The Studio
10th Planet Recording is a professional, multitrack recording
studio nestled in the hills outside of Fairbanks. We have been
making great recordings for our community since 1992
and are committed to growing with the ever-expanding recording
technology in order to meet the high standards of our extremely
talented clientele. We are recording musicians ourselves, and
so we strive to create a relaxed atmosphere conducive to making
good music.
During our initial consultation with prospective clients, we
will do our best to ascertain whether we can meet their recording
needs, budget considerations and time deadlines. If we don’t
feel we can meet these expectations, we will be honest about the
reasons, and may decline the work. We reserve the right to refuse
service to anyone whose music condones the hatred of any person
or group based on gender, race, religion or sexual orientation.
Scheduling
Studio scheduling is by appointment only and booked sessions
can take place between the hours of noon and midnight every day
except Sunday. Clients will be expected to arrive at the session
no later or earlier than the agreed upon time. If cancellation
occurs within 24 hours of a scheduled session, the client will
be billed for a percentage of the cost of services scheduled.
Rates & Payment
Our current rate is $75 per hour plus hard disc costs (a $20 fee for storage or client's own IDE drive) with a $75 minimum per regular sessions
for both tracking and mixing. We have a $350 minimum for a 5 hour “basic
tracks” sessions which involve set-up for a whole band. This
minimum encourages bands to consolidate the recording of basic
tracks into fewer sessions, and includes an hour of free set-up
time.
Payment by cash or check payable to 10th Planet is due upon completion
of each session unless other arrangements are agreed to by both
parties. Master CDs, DVDs (audio in .wav or other files) and DATs will not be released
to the client until all outstanding bills are paid.
See Estimating the Cost of Your Project
The Recording Process
There are four main parts to making a recording: tracking, mixing,
mastering and manufacturing.
Tracking is the process of recording all the components of the
song (i.e. all instruments and vocals) onto tape or hard disc.
The sound engineer is responsible for the choice of microphones,
recording techniques, etc. to get the best sound possible.
Mixing happens after all of the necessary components of a song
are recorded (tracking), and in most cases, can take more hours
per song than the tracking. This process involves the sound engineer
listening to all the tracks as a whole and then adjusting them
for volume, placement, equalization, etc. as well as making artistic
decisions (along with the artist) about the songs final sound,
arrangement and production. After the project is mixed, it will
be transferred to a data DVD , DAT (digital audio tape, which is CD quality)
or a CD. At this point it is ready to be mastered and/or manufactured.
Mastering
10th Planet Recording is NOT a mastering facility. Mastering
is a highly specialized process requiring a whole different spectrum
of audio equipment and specially trained engineers.If you choose
to have your CD mastered, your mixed project will be sent to a
reputable mastering studio to be optimized for compression and
equalization with the intention of having the finished audio quality
of your CD comparable to a major label CD when played on the radio
or other mediums. Though this step in the recording process is
optional, it is considered standard in the industry and most of
our clients are choosing to have their projects mastered.
Manufacturing
10th Planet Recording is NOT set up for mass production of CD’s.
We are able to “burn” demo CD’s for clients at
any point during the recording and mixing phase for project evaluation.
When mixing is complete, we will provide a “master”
CD or DAT of their finished project. This can then be sent to
a CD manufacturing plant for mass production, or used to make
duplicates with personal CD burners or computers. We have some
brochures and samples from some of the larger CD manufacturing
facilities available at the studio. Some of these companies are
full-service, in-house operations that offer complete packages
that include mastering as well as designing and printing all the
graphics for the CD.
Consultation
When you’re ready for a consultation (or if you have questions not answered here), call 10th Planet Recording at (907)488-8658. |
