So you wanna set up a recording studio?

What’s the story?
Our video clip takes a trip to Real World Studios, in the village of Box, just outside of Bath. Once there, we were given a guided tour of one of the world’s most famous recording studios, courtesy of Studio Manager Owen Leech.

Why is this place famous?
Peter Gabriel had his fantastic Real World Studios built to incredibly detailed specifications to incorporate overnight accommodation, natural light, space and nature. The local river flows beneath the studio, and there are parts where you can watch it running beneath your feet! See Links for more details of the studio, with fab pics as well.

How much does it cost to go into a studio?
It very much depends on the studio you use, and the equipment it contains. These days, studio prices are very, very competitive to compensate for the fact that many musicians now own their own recording facilities. The main recording room at Real World will cost around £1,300 per day.

My god! How much!?!
Calm down, there’s no need for blasphemy!

But they must be raking it in!
It might appear that way at first glance, but let’s just break it down a bit. For their £1,300 per day, the musicians will have access to state-of-the-art recording equipment (both digital and analogue), they will have the services of a studio engineer, plus food, drink and a bed.

So what does the money go on?
Equipment and wages. With the advent of digital equipment, many of the older studios have to completely re-vamp their equipment and offer their clients (the record companies and bands) the option of using digital recording equipment, or traditional analogue equipment (for that ‘authentic’ vibe, man), or a mixture of the two. It’s a pricey business.

Give us some figures!
Well, if you want a state-of-the-art console you’re looking at anything up to a cool £250,000! Then once you’ve got your main monitors, your nearfield monitors, your amps, 24 track tape machine, DAT machine and a heap of other stuff, we’re talking not much change from a £500,000 note just to get the studio on its feet.

Which is why bands get charged up to £1,300 per day.
Absolutely. Although of course studios do come cheaper than that, and you can get studios during ‘downtime’ (ie: 11pm at night ‘til 7am the next morning) at as little as £200 a day.

And if I’m thinking of setting up my own studio, it’s gonna cost me £500,000?
No! If you’re working with synths and samples, you can set up a studio in your bedroom using computer software like Cubase for as little as £100. Then there’s Digidesign’s Pro Tools software which costs around £5,000 and you can get very basic 48-channel consoles for as little as £10,000.

I ain’t got that sort of money! Any alternatives?
You could buy second-hand, but then you’ll have all sorts of ongoing maintenance costs. Why not train as a studio engineer or producer? Our Q is for Q The Music gives the basic job outline and further advice.