Your session starts here.
Tell us what you're making and you'll get a straight quote for the whole thing. A 25% deposit locks your dates.
Two ways in. Call and describe the record — that is faster and you will get a better quote, because a five minute conversation tells us more than any form. Or open the calendar and grab a day if you already know what you want.
Check the calendar (512) 522-0359
What to tell us on the call
How many songs, and how finished they are. Three songs a band has played live for a year is a different job from ten that exist as voice memos. Both are welcome; they need different amounts of time.
Whether the band plays together. If you want to cut live off the floor, say so — that changes the setup, the mic count and how the day is scheduled.
What finished means to you. Tracked only, mixed, mastered, or the whole thing delivered ready to release. The quote changes a lot depending on the answer.
How a day actually runs
Load in and setup. Drums take the longest to get right and everything else waits on them, so kits go up first. Budget real time for this — a rushed drum sound follows you through every mix decision afterwards.
Sounds, then takes. Once the room is sounding right, the session is takes. With 24 tracks and four isolation booths you are playing together rather than stacking parts one at a time.
Overdubs. Vocals, solos, keys, anything that wants isolation or a second pass. This is usually where a song becomes a record.
Rough mixes. You leave with something to listen to. Living with a rough for a week is the cheapest way to find out what a song still needs.
What to bring
Fresh strings and heads, spare sticks, and anything that makes your rig sound like you. The room has microphones, preamps, monitoring and a piano; it does not have your guitar. If there is a specific instrument or amp you need and do not own, ask on the call and we will tell you whether it is here.
Come rehearsed. Arrangements decided, endings agreed, parts learned. The policies page covers what happens if they are not.
Common questions
How far ahead should I book?
For a full album, several weeks is comfortable because you want consecutive days rather than scattered ones. Single days and overdub sessions can often be found much sooner, and last-minute openings go to the mailing list first.
What if we run over?
It happens, and it is better to know early. We will tell you during the day if the schedule is slipping so you can decide whether to add time or cut a song, rather than discovering it at the end.
Do you work with artists from out of town?
Often. The room is three minutes from downtown Austin and bands travel in for the analog path and the live floor. Tell us your dates and we will work around the travel.
Who is at the desk?
Omar Vallejo, who the Austin Chronicle named Best Producer in 2019. You are not handed to an assistant.
What do I actually pay, and when?
A deposit books the dates and the balance is staged across the session and delivery. The exact schedule and the cancellation terms are on the policies page.