StudioPros

Making Music Across Continents With Studio Pros.

Collaborating with Studio Pros mixing and mastering engineer all the way from Nigeria, Silver Saddih proves you don’t have to be in the same country, even continent to make music together.  I was blown away the  first time I heard Silver’s vocals when listening to the mix preview of “I Be Boss”.   I shared it immediately with my Studio Pros co-producer Keeley Bumford.  We both were dancing in our seats listening to this track.

Silver hails from Kaduna state, Nigeria (West Africa) and currently lives in Lagos and Abuja.  His crystal clear R&B vocal tone has undertones of his native African roots which really makes his sound unique.  You can hear his world influences coming through in his vocal performances, combined with contemporary pop and R&B/hip hop influences.  It amazes me how we can collaborate with talent like this instantly between Los Angeles and Nigeria – thanks to the internet.

Silver talks about his life as an artist in Nigeria and what inspires him, “Well, life itself unfolding is an inspiration. I view music as being able to perceive and interpret everyday experiences. For me, it’s ultimately about expression.  Nigeria is a very vibrant country. And this energy reflects in every aspect of it’s social life. It’s in my beats, my melodies and lyrics. The average Nigerian is a happy person and knows how to have a good time. This has influenced the overall feel of my production as well as the instrumentation; with traditional percussion fused into my ‘Afro-pop’ jams.”

Listen to Silver’s final mix and master done by Studio Pros:

Finding The Right Fit For Your Post Production Needs:

Silver had produced his songs in Nigeria with local musicians and producers.  He was looking for the contemporary sound of American producers and engineers for his final mixing and mastering.  When looking into solutions for the perfect fit for the final touches, Silver chose Studio Pros.  “My music partner had explored the Internet for professional music services that are efficient and affordable.  He discovered a number of prospects but thought Studio Pros was offering something worth a try.  We approached the collaboration with Studio Pros as an experiment. We sampled a number of songs and profiles on the website and wondered how the kind of music we were producing would be interpreted by these professionals.   Studio Pros provides professional music services that are worth every cent. The mixing and mastering of ‘I Be Boss’ was the first job and we were very impressed by the overall quality of the service – it got accepted without a single correction.”

How It Works:

Silver and his music partners were able to order the mix online with Studio Pros’ convenient online mix order form.  They selected the style, services needed and were able to specify specific mix notes directly to our Grammy Nominated engineer.  After the order was placed, they were able to upload their final wav files of their project directly to their order through the Studio Pros’ server and they are instantly transferred to our engineer in the amount of time it takes the upload to complete.  Forget snail mail!  Within 72 hours, our engineer had a final mix/master and tuned preview for Silver awaiting him in his account.

Silver has continued with two more additional projects from his album and we are helping him get his songs Broadcast Quality for promotional purposes and radio airplay.  So I asked him, what’s next? – “We are currently working on a promotional album of these tracks. The target is to create beautiful music that can be enjoyed just about anywhere in the world.  As an artist, I would like to share my gift with as many people as possible. I would equally like to perform for as long as possible growing through every stage of the journey.”  You may wonder the same thing I do, WHAT IS THE RECORDING INDUSTRY LIKE IN NIGERIA? Silver states, “The Music Industry in Nigeria has come a long way. Time and again, a good number of artists have and continue to make their mark across Africa and indeed the world. The Industry is sophisticated with a lot of talent, some of the best recording studios in Africa and very good prospects for commercial success. In the last five years, there have been several collaborations between Nigerian Artists and popular acts across the pacific: the likes of Rick Ross, Kanye West and Snoop Dogg.”

I can only say good things about Silver and his voice.  While I’ll keep the other two tracks a secret for now, I will tell you one thing, THIS GUY IS GOOD!  I am looking forward to continuing a long term working relationship with Silver as an artist as we continue to help him with the final touches on his album.

If you have a project you’d like to collaborate on, contact me, Kati O’Toole at: 1-310-928-7776 or order online: http://studiopros.com/mixing.php

With a little Studio Pros magic, Robert Norris is making music fun again.

Robert Norris had all but given up on music by his early thirties.  ”Music just wasn’t fun anymore,” he remembers. “I basically ran out of steam and decided to get on with my life.”

Norris had been a musician since he was a kid, when he took drum lessons and started his first garage band in junior high. As time went on, he began learning music theory, became a lead singer, and even got to sample the rock star lifestyle in the beach town of Marshfield, Massachusetts. “The summer we graduated, 1975, the drinking age was 18,” he says. “We were playing in bars that we were barely old enough to be in. Lots of fun, great experience, and a taste of the life.”

After a brief stint at UMass Amherst as a vocal music education major, Norris sang in several bands around the Boston area and began writing original music. After a band breakup, he took to the studio to record a cassette tape of original songs called Nobody’s Dream Come True. But despite getting some local airplay and seeing some interest in his songs, Norris felt like he had hit a wall; music was set aside and life went on.

But as most musicians can attest to, the music bug doesn’t easily go away; years later, Norris wanted to start singing again. But having been removed from the scene and all his old musician contacts for so long, he needed to hire session players for his recordings. “I contacted a studio locally,” he says. “Having no other viable options, I scheduled a four-hour session to start my first song. He charged me from the minute I walked in till the minute I left with no allowance for the three breaks the musicians took. And to make matters worse, I didn’t really like what we had recorded.”

(more…)

With the help of Studio Pros, James Robinson made recordings on the road and expanded his production company’s clientele.

James Robinson is one of the lead writers and producers of APT6 Entertainment, a music production team (also including Dwayne and Dwight Madison and Greg Edwards) based out of Los Angeles, CA.  As self proclaimed “R&B heads,” the team is heavily influenced by such classic R&B greats as Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and The Underdogs, as well as modern acts like Neyo, The Dream and Trey Songz.

“R&B is just our thing,” Robinson says.  “APT6 was birthed in the church/gospel music scene, so it’s only natural.”

Robinson joined APT6 in 2007, two years after it was formed.  Though originally brought on as a hip-hop artist, he was eventually made a co-owner.  Between Robinson, Edwards and the Madison Brothers, APT6 covered the composing/songwriting and keyboard playing side of things.  Studio Pros helped them have everything they need to be a full-service production team.

“Studio Pros is amazingly simple,” says Robinson.  “I can’t stress that enough.  We uploaded our WAV files, then we were prompted to leave notes and examples of what we were looking for. Within 48 hours we had our first sample! The engineer was almost dead on AND open to making adjustments.”

He soon learned to love the rapid turnaround time that Studio Pros offered.  “When we asked for adjustments on bass levels and reverb, we were shocked at how fast the turn around time was–I believe it was within a few hours,” he remembers.  “That was when I became a huge believer in the quality and customer service of Studio Pros.”

But the real kicker for Robinson was that he and APT6 did everything while they were on the road.  “We were going back and forth between in-home setups and handling a lot of business,” he explains.  Being in one place was close to impossible.”  And what did he think of what Studio Pros did with his simple recordings?  “The results were amazing.” (more…)

Roger Miller, like many musicians, is a bit of a perfectionist. Luckily, Studio Pros is full of perfectionists as well.

At the beginning of summer 2009, Roger Miller acquired the funding he needed to record a full-length album of his Christian alternative acoustic music. In order to get a professional sounding product, Miller decided he would head to Nashville, TN, rent out a recording studio, hire session musicians, and put together an album that could hold its own against any major label production. But during his online search for recording studios, he came across a more convenient option that caught his attention: Studio Pros.

Unsure of whether or not Studio Pros could really deliver the top quality product he was looking for, Miller sent in just one song to test the waters. The final product convinced him to continue on with his entire album. “The final album and the songs, they exceeded my expectations quality-wise,” Miller says.

Miller sang, played guitar and even some cello on his songs, but one of his favorite parts of the process was working with the professional studio musicians that Studio Pros provided. Through this recording process, Miller had access to some of the best musicians in LA playing on his songs, while still involving him in the production of his album. “Going into it, I had pretty high standards,” Miller says. But he was impressed with the caliber of playing he received. “The drum tracks were incredible. They were a lot better than I thought they were going to be. The backing vocals were stellar.” Miller used a strategy that combined using his own very specific musical ideas in conjunction with letting the musicians improvise and do their own thing when the songs called for it.

(more…)

Looking to take his recordings to the next level of professional quality, Tommy Owen teamed up with Studio Pros to make his music radio-ready.

“I felt like I was working with a group of super-talented friends that I had known forever.”

Tommy Owen didn’t have a plan for his music; it was simply a hobby for the San Marcos, Texas native.  But working with Studio Pros has a way of opening doors for artists; after putting his songs on MySpace and Facebook, Owen couldn’t help but pay attention to the response he got.  “I must have gotten about 50 emails the day I put it up on MySpace,” he says.  “Half of the feedback is about the quality of the recording!”

Owen, who runs his own graphic design company, has been playing music since he was a teenager.  He soon decided that producing his own music was a lot more fun than playing someone else’s songs in a band, so he bought a 4-track and started recording.  For years, Owen never felt the quality was up to par, but after teaming up with Studio Pros he found himself suddenly being contacted by radio stations asking him for a physical CD (a friend passed on Owen’s music to a radio connection).  He attributes his newfound success to the professional product he was able to make with the help of Studio Pros.

(more…)

20 years ago she thought making music might be fun. Now with the help of Studio Pros, Barb Bechler has accomplished what she never thought possible.

UPDATE: Barb has created dance/hip hop tracks from a capella demo versions to professional final products with the help of Studio Pros.  Three of these tracks have been added below.  She has also won two more songwriting awards in the Song of the Year competition for her tracks “Come on Out and Dance” and “Wishers” since this feature was written.

Barb Bechler’s path to becoming a musician is not your typical story. In fact, her creative use of Studio Pros’ services makes for one of the most unique musical journeys you’re bound to hear. While she’s been a fan and admirer of music for most of her life, Bechler never was a musician herself–until she began learning, experimenting, and expanding her musical boundaries with the help of the world-class studio musicians that Studio Pros provided. Utilizing Studio Pros’ services, Bechler found herself going from complete novice to award-winning songwriter in an astoundingly short period of time.

Not too long ago, Bechler was retired from real estate sales and writing children’s stories. Now, she is submitting her music to TAXI for publishing in film and television. “I’m probably coming from a different direction from a lot of people,” she says. “I’ve always admired musicians and listened to a great variety of music. The big thing for me was that I always wanted to be able to write songs.” Wondering how she could translate her story writing abilities to songwriting, Bechler had a breakthrough when her niece, Deanna, showed her how to use GarageBand music software.

Before:

After:

(more…)

Exploring the connection between health and music, David Alter teams up with Studio Pros to make professional recordings that will benefit health charities through his unique new company.

David Alter is an artist who knows what he wants, and he uses the resources that Studio Pros provides to get exactly that.  Though he’s been writing music for quite a while, performing was something of a new concept for the health professional-turned-musician when he decided to record an album of his own.  “The process of recording has been relatively new,” Alter says.  “I’ve been writing for many years, but it’s only been lately that I’ve done more of the recording process myself.”

So after he saw an advertisement for Studio Pros in Recording magazine, Alter decided he had nothing to lose by putting his songwriting in the hands of professional studio musicians who could ensure a top quality result for his songs.  “I thought I’d try it out and i just loved it,” he says.  “I love the process of creating the idea, then arranging it by having a vehicle that gets what I hear in my mind out quickly.”

The decision to try Studio Pros ended up being worth his while, as it turned out.  Studio Pros helped him bring the music bouncing around in his head into fruition and helped satisfy Alter’s inner musical control freak, all in a manner so efficient he believes it couldn’t have happened had he not used the service.  “I always have a demo,” he explains.  “I have a home setup, and I do the demo and get it set arrangement-wise.  Then I upload that when I’m ready, along with lyrics and instructions.”  Alter then takes the results of Studio Pro’s studio musicians and uses them as part of his creative process, adding new instruments and parts himself as he is struck by new inspiration.

(more…)

Andy Kostek doesn’t let a job that keeps him away from home stand in the way of recording the professional album he always wanted; with Studio Pros, he can record while on the road.

Over a Pink Floyd-esque bed of electric and acoustic guitars, Andy Kostek’s voice adds a distinct quality to his music that goes far in defining his signature sound. “I never really considered myself a vocalist, just a guitarist,” Andy says. “With the help of Studio Pros, I’ve become more confident with the vocals.” Living in Ireland at the time, Andy came to Studio Pros to help him craft his songs when the travel demands of his job made it nearly impossible to put together a band of his own. “Using Studio Pros was born out of frustration,” he explains. Having a “virtual band” allowed him to write lyrics while he was on the road, while professional studio musicians were laying down tracks for him thousands of miles away.

Andy came from a musical family, and by age 15 he got his hands on a discarded guitar with only three strings on it. Despite only being halfway to a complete instrument, Andy “never looked back.” By the time he was 18, he bought his first electric guitar; three months later he was making more money playing music in a band than he was from working for an aircraft manufacturing company as his day job.

(more…)

There are a few organizational steps you need to take to clean up your session before sending your files off to our Studio Pros engineer.

1. You’ll need to hide all muted, inactive, midi or any other track that you didn’t intend to play in the  final mix.  Set up the files as clearly as you can by making sure the tracks are clearly labeled.
2. If you do have midi tracks, you must record the midi sounds to an audio track.
3. If you have special effects that are part of your audio track, bounce the track to a new channel by clicking: File > Bounce To > Disk.
4. * PLEASE NOTE: We will not be able to take off any processing or effects you have applied to an audio track.   We prefer to do the effects or processing for you within the mix.  Please be sure to mention the sounds you had in mind in the description of your order.  You may also include reference tracks from similar artists to clarify the “mix sound” you had in mind.

Cleaning up your session

1. Make sure to double check all edit points throughout your song and make sure there aren’t any noticeable clicks or clips that would make your edit obvious in the final mix.
2. Remove all plug ins and automation you may have applied to your song within your own session.  This will ensure that all of the files will transfer over to us correctly, and we’ll use our own plug-ins and automation techniques in our mix.
   

   Consolidating your tracks within your session

1. When you have all your tracks lined up and ready to send to mixing, it’s important to listen to your project from start to finish.  Double check for errors in your song before consolidating your tracks.
2. Then, select all the tracks, first by clicking on the first channel, holding the shift button and clicking the last tracks, and then by clicking Apple (or control) A, and consolidate them by clicking: Edit > Consolidate.
3. Now you should see all your tracks from the same starting point in your project from beginning to end. (more…)

Many songwriters have their own home recording studios and double as the producer, engineer, songwriter, and recording artist.  Most songwriters don’t also fall into the category of “studio drummer”, and that’s where Studio Pros comes in to save the day (or the album you could say).

Don’t waste time struggling to knock out a midi drum track on your song when you can have our studio drummer come help you!  As many of you may have realized, getting drum tracks recorded may be the most difficult step in getting your album finished.

(more…)