Frequently Asked Questions
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Can't find the answer to your question? Please contact us.
Recording Questions
- How many songs can
I do with a 4-hour Solo Demo Special?
This question is difficult to answer because
it depends on many factors that are out of our control, such as the length
of the songs, how many takes will be required, desired sound quality, etc.
Solo vocalists singing with tracks are often able to get from 4-6 songs done
in this time; bands would only get 1-3 songs at the most, due to the large
amount of setup time for a band. You can always purchase additional time if
you would like to get more songs done. Also, remember that part of the 4 hours
will be used by your engineer to mix your songs and get them ready them for
CD. If you have a band or are playing one or more instruments, you might want
to consider our 8-hour Block Special, which costs $440.
- I want to record
x number of songs. How much will it cost? Or How much will it cost to record
an album or project?
Unfortunately, no studio can give a definitive
answer to this question. The cost is determined by the amount of studio time
needed to record and mix each song. The time it takes to record a song is
affected by how large the band is, how well the band knows the material, the
number of fixes and overdubs required, and how perfect the group feels they
need to be to have a finished product at the level of quality they are seeking.
Another factor would be whether they are recording as a group for a quick
demo album or tracking individually to get a top quality commercial CD. For
a good comparison one band might be able to nail their songs in only one or
two takes, while another band could require five or more takes that still
necessitate editing and fixes. As you can see, there are many variables involved.
We can, however, give a general idea of the time required for various projects.
In general, a complete album of 10 to 12 songs can be done in 25 to 50 hours
including mixdown but could take longer for those seeking absolute perfection.
A three-song demo will normally range from 4 to 10 hours. Someone who sings
with background tracks can usually get 3 to 6 songs in a 4-hour demo special.
It is important to remember that these are all generalizations. Please call
us at 614-497-3970 so that we can discuss your individual project and put
together an estimate of cost.
- What if I need
musicians?
Musicians are available but must be scheduled
in advance. Cost for musicians may vary depending on number of songs and length
of time they are needed. Typical cost is $25 to $50 an hour; however, we may
be able to help you find less expensive alternativealternatives. Bear in mind
that a good musician's fee will be offset by how fast he/she lays down your
tracks. Therefore, a more expensive musician could end up costing you less
in the end. Please note, you will also need to provide some sort of music
or chord charts for the musicians. If you cannot do so we offer transcribing
and arranging services.
- Can we sing with
tracks (karaoke-style)?
Yes, in fact we have many customers who
have done just that. We have a Karaoke machine and TV monitor so that you
can view the lyrics if you wish. You must provide your own karaoke CDs, however,
and also be aware that Rome is not responsible for any copyright or licensing
violations should any issues ever arise.
- I need to use a
keyboard or some other studio instrument. What do you have available?
We have a wide selection of instruments
available including a Baldwin Grand Piano, Hammond B3 w/Leslie cabinet, Korg
Triton and other keyboards, DW drumset and various percussion, along with
stringed instruments and amps. For a complete list, please visit our
Equipment
List. Also note that equipment use must be scheduled in advance to insure
equipment availability (see
Studio Policies)
- What recording
system do you use and what kind of quality can I expect?
Studio A features both a Pro Tools HD4
system and 2" 24-track analog tape. These are the two recording formats
used in top studios around the world and can provide you with commercially-viable
sound quality. For more on our recording systems and the quality they provide,
please visit the
Why Rome? page.
- Can you fix
or clean up my recording… or transfer it to CD?
We can transfer almost any medium
to CD without a problem. We can also process the original recordings to remove
noise, hiss, clicks, etc. However, there is no definitive guarantee that all
noise can be removed from your recordings, as some recordings are simply too
deteriorated to restore. As such, noise reduction services are billed by the
hour and are not contingent upon the final product.
Studio Questions
- What's the difference
between Rome recording and a "project" (home) studio?
The answer to this question really comes
down to an issue of quality: what do you want to get out of your recording
investment? If you want a product that you can be proud of, that showcases
your sound, that is commercially viable and will allow you to charge top dollar,
and that compares to hit releases, then come to Rome. This level of sound
quality simply is not possible in project studios that use consumer-level
equipment in rooms that lack properly treated acoustics, and are run by non-professionals.
Your music deserves the best, so entrust it to professionals.
The expression "You get what you pay for" rings true in this situation
as well. We have had clients come to us to fix up the poor sound they got
out of a project studio. They had already spent so much time at the previous
studio attempting to get a good sound that their project end up costing more
than it would have if they had recorded at Rome in the first place! For more
details see the
Why Rome? page.
- How can two bands
that record at the same studio get totally different results?
Our engineers' number one goal is to give
our clients the best possible quality, reflected in the best sounding mix.
However, it is a simple fact that without a good musical performance, no amount
of engineering can create a great sounding record. Our engineers do the best
they can with the material that is recorded, but it is crucial to realize
that the quality of the final product is subject to the quality of the musical
performances on the record and the size of the budget, which affect how much
studio time you will have to work with. In addition, it is important to remember
that our engineers are highly trained, full-time professionals who know Rome's
equipment and rooms far better than anyone who doesn't work here on a daily
basis. Though our engineers work to give our clients what they want in a mix,
we always try to encourage our clients to listen to the engineer and trust
his mixing. Feel free to make comments and discuss the direction of your mix
with your engineer, but also trust them to provide you with a great finished
product. The bands who trust their engineer are the ones who get the best
mixes.
- What
is Mastering? Do I need it? Can you do it?
Mastering is the process of finalizing a
project after all the mixing is completed. During this process songs are processed
to conform to industry standard volume levels and equalization curves. In
addition, care is taken to make sure that all the songs on the album have
a similar sound to them. Mastering is the final polish on a project that ties
a collection of songs into an album; it is an integral part of all major recording
projects. Depending on the project, Rome can do mastering in-house or recommend
someone to do it for you. The higher budget projects are best being sent to
major mastering services for the absolute best in mastering. However, we can
provide a reasonable level of mastering quality for most of our clients at
a much lower cost. Please note that if you wish to bring in a CD for mastering
that was recorded at a studio other than Rome, we need to hear the project
before determining if we can master it for you. Some studios do not properly
prepare their mixes for mastering; in this case we would talk with the original
recording studio to have your songs properly prepared. Rest assured, we won't
do it for you unless we can do it well.
- How do I schedule
a Session or a Free Tour?
You can stop in at 3970 S. High St.,
Columbus, Oh. 43207 (See
Directions) or call
us at (614)497-3970 to schedule a session or tour. If you come in we can sit
down with you and help you plan a budget and show you your potential profits
based on your sale of CD's and Cassette's. Please call ahead if you are coming
in for a tour so we can get it approved if there happens to be a session going
on. Also note that we normally require a deposit to hold session times; we
take credit card (Visa/MC) by phone, checks, and cash.
- Do you require
a deposit? What is your cancellation policy?
At Rome our schedule is often very tight
and when we put you on the schedule we reserve that time for you. If someone
doesn't show up we lose that time, which could've been booked with someone
else. That's why it's important that a person show up. A deposit indicates
to us that a person is serious and will show up for the session they schedule.
We usually require a 50% deposit and require 48 hours notice for cancellations.
This gives us time to book another session. No-shows and last minute cancellations
are subject to penalties.
- Do we have
some time to setup before the session starts?
We adhere to the industry standard,
which is for the clock to start at the scheduled time, whether the client
is on time or not. At Rome we normally allow musicians to arrive and start
setting up 15 minutes prior to the session start time (subject to studio availability).
Please note that this time is for you to setup your equipment. Once the engineer
begins setting up, your session is underway and is officially on the clock.
Setup may include running cables and setting up mics, as well as configuring
computer programs to record your music. A full band setup can take some time
so please try to be patient. This is some of the most important time of your
session, as the engineer will be working to get the best possible mic placement
and equipment settings for optimum sound quality. If you desire a certain
sound, this is the time to make sure you are getting it.
- How do we back
up our project?
Please see our
Studio
Policies page for information on session backup and storage.
Duplication Questions
- How do I get
my project Duplicated?
Rome is your one-stop studio that offers
complete in-house duplication services. We offer high quality CD’s and professional
printing for inserts and tray liners, along with quick turn-around and superior
product. See our
Duplication Products page
for more information.
Beware of "too cheap to be true" mail order companies. Your small savings
could be very embarrassing when you sell a CD that doesn’t play because of
quality issues.
See our CD Quality page
Call or stop in for a price quote. Stopping in is usually best so you can
see samples and drop off any pictures or artwork.
Copyright Questions
- My songs are
not yet copyrighted what do I need to do?
We can assist you in getting your songs
copyrighted. The Library of Congress charges $30.00 to process your copyright
form (each form can be either for one song or a group of songs). We charge
$50.00 to fill out the form and file it for you. Feel free to ask us for a
copy of the form, or you can check out the website for the
Library
of Congress, which has
downloadable
forms.
- What about
Copyrights and Mechanical Licenses for other songs?
If you are recording a version of
someone else's song you need to get permission if you are going to mass produce
it and/or sell it. This is called a mechanical license and generally costs
about 9.1 cents per song per copy (this amount increases from time to time,
so please check current licensing fees). Just as an example, 1,000 copies
with one licensed song would cost around $91.00. This is only covers recording
your own version of the song. In order to use the original recorded tracks
for your CD you would have to buy the license for the recorded tracks, which
can run $100 to $200 or more per song.
Please note that it is your responsibility to properly license any material
you record at Rome, and we are not responsible in any way if you fail to get
the proper licensing. Also note that none of our statements should be interpreted
as legal advice or recommendation.
Removing Vocals Questions
- Can You Remove
Vocals from our Recordings?
We get this question a lot and it’s
not a simple answer. There are numerous devices on the market that claim to
be able to remove vocals, and though there may be something out there that
does so really well, we haven’t found it yet. Our experience with these devices
has shown that 1) they are generally poor at completely removing the lead
vocal and 2) they cause a significant reduction in sound quality. For these
reasons, and due to the questionable legal aspects of using recordings that
have had the vocals removed, we do not offer this service. You are, however,
more than welcome to purchase karaoke versions of the songs you wish to record
and sing to those.
Here are some reviews from people who have experience with so-called vocal
removers:
A waste of $100 by Ernie, May 2005
I will applaud Alesis attempt to bring a quality vocal remover to the
market. The unit is nicely packaged but sadly that is where the kudos
end.
I have been trying to remove the vocal track from complex and simple
audio. Specifically "Another Openin" fromKiss Me Kate which has simple
solo vocal through 90% of the song and "We Need A Little Christmas" from
both the Mame soundtrack and Ray Connif singers. This one is more complex
with group vocals as well as lead solo. Both with the same result or should
I say virtually no positive result.
Alesis claims that you can "remove the vocal from any stereo source"
simply is NOT TRUE.
At best you can attempt to push the lead vocal into the background usually
resulting in a hollow or tinny sound. The same sound I have achieved without
the vocal remover product, by reversing the phase on stereo audio and
recording it as mono. You occasionally may have heard this same effect
of your TV when Stereo Audio for TV was in its infancy back in the late
80's to early 90's.
So my assessment of the situation is in a nutshell this. If you are attempting
to avoid the cost of purchasing CD's specifically recorded with no vocal
track for Karaoke or voice over by buying this unit, you will be greatly
disappointed IT DOES NOT REMOVE VOCALS as the marketing claims.
If however you can live with pushed back echoie vocals behind your or
your singer's voice then buy the unit. The results really sound bush league.
It was once said that there is no free lunch. The vocal remover product
once again proves that this is true.
It's Vocal Remover--NOT A MAGIC BOX! by Anonymous, July 2005
As a commercial musician and student, I knew this was a bad idea for the
company I'm with to pursue, but they didn't believe me--I hope you do!
(They do now!) As a previous reviewer said, this piece of gear simply
cannot remove the vocals from just any stereo recording. This is because
anything that claims to remove vocals must first assume that the center
track is where the vocals are stored. The center track is made up of all
sounds that are exactly equal in both the right and left channels. In
order to remove vocals, the center track is simply removed. A diagram
of what this might look like would be:
R: 03948577294
L: 03938577392
Where R is Right and L is Left.
The center channel would be: C: 039 8577 9