not our intent that they overshadow your creative experience. Rather, they are designed to provide you with some guidelines on how to prepare for your session.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions!
- John Flores (owner)
What are your rates?
We charge $500 per day or $60 per hour for sessions that require a house engineer. We also charge $400 per day or $50 per hour for clients who are bringing in their own engineer (assistant engineer provided).
Please see our local resources page for information on session engineers.
How Long is a day session?
10 hours including setup and breakdown.
Do you require a deposit?
Yes we do. We choose to be a one-room studio so that we can focus 100% of our energy on you while you are in our facility. Because of this, we often have a waiting list for time and cannot book out more than one client on any given day. We therefore ask all clients to read the following session guidelines that have been created to ensure that both SQ and you are committed to your session:
- We require a non-refundable deposit of $100 per booked day. The remaining payment can be made on the day of your session.
- We accept check, cash, or credit card for all deposits and session payments.
- Credit card payments can be made in person or on the phone.
- We ask that you give us AT LEAST 24 hours notice if you need to cancel your session, so that we can fill in the time with any clients that may be waiting for a day. Please understand that if you give us less than 24 hours notice of a session cancellation, you will be responsible for the full rate of the day (including the non-refundable deposit).
Who can I call to book a session or schedule a walkthrough?
You can call or email Alex Lee (studio manager) at 831.521.4077 | alee@studiosq.com. You can also contact John Flores (owner) directly at 213.446.6034 | john@studiosq.com.
Do you have a tape machine?
Yes! We have a Studer A827 2" (24 tack) machine, an Otari MX5050 1/2" (8 track) machine, and a Otari MTR12 1/4" (2 track) machine.
What do I need to know when working with tape?
When bringing in reels recorded at other studios please make sure they contain alignment tones so that we can calibrate our machines accordingly (30 seconds per the following tones at 0dbu - 1kHz, 10kHz, 15kHz, and 100Hz). We also ask that you note the name of the artist, release, song titles, tape speed (IPS), record level for 0dBu in mw/M, etc.
You should come to your session with reels in hand. Even though we often do have extra tape lying around for purchase, you shoud call ahead and make sure we have the format you want to work with.
Also, please take into consideration that current tape manufacturers sometimes put out bad batches of tape. Most are perfectly fine, however you should be aware that tape shedding (and other problems) may occur and that they can hinder the quality of your recording. Therefore we recommend that you have extra backup reels handy in case you should encounter any of these problems.
Note: Bad tape is usually noticeable relatively quickly. If this occurs during your session, you can either use one of your backup reels or record digitally to Pro Tools.
Know your vendor! Always purchase tape from a reliable vendor who will refund any bad reels you have purchased from them.
We also express caution when buying used reels. If we notice
that your old tape is shedding or gooping up our machine may have to stop
the session. If possible purchased used reels should be "one pass".
Do you run Pro Tools or Logic
Both, although we prefer Pro Tools. Currently we are running ProTools 9 (HD) and Logic 8.
What else do I need to know about digital recording?
Please make sure to bring in your own external hard drive or storage device. As we work with many artists tend to eat up storage space quickly. We thereforea ask that you take home your sessions and never assume that we will archive your data (we clear our drives regularily).
Studio SQ will not be held responsible for any lost data that can occur when working digitally. Hard drives are known to crash and therefore we highly recommend you back up your sessions on on multiple devices (it is your record after all).
What should I bring to a session?
Pics, Strings, Instruments, Drum Sticks, Drum Heads, Drum Mutes and/or Gels (sticky hands work).
If you think you might need any instruments from our gear list please make sure to request them in advance (this includes guitars, guitar amps, synths, etc.). Our equipment goes through routine maintenance and giving us a heads-up will help us make that piece available for your session.
Do you have a piano?
Yes - a 1970's era Wurlitzer baby grand. Our piano has been extremely well cared for and has a great warm feel. Even though we do service and tune her regularily, we ask that you call us ahead and let us know if your session will require a tuning. We also invite you to check out the piano a few days before your session to make sure you are happy with the sound.
