We've put together a number of thoughts based on frequently asked questions from prospective artists and producers.

SCOPE:
Take time to decide exactly what you have in mind and what you want to spend for your recording. The scope of your project will most likely be based on purpose and budget. What do you hope to use the recordings for? For gifts for family and friends? To sell directly online and/or at gigs? Song demos so established artists can decide if they want to record your song(s)? To attract label attention/recording contract? Are you looking to sell the songs or the artist/band?

NUMBER OF SONGS:
Choosing the best from your catalog of songs can yield an excellent one-to-six song demo. If you don't have enough songs to record an entire CD, a number of solid original songs plus some well-chosen covers can give you a full-length finished product.

MUSCIANS:
The most important thing is for the musicians involved to be as prepared as possible. If they're pros they might not need much, if any, practice. If they're not, a healthy rehearsal schedule for 3 or 4 weeks or more prior to the sessions may be in order. When your musicians are thoroughly prepared it will make the recording process relatively simple and easy. It will definitely be more fun for all involved. It also makes the mixing process move faster and more smoothly when the tracks have been played well and don't have to be "fixed in the mix". Sobriety on everyone's part at rehearsals and sessions will also enhance the product immeasurably.

METRONOME:
Practicing to a metronome is probably the single most effective thing you can do to make your recording as good as it can be. Not only will it improve your meter but also it will allow recording to a click track which can allow many options later in the recording/mixing process. It may feel "mechanical" at first but as you get used to it that natural feel returns. And if you plan to use a drummer, picking one who practices to a metronome and is comfortable playing to a click track will enable you to add the drums at any time during the recording process and also to add MIDI instruments with ease. If you've got a drummer who doesn't practice to a metronome, let him/her know how important this can be to his/her musical growth. It's guaranteed you'll feel and hear your music becoming tighter and more professional sounding.

TRACKING:
You have a number of choices here: to go "live", overdub everything one track at a time or do a combination of the two. We can record up to 24 digital audio and two midi tracks simultaneously.

EXTRA PEOPLE:
Spouses/significant others/friends/parents should not be present at recording or mixing sessions, although the final decision is up to you. It may seem like a good idea to have someone there for support but realistically, they tend to be a distraction at a time when your focus is of the utmost importance.

DEMOS:
Song demos for other artists don't need intricate arrangements and big production. They can be as simple as guitar and voice. Basically you're showcasing the song rather than a band or yourself. But then there is how perfectionistic you want to be. A demo can be recorded in a few hours or over many weeks/months (e.g., we recently finished an artist demo that cost the artist over $4,000 due to the producer's insistence on tight performances with rock-solid tempos and other high production values). We've also recorded demos for under $200.

CDs:
A CD will generally require more hours than a demo simply because it will entail more songs and the artist usually wants it to sound more "finished" than a demo would. However, CDs can be and have been made relatively inexpensively by being thoroughly prepared and remaining focused on budget. Again, this depends on how much production you want and how perfectionistic you are. We did a full-length acoustic guitar and voice CD last year for an artist for under $800. He was totally prepared (first and sometimes second take performances) and committed to keeping the price at a certain amount. The final cost really comes down to how good/polished you want it to sound combined with how prepared and focused you are.

INSTRUMENTS:
We have an array of vintage and new amplifiers, basses and guitars, as well as a 1965 Ludwig "Ringo" kit which you and your musicians are welcome to use free of charge during the recording process.

RATES:
BobDog Studios rates are $60/hour for recording and mixing and $80/hour for mastering. A demo project wouldn't need mastering and many people prefer to do mastering at a studio other than where their CD was recorded so as to take advantage of fresh ears. A number of clients have brought their home recordings to us to be mixed and mastered.

SCHEDULING:
Some artists want to and can afford to block out days or weeks in advance. Others schedule as they go, and as cash flow allows. We've done a number of projects where the artist calls every few weeks (or sometimes months) and books a block of hours.

SONG FILES:
Since we are a digital audio recording studio, your songs are kept in files and file folders. When we know in advance the names of the songs and the instrumentation planned for each song we can set up the files before you arrive, saving valuable session time, and we don't charge for advance file setup time.

The bottom line is the more prepared you are, the faster every aspect of your project will go. This directly affects the cost of your daily sessions, the overall cost and the sound of the finished product."