Studio SQ
Rates and Terms
Thank you for your interest in Studio SQ! We love supporting the SF music scene and look forward to working with you.
Below is a list of our general 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 and to make sure that we cover some of our basic costs of operation.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions and concerns!
John Flores Jeremy Rosenblum Owners, Studio SQ john@studiosq.com | jeremyro@hotmail.com
Rates
We currently charge $500 per 10-hour day (with engineer) or $60 per hour (with engineer). If booking hourly, we require you schedule a session with a minimum of 4 hours in length (however exceptions can be made if discussed in advance). We also provide a day rate of $350 a day for sessions that do not require an engineer (assistant will be provided).
We also require a $100/day deposit for all booked sessions. If you do not cancel at least one week prior to your scheduled session, the deposit will be forfeited. In addition, if you cancel within 24 hours of your scheduled session, you will be billed a full day’s rate.
Booking & Session Info
Scheduling
Call John Flores at 213.446.6034 to book your recording session. Scheduling is dependent upon availability of studio time. We recommend you book your sessions early to ensure your time is available.
All sessions (hourly and daily) include setup time. This time differs for every artist and depends upon a number of factors including the number of instruments to be recorded, the quality of sound you are seeking, etc. This should be taken into consideration when planning for your recording session.
Studio SQ can provide some general feedback on how this time can be used. We always encourage an open dialog and are willing to discuss topics such as the importance of proper set up, how quality is directly related to time and effort spent, what is involved in a session, how and when it is appropriate to edit or re-track, etc.
However, we must point out there are always unforeseen factors that can affect the amount of time required to complete a given project. It is simply a reality that some artists take longer than others to record, mix, and/or master. It should be understood that we never guarantee what will be accomplished in any session and we will not be held responsible for unrealistic timelines.
Analog Tape
Analog Tape
Studio SQ supports 2” (24 track), ½” (8 track), and ¼” (2 track) tape formats. If you decide to record to tape you are required to bring in your own reel(s). You should never assume Studio SQ will have tape available at the time of your session.
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 (i.e., ProTools) as an alternative.
Also, you should always purchase your tape from a reliable vendor who will refund any bad reels you have purchased from them (check out the “resource” page on our website for a few good choices).
In addition, we express caution when buying used reels. If we notice
that your old tape is shedding or gooping up our machine we will stop
the tape session. We highly recommend that used reels be "one pass"
that is less than 10 years old.
When bringing us a reel pre-recorded at another studio (for mixing or
mastering) please make sure it contains alignment tones so we can
calibrate our machines accordingly. We also ask that you note the IPS
(inches per second) of the recording.
Digital
Digital
Studio SQ uses both ProTools HD and Logic Pro 8 digital recording platforms. Our engineers are familiar with both, however we recommend using ProTools as we have found its audio engine to be far superior to that of Logic’s (sorry Logic fans – it’s just our opinion).
When working digitally, please make sure to bring in your own external hard drive or other form of digital storage device. As we work with many artists, we simply cannot store every session we work on. Please make sure you take home your sessions and never assume that we will archive your data (we wipe our drives randomly).
Studio SQ shall 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 content regularly and on multiple devices (it is your record after all).
Preparing for Your Session
Preparing for your Session
Below is a list of items we recommend you bring to your session. They are not required, however not having them can bring your session to a halt (there is nothing worse than having to drive to Guitar Center during rush hour to get an extra set of strings):
- Pics, Strings, Instrument and/or Speaker Cables, 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.
Piano Tuning
Our baby grand gets used quite a bit. Even though it gets serviced regularly, we can’t guarantee that its tuning has not slipped. Therefore, we suggest that you schedule a tuning if piano is a significant part of your recording (this will cost you around $100-$140 (we can provide a reliable tuner). We also invite you to check out the piano a few days before your session to make sure you are happy with the sound.
Use of Content
Studio SQ reserves the right to use any recorded content as promotional material only. We do not reserve the right to sell your content without your express permission.
