Dragon Sound Recording Studio |
DRAGONSOUND RECORDING STUDIO MAKATI PHILIPPINES
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Frequently Asked Questions…
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Q: How long will it take to complete my song or project?
A: We get this question all the time and usually from those who have little to no experience recording.
A song's completion time is never known at once. It will depend on the song, the difficulty of the song, and the singer's ability to record his/her vocals, in tune, in time and with the right phrasing and feeling.
And alongside this, the less experience you have recording, and if your only singing experience is with a machine or even a band, mistakes in performance are acquired or learned and not noticed until you get behind a studio condenser microphone. If you are running against time in a studio, if you really wish to do a good job of performing and recording, you will have to fix those learned mistakes in situ while in the studio. This will take time. Time you did not foresee you would need to spend and of course the studio time used will get longer. And everyone has their own hurdles to overcome and at different levels.
Even if you have studio experience you may find that we do things a little different at Dragonsound and it could be longer than you expect. But we try our best to get things done quickly. We don't like wasting time. We go for the inspiration of the song the moment it is happening. And also try and keep the number of hours running the studio gear to save on wear and tear so it's not like we are trying to take our time for any reason.
Some recordists, mostly in the voice over field, know themselves and can gauge the amount of time they will need. But always be prepared time and budget wise for an unexpected delay or extension in your studio time as the song, voice over wants what it wants and rushing it will never achieve the best results.
Q: What would you do if I sang out of tune?
A: Well we wouldn't stand up and walk out on you...
Many times the parts of the song needing fixing, the singer or musician will have to repeat the part until they get it right. Again, time is consumed. And it is better to fix the mistake during the recording if at all possible as trying to fix it during editing may take longer than just redoing the part. We know which end to spend time with and it is this expertise that comes with production experience.
A song performed in front of an audience, mistakes are not noticed or if they are, they are gone forever into space never to return again. But on a recording, you will hear that mistake EVERY TIME YOU LISTEN to your recorded work. And even if you can't hear the mistake at once, you or someone else will. YOU WILL CRINGE every time that part of the song comes around and this makes for a bad product for all. At Dragonsound we do not like releasing recordings of not so flattering performances. This is why we include professional guidance for the entire time you are in the studio.
Q: Am I charged extra for mixing or editing?
A: The rate at Dragonsound is a one price per hour rate and BY THE WHOLE HOUR. This includes any and all phases of your recording session. From the time your session starts which will be the time you've booked, the rate will apply until the song is recorded, edited, mixed and bounced to a final 2-track STEREO format and the engineer states to you the product is finished and hands the finished product.
Other studios have a "system" of so much for recording so much for mixing. Not at Dragonsound. We don't believe in making a fast food system out of an artistic endeavor.
A straight standard one price rate is easier to understand. Every phase of the recording will be undertaken with the idea to provide the best results, use of time, to give your song and performance the attention it needs.
The studio building itself is costly in both time and money just to construct to create a proper recording environment for acoustic work. So it's not just the microphone and the recorder, it is the building, the treated walls, ceilings, floors, the materials used to build the studio are painstakingly selected and the whole studio adheres to strict acoustical and electrical design laws. An expert acoustician is needed to design the studio and this is besides the cost of material and labor to do the construction. It is not an easy feat at all.
Q: When will I be able to get the finished song?
A: Most of the time it is the same day of your recording session. Once we start, we aim to get your song finished and mixed before you leave the studio. Not unless you would rather wait for another day to do the mixing as some like to do.
Q: How many songs can I record in an hour?
A: This has to be one of the funniest questions we get. And again it's usually from someone with little to no experience with either themselves in a studio or a pro studio in general.
Just because a song is 3:30 minutes and seconds long, does not mean that is how long it will take. Adding up the number of minutes in a song does not equal the actual time it takes to go through every step of a recording process. It is naive to expect that you will get more of them recorded as you would do at a karaoke party.
We suggest that you try one song at a time. Not unless you have the time, and the budget should you try and start more than one song at a time. Every song for each and every person will have their own special problems and needs. And you as well as we, will only know this when you are in the studio and going through the process of recording.
Other studios may not hear the mistakes we hear in performance so expect that to record at Dragonsound, you should try to bring your A game and that we will endeavor to do justice to the song and the performer. If anything you will learn from your experience with Dragonsound about yourself and of the attention to detail needed to put forth. It will be a learning experience. One that will benefit you in more ways than one.
Q: What format will I receive the finished files?
A: Today's technology allows the use of a thumb or flash drive. CD's can be had please request it before your session starts. The quality of CD's is such that sometimes they don't burn the files properly and not many laptops and cpu's are sporting CD players these days.
Q: How do I pay for the session?
A: All sessions appearing in person need to be paid in cash at the end of every session in full. If you need extra funds should the session time used go over your planned time, there are banks and ATM's by the studio to where you may avail of the extra cash.
If you are availing of mixing or other services through online file transfer, we accept Paypal payment in full prior to sending you your finished files.
Q: Can I take photos and videos during the session?
A: Of course just as long as it doesn't interfere with the recording process. We are sure you will want fond memories of your professional recording experience that you can share with friends and family.
Q: Can I bring my own equipment?
A: We have most everything that one would need in the case of a band or an artist needing a keyboard, guitar, drums, bass. It makes it easier all around as you don't have to bring anything and we know our equipment, what it sounds like and how it works. We have several to choose from, guitars, bass, amplifiers, synthesizer modules, piano, organ. All free included with the hourly rate. Top notch high end gear.
Q: Is parking available?
A: Yes but on the street which is pay parking and pay parking lots across the street as this is Makati CBD. After hours though, parking is free on the street.
Q: Are you open on Sundays?
A: Yes we will accommodate your session on a Sunday or Saturday, certain holidays. The session must be known and booked in advance.
Q: Can I walk into the studio without a booking?
A: Not possible as the studio may be busy or we may have other items to attend to. It is best to schedule a booking a day before or at 3 hours before your intended arrival/booking in the case of you needing an impromptu schedule. We would need time to prepare for your arrival so please be advised.
Q: Do I need to confirm my schedule?
A: Yes we would like a confirmation on the day of the session at least three hours before your intended schedule to let us know you are intending to show and at the agreed time.
Q: Can I come earlier than my schedule?
A: Well, you are welcomed to come to the area or the building of the studio but you will only be let up minutes before your actual schedule as we are usually busy in preparation or attending to another session. There is a waiting area in the lobby or you can go to the many shops, coffee houses around the studio premise.
Q: Do you provide minus-1's?
A: We leave the minus-1 one to the singer to procure but we can help search for a better minus-1 if there is one available online in the case of the artist bringing in a not so inspiring mono minus-1. If there happens to be one that is better, we will download it for use to make your recording better when you get to the studio after noticing your minus-1 is not all that great sounding. Sometimes we get that. It will affect the outcome of your recording. Try and find the best minus one in STEREO and one in your key, range and tempo.
Q: Can I read lyrics off my cell phone or tablet?
A: We discourage the use and presence of laptops, tablets, cell phones inside the vocal booth as these devices are pinging and can introduce glitches, noise onto your recording that will be impossible to get out marring your performance.
Q: Can I eat at the studio?
A: Yes food can be brought or ordered from the many delivery fast food chains, restaurants. But eating will be confined to the reception area. No food is allowed in the studio itself. While you are recording, water is ok in a capped bottle or coffee, juice etc., in a covered cup or thermos.
Thank you!
Dragonsound
A: We get this question all the time and usually from those who have little to no experience recording.
A song's completion time is never known at once. It will depend on the song, the difficulty of the song, and the singer's ability to record his/her vocals, in tune, in time and with the right phrasing and feeling.
- Often, if a singer, a musician is not used to a professional studio using a pro standard microphone, headphones, they will be surprised, if not intimidated, as to the clarity of their voice and the power that the microphone has in picking up sounds most people don't hear on a day to day basis. The sound of you breathing, your clothes rustling, any small noises will be amplified many times over, and will be an unusual experience to most first timers or those who are just seeing a professional standard microphone for the first time. This is far different than singing through a karaoke machine where the microphone is not that sensitive of a system and you're not wearing headphones but hearing yourself off of speakers that are some distance from your head. And with an amplifier/speaker system that is not that discreet to provide crystal clear reproduction.
And alongside this, the less experience you have recording, and if your only singing experience is with a machine or even a band, mistakes in performance are acquired or learned and not noticed until you get behind a studio condenser microphone. If you are running against time in a studio, if you really wish to do a good job of performing and recording, you will have to fix those learned mistakes in situ while in the studio. This will take time. Time you did not foresee you would need to spend and of course the studio time used will get longer. And everyone has their own hurdles to overcome and at different levels.
Even if you have studio experience you may find that we do things a little different at Dragonsound and it could be longer than you expect. But we try our best to get things done quickly. We don't like wasting time. We go for the inspiration of the song the moment it is happening. And also try and keep the number of hours running the studio gear to save on wear and tear so it's not like we are trying to take our time for any reason.
- If you just need raw unmixed/unedited files files as in a voice over, we can provide that too. It helps us to have a copy of the lyrics or voice over script so we can follow along to note any mistakes in grammar or pronunciation. We like making sure the right words are recorded and properly as well.
Some recordists, mostly in the voice over field, know themselves and can gauge the amount of time they will need. But always be prepared time and budget wise for an unexpected delay or extension in your studio time as the song, voice over wants what it wants and rushing it will never achieve the best results.
Q: What would you do if I sang out of tune?
A: Well we wouldn't stand up and walk out on you...
Many times the parts of the song needing fixing, the singer or musician will have to repeat the part until they get it right. Again, time is consumed. And it is better to fix the mistake during the recording if at all possible as trying to fix it during editing may take longer than just redoing the part. We know which end to spend time with and it is this expertise that comes with production experience.
- We have recorded for thousands of hours ourselves in front of a microphone and behind the glass at the mixer so we can hear those out of tune notes in a flash!
A song performed in front of an audience, mistakes are not noticed or if they are, they are gone forever into space never to return again. But on a recording, you will hear that mistake EVERY TIME YOU LISTEN to your recorded work. And even if you can't hear the mistake at once, you or someone else will. YOU WILL CRINGE every time that part of the song comes around and this makes for a bad product for all. At Dragonsound we do not like releasing recordings of not so flattering performances. This is why we include professional guidance for the entire time you are in the studio.
- A producer is needed to catch those wrong notes, and fix them right away so that the recording will be as error free as possible.
Q: Am I charged extra for mixing or editing?
A: The rate at Dragonsound is a one price per hour rate and BY THE WHOLE HOUR. This includes any and all phases of your recording session. From the time your session starts which will be the time you've booked, the rate will apply until the song is recorded, edited, mixed and bounced to a final 2-track STEREO format and the engineer states to you the product is finished and hands the finished product.
Other studios have a "system" of so much for recording so much for mixing. Not at Dragonsound. We don't believe in making a fast food system out of an artistic endeavor.
A straight standard one price rate is easier to understand. Every phase of the recording will be undertaken with the idea to provide the best results, use of time, to give your song and performance the attention it needs.
- We work fast and do not waste time. In fact people are surprised that as soon as you get inside the studio, it's off to work and it is work for sure. We are spending quality time with quality recording equipment to record you and your song hence the whole effort to even start a professional studio must be understood as not an easy thing to do.
The studio building itself is costly in both time and money just to construct to create a proper recording environment for acoustic work. So it's not just the microphone and the recorder, it is the building, the treated walls, ceilings, floors, the materials used to build the studio are painstakingly selected and the whole studio adheres to strict acoustical and electrical design laws. An expert acoustician is needed to design the studio and this is besides the cost of material and labor to do the construction. It is not an easy feat at all.
Q: When will I be able to get the finished song?
A: Most of the time it is the same day of your recording session. Once we start, we aim to get your song finished and mixed before you leave the studio. Not unless you would rather wait for another day to do the mixing as some like to do.
Q: How many songs can I record in an hour?
A: This has to be one of the funniest questions we get. And again it's usually from someone with little to no experience with either themselves in a studio or a pro studio in general.
Just because a song is 3:30 minutes and seconds long, does not mean that is how long it will take. Adding up the number of minutes in a song does not equal the actual time it takes to go through every step of a recording process. It is naive to expect that you will get more of them recorded as you would do at a karaoke party.
- A professional recording takes time for anyone pro or amateur. From our experience ONE SONG will take SEVERAL HOURS to record and finish. Exactly how long is never known.
We suggest that you try one song at a time. Not unless you have the time, and the budget should you try and start more than one song at a time. Every song for each and every person will have their own special problems and needs. And you as well as we, will only know this when you are in the studio and going through the process of recording.
Other studios may not hear the mistakes we hear in performance so expect that to record at Dragonsound, you should try to bring your A game and that we will endeavor to do justice to the song and the performer. If anything you will learn from your experience with Dragonsound about yourself and of the attention to detail needed to put forth. It will be a learning experience. One that will benefit you in more ways than one.
Q: What format will I receive the finished files?
A: Today's technology allows the use of a thumb or flash drive. CD's can be had please request it before your session starts. The quality of CD's is such that sometimes they don't burn the files properly and not many laptops and cpu's are sporting CD players these days.
Q: How do I pay for the session?
A: All sessions appearing in person need to be paid in cash at the end of every session in full. If you need extra funds should the session time used go over your planned time, there are banks and ATM's by the studio to where you may avail of the extra cash.
If you are availing of mixing or other services through online file transfer, we accept Paypal payment in full prior to sending you your finished files.
Q: Can I take photos and videos during the session?
A: Of course just as long as it doesn't interfere with the recording process. We are sure you will want fond memories of your professional recording experience that you can share with friends and family.
Q: Can I bring my own equipment?
A: We have most everything that one would need in the case of a band or an artist needing a keyboard, guitar, drums, bass. It makes it easier all around as you don't have to bring anything and we know our equipment, what it sounds like and how it works. We have several to choose from, guitars, bass, amplifiers, synthesizer modules, piano, organ. All free included with the hourly rate. Top notch high end gear.
Q: Is parking available?
A: Yes but on the street which is pay parking and pay parking lots across the street as this is Makati CBD. After hours though, parking is free on the street.
Q: Are you open on Sundays?
A: Yes we will accommodate your session on a Sunday or Saturday, certain holidays. The session must be known and booked in advance.
Q: Can I walk into the studio without a booking?
A: Not possible as the studio may be busy or we may have other items to attend to. It is best to schedule a booking a day before or at 3 hours before your intended arrival/booking in the case of you needing an impromptu schedule. We would need time to prepare for your arrival so please be advised.
Q: Do I need to confirm my schedule?
A: Yes we would like a confirmation on the day of the session at least three hours before your intended schedule to let us know you are intending to show and at the agreed time.
Q: Can I come earlier than my schedule?
A: Well, you are welcomed to come to the area or the building of the studio but you will only be let up minutes before your actual schedule as we are usually busy in preparation or attending to another session. There is a waiting area in the lobby or you can go to the many shops, coffee houses around the studio premise.
Q: Do you provide minus-1's?
A: We leave the minus-1 one to the singer to procure but we can help search for a better minus-1 if there is one available online in the case of the artist bringing in a not so inspiring mono minus-1. If there happens to be one that is better, we will download it for use to make your recording better when you get to the studio after noticing your minus-1 is not all that great sounding. Sometimes we get that. It will affect the outcome of your recording. Try and find the best minus one in STEREO and one in your key, range and tempo.
Q: Can I read lyrics off my cell phone or tablet?
A: We discourage the use and presence of laptops, tablets, cell phones inside the vocal booth as these devices are pinging and can introduce glitches, noise onto your recording that will be impossible to get out marring your performance.
- Lyrics should be type printed on paper large enough font for you to read it from 15 inches as you will have the microphone in front of you adding distance from the music stand. Do not print so small to save ink or paper otherwise you will not be free and loose trying to squint at lyrics while maintaining a proper exact distance from the microphone.
Q: Can I eat at the studio?
A: Yes food can be brought or ordered from the many delivery fast food chains, restaurants. But eating will be confined to the reception area. No food is allowed in the studio itself. While you are recording, water is ok in a capped bottle or coffee, juice etc., in a covered cup or thermos.
Thank you!
Dragonsound
- Contact us for rates & booking
- Sessions by appointment only
- We go 24/7
DRAGONSOUND RECORDING STUDIO • Makati CBD, Metro Manila, Philippines