The Studio Pros elves have been busy at work this holiday season.

We wanted to share a Christmas song produced by our team this holiday season, fresh out of the studio.  Every once in a while a songwriter will come along with a NEW Christmas song to switch up the holiday classics while still getting us in a festive mood.  Mister Link’s “Swingin Christmas” is one of those songs that makes me want to plug in my Christmas tree, put on my dancing shoes and sing along.  We finished this song just in time for Christmas!

Listen to “Swingin’ Christmas”, produced by Studio Pros, vocals and songwriting by Mister Link:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Happy Holidays from the Studio Pros Team!

check out more on Mister Link at: http://misterlinkmusic.com/

After years of discussing how we’d love to add a live string section, I’m happy to announce we’ve finally done it!  Introducing Studio Pros’ Live String Section.  Say no more to those mediocre midi string samples and unrealistic orchestral pads.

We have added onto our team a talented string arranger and world class string players to add live violin, viola or cello to your song.  Choose the string section that fits your needs with the number of layers you’re looking for and let the string players work their magic!

Read more about strings or order online:

http://studiopros.com/strings.php

If you need help setting this up, give me a call at: 1-310-928-7776.

How to avoid the pitfalls of your previous studio experiences—and vastly improve your chances to get your song published with major A&R representatives.

Stephen McElligott reminisces about a recording he made of one of his songs in a local studio. “I wasn’t happy with that production, really,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘Oh gosh, how am I gonna save this?’ I basically turned around and found Studio Pros and thought, ‘Brilliant, they’re my savior.’”

McElligott has been playing music since he was seven years old. He wrote his first song at 16 and soon began playing in clubs and venues around Ireland and Scotland. His music is influenced by music that spans many decades, from The Beatles to Glen Hansard. But after years of writing and performing, McElligott still hadn’t achieved a major goal: recording a professional sounding, radio-quality version of his songs. “I’ve worked with musicians before, and it’s like wearing a blindfold when you take them into the studio because you’ve gotta pay them, and you don’t know how good they are, you haven’t really heard their stuff,” he explains.

Recording A Song Professionally Without Breaking The Bank

The Irish guitarist/singer/songwriter had been in need of a polished, professional recording solution that wouldn’t break the bank. Plus, he was hoping to have better luck submitting his music to TAXI to get song placements and licensing opportunities. He stumbled upon Studio Pros while searching online for recording studios and decided to learn more. “I clicked on it and thought, this is cool, and it’s affordable,” he says. “I had a listen to some samples and thought it was brilliant. I really needed this with the budget I’m on. I would spend 250 Euros on a musician for a day in the studio, whereas Studio Pros is only $125. I thought it was fantastic—it’s not often that you get to work with really good professional musicians, you know?”

Listen to Stephen’s track “She Blew Me Away,” produced by Studio Pros:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“With Studio Pros, they give you a listen to the musicians’ capabilities, what they’re able to do, and the versatility that the musicians there have. And that really was the winner for me. It was the overall sound even more than the price.” Read the rest of this entry »

Thinking his music career was over, Arizona-based artist Tony Perre used Studio Pros to get back in the game.

“My experience with Studio Pros has allowed me to dream a little bit more about what I can actually accomplish as a musician,” says Tony Perre. “Studio Pros has allowed me to take all of my musical ideas and songs and get them out there. To me, having a very simple process with great musicians who basically do exactly as I ask them to do, with their quality of musicianship, it’s just such a winning formula to me that I can actually dream again from a musical standpoint.”

Perre had all but given up on music after a wakeboarding accident left him with limited mobility in his left arm, effectively minimizing his ability to play guitar. But after adjusting his playing style by relying on the use of a capo, he got the chance to play live music again with some friends in a local band. Knowing he could play again—and realizing he still had good ideas for songs and lyrics—Perre credits Studio Pros with providing the tools he needed to get back to making the music he loved so much. “I found out really quickly how badly I missed playing out, and I found out I could still play,” he explains. “If I could sum everything up in one sentence, it would be that there’s no expiration date for musical and lyrical inspiration.”

Studio Pros first came into the picture when Perre took the advice of a friend who knew he was looking to record an album. “He recommended that I check out the Studio Pros online method of getting my record produced,” he remembers. “When I went on the website and I saw all that Studio Pros had to offer, I was absolutely blown away. I thought I’d give it a try with one of my nine songs, and I quickly realized during my first song that this is no joke, this is world class.”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Perre soon realized that Studio Pros was the best possible route to take for his music. “I honestly felt that, as a business guy, I don’t have a heck of a lot of time to do what I used to do: cross my fingers and hope that all my band members would have some time to spend in the studio. It was just a really long, very difficult process to get everyone together at one time.” He began comparing his Studio Pros experience to past attempts in recording studios and the choice became clear. “I checked out some local studios here in [Arizona] and it just became very apparent that, because I work a day job, it would be impossible to get something together in a short period of time with the quality of musicians that Studio Pros has.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Using Studio Pros to breathe new life into some old songs, English Earl successfully proved to himself that he had what it takes to make great music.

English Earl suspected he had some good songs on his hands, but he knew his productions just weren’t going to cut it against the high-quality recordings of today’s music industry. “I kind of wanted to resurrect my old pop songs and write a few new ones, I thought it would be a great opportunity to prove to myself that some of my pop music wasn’t so bad,” Earl says with a laugh. This “resurrection” refers to the fact that he has been writing pop music since he was a 15-year-old in a garage band, but formally Earl was classically trained on piano and violin. After getting degrees in music theory and composition from the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City, he had established his classical chops. But Earl wanted to see how his pop and rock writing had evolved.

In order to really see what he could do, Earl knew he had to graduate from his local Charleston, South Carolina music scene; he needed to hire some real professionals. In the process of working with Studio Pros, he realized that their world-class session musicians weren’t just good for laying down polished sounding tracks… They could also give him valuable input and musical insight to improve the production of his songs.

“I think the main reason I chose Studio Pros was because I knew they had some very good musicians and vocalists there,” Earl explains. “I knew that the people I’ve worked with before in the studio who were just local musicians, they were there to make a living but were not really there to put too much into a song or its production. I felt that the quality of the studio musicians at Studio Pros might be higher.”

Logistics also played a part in Earl’s decision. Most of the musicians he knew were in Virginia (where he used to live), making the price of recording a little too steep. “Living in Charleston made it impossible for me to go back and forth to record there, so I would have to drop all those musicians and start all over again, anyway,” he says. “And my schedule’s so busy, I couldn’t go in and teach everyone a song. Instead I could start recording with Studio Pros and not actually have to be in a studio.” Earl calculated the costs of recording an album the traditional way and decided Studio Pros was the way to go. “It was way too expensive for me to continue [the old way]. By the time you pay for studio costs, the musicians, the time you spent traveling, the CDs themselves and the artwork and everything, I felt like I was spending a lot more money than I needed to.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Richard Davia is a singer-songwriter and recording artist based in Providence, Rhode Island. His melodic, well-crafted soft-rock tunes reflect a career spanning more than 20 years as a professional musician. Richard recently had his latest song, “Breaking Up Around Me”, produced at Studio Pros.

Like many singer-songwriters, Davia began at an early age with piano lessons. “I’ve been into music as long as I can remember. I took trumpet and piano lessons as a kid. When I was 10 years old, I took guitar lessons and started a band with two friends shortly after that.”

Growing up, Davia’s household was filled with the music of Simon & Garfunkel, the Mama’s and the Papas and the Supremes. These early influences and constant radio listening inspired the young musician to start a large top 40 record collection. “In high school, I got into artists like the B52′s, Gary Numan, and the Cars. Then I became obsessed with the Rolling Stones. I learned every Keith Richards riff I could get my hands on. That’s when I stared to really understand what rock songwriting was all about. Shortly after that, I got into artists with a harder rock edge, alternative and grunge.”

Davia was writing songs before he was old enough to get into clubs, and started in playing local rock cover bands around the same time. But early on he realized he was much more interested in playing and writing original music. “Working with other musicians to make original music and building a following seemed much more genuine to me as an artist. Music was integrated into my life from the start – from my personal practice time to band rehearsals, shows, recording and then teaching. I grew up a full-out music geek and loved every minute of it.”

Richard’s Studio Pros Experience

Check Out Richard Davia’s New Song “Breaking Up Around Me” produced by Studio Pros

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Davia found Studio Pros online while looking for a studio to remix and master some of his music and was impressed with their capabilities. “I spoke with Kati, a producer over the phone and learned more about all the great things they had to offer – great musicians, live drums, and strong mixing/mastering expertise. They seemed to be a great fit for a singer-songwriter like me, so I decided to start fresh and record a new song with Studio Pros.”

The result was “Breaking Up Around Me”. At the time people close to Davia were experiencing lots of simultaneous emotional turmoil – life partners, marriages, and serious relationships all seemed to be collapsing all around him. “This all happened around the same time, so it was very much in my face and very raw.”

“Through it all I witnessed the inner struggles that people go through with matters of the heart, and I could relate to those feelings. I became inspired by the strength people have to move forward through adversity and ultimately grow stronger…to break through. The idea of finding courage comes through in the lyric …do you dare to do it over again? That sums it up for me – you’ve got to keep moving on in life.”

Davia recorded a rough cut of “Breaking Up Around Me” in his living room on an acoustic guitar. Once he had something he was happy with, he set up his profile on the Studio Pros web site and uploaded the song along with its lyrics and some reference tracks for overall musical direction.

Davia then worked closely with Kati and the Studio Pros production team to lay out an overall vision of the song before initiating the project. After a few back and forth phone conversations they were off and running.

“Within a couple of days, I received my first sketch track back from Studio Pros to review for structure, tempo, etc. It was a great foundation to build upon and pretty much spot on. From there, layers of instrument tracks were recorded – bass, live drums, guitars, and keyboards. I have to say, it was a blast – every time I received an email notification that a track was ready for my review, it was like getting a present in the mail!”

During the process Davia had multiple opportunities to give feedback to the production team. Once he was happy with all the instrumentation, he received a rough mix to take into a local studio where he recorded  lead and harmony vocals. “The sound engineers at my local studio were impressed with the quality of the Studio Pros tracks. Once I was happy with the vocal tracks, I simply uploaded them back to Studio Pros, and they started working on the final mix and master. It was pretty smooth every step of the way.  I was really happy with the quality of the recording. It exceeded my expectations. I especially liked the mastering quality. That extra “umph” in the final mix was just what the song called for.”

Davia plans to use Studio Pros again for recording his new music and remixing and mastering some past recordings he’s done. He’s even considering a possible EP or album package. “Studio Pros is really a unique studio. I’m not aware of any other that gives you access to musicians in such a wide variety of musical styles, work with you to create your sound, and deliver it all as quickly as they do. This allows me to focus on what I love to do – songwriting and performing.”

To submit your material for a Free Project Consultation with Producer Kati O’Toole, follow this link:
http://studiopros.com/free-consultation-form.php

If you have any questions or would like to speak with a StudioPros producer, contact Kati at: 1-310-928-7776 US or +44 (0)20 8196 2429 UK.

Studio Pros Teams Up With ProActionMedia!

ProActionMedia based in Phoenix, Arizona are now offering Studio Pros’ customers a 5% discount for all of their duplication and replication service. Like Studio Pros, these guys have a FAST turn around time and a 100% Customer Satisfaction policy.

Price Match Guarantee

ProActionMedia will match any competitor’s price on duplication and replication services. So you can relax and focus on making your project the best it can be. (click here for more info)

For more information and ordering, contact Tara Kanavy at 1-877-593-4261, or contact them by email.

Be sure to mention Studio Pros’ to get your exclusive 5% discount!

Native Californian and singer-songwriter Gary Henson’s music brings together a melting pot of varied rhythms and authentic experiences. Raised in L.A., Gary now lives in the foothills of the Sierras in Northern California, about 45 minutes northeast of Sacramento. A busy keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist, we recently caught up with him to talk about producing his latest song “Me And You” at Studio Pros.

Check out Gary’s Song “Me And You”:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Gary’s musical influences stem primarily from his father. “My dad was very influential on me growing up and is probably responsible for my musical influences today. He was always blasting The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, etc. He had an affinity for the great 60′s groups and had amassed quite an impressive record collection from which to draw and share. I believe that the constant cascade of these sing-along melodies and driving guitar licks planted seeds of inspiration in me that came to bloom after high school.”

Gary’s songwriting process usually begins with a tape recorder running and him playing either a piano or guitar. From there he plays with various chord structures and captures whatever melody and lyrics emerge with unconscious disregard for whatever finds its way to tape.  After a writing session he likes to play back what he’s done and take note of all the parts that he likes–chords, melody, verse, etc., and refine it from there.

“Me and You” is a great example of that process. “This song was an unconscious outpouring of melody and verse that began on piano with the tape recorder running,” he said.

Gary completed his first album at a Los Angeles recording studio with session musicians, so he understands the value, technical chops and creativity that they can bring to a song. While Gary knew that his next project would require the same process, he didn’t have the time or resources to make another trip to L.A. to line everything up. And that’s when he decided to try Studio Pros.

“I found Studio Pros on the internet, checked them out, and decided to give the team there a shot. I was very pleased with the results and have been using them ever since. I like their quick turnaround and the parts that they come up with. I also like the fact that I can ask Kati (StudioPros Head of Production) for production ideas/opinions when I’m not exactly clear on direction.”

Working remotely with the Studio Pros team, Gary had just enough interaction to get the results he was looking for while giving the team the space to make the artistic decisions necessary to enhance the song. “When all was said and done, I think I suggested four or five modifications–not many when you consider all the parts that were played.”

“Studio Pros is the ideal outfit to help a singer-songwriter like me–with lots of songs/ideas and little time–bring his passion to life in a professional way with minimal disruption to my schedule. It’s also a great place to add that drum track, or guitar solo that might not be possible otherwise. I’ll definitely be using them again.”

Upload YOUR Song To Studio Pros’ Free Consultation Page, or call 1-310-928-7776 to get a project started today!

Find out more about Gary Henson at www.garyhensonmusic.com

We’ve had a lot of requests for a female country vocalist and now we’re happy to announce, we’ve got one!  Meet Tara.

She is a youthful and versatile vocalist that can record beautiful vocals for country recordings, pop, ballads or adult contemporary.  I’ve only gotten positive feedback on the tracks that Tara has sung on.

Click below to listen to Tara’s vocal sample:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

You can order Tara’s vocals online here :
http://studiopros.com/vocalist.php

Call StudioPros’ Head of Production, Kati O’Toole to set up an order today at: 1-310-928-7776 (US) or +44 (0)20 8196 2429 (UK)

Almost every modern recording studio uses digital audio recording techniques for tracking their projects as opposed to analog audio tracking (digital recording became the norm in the early 80′s). In digital audio,  the sound is being sampled X amount of times in a second. That’s where we get the term: sample rate. The sample rate can be anywhere from 8KHz (Kilohertz – 8,000 times per second) up to 192KHz. The bit depth determines the number of decimals in the sample which determines the accuracy of the sampling. The Bit Rate can be 8, 16, 24 bit. (for example, 8 bits will result a sample with only 8 decimal numbers)

Audio CD Quality

All  Audio CD‘s are formated at 44.1KHz, 16bit.

Q: “If my final song is going to be in 44.1KHz, 16bit, why should it be recorded at a higher sample rate and bit resolution?”

A: Changing the sample rate from a high sample rate to a lower sample rate (for example: 96KHz to 44.1KHz) can slightly modify your final recording. That process is called:  “dithering”, and is part of the mastering process. Research has shown that recording your audio at a higher sample rate (such as 48KHz or 96KHz) and then dithering it back to 44.1KHz doesn’t improve the sound of the recording and even cause slight distortion. We highly recommend recording your songs at 44.1KHz.

Q: When should I record at 48KHz 96KHz or 192KHz?

A: 48KHz sample rate is the default sample rate for TV and film tracks. The 96KHz and 192KHz is mostly used for Blue Ray DVDs.  Since your audio is being processed digitally in the computer, even the slight volume change will result in a mathematical formula with a lot of decimal numbers. We always recommend recording your song in the highest bit rate possible – 24bit.

The default sample rate and bit resolution for Studio Pros custom studio tracks and productions is 44.1KHz, 24bit. Recording at this rate will ensure your song will be recorded at the highest quality possible.