Cost of building a studio?

[Beauchampent]

Myself and three friends are going to start a degree course in music
production next year and were thinking about the possibility of building our
own studio that we can hire and use our ability in when we leave uni.

Some of you are probably laughing quite hard right now, but we know that we
arent immediately gonna be able to afford all this stuff. If it takes ten
years in an office job to get there than thats what it takes.

Of course, theres always bank loans!

So, what sort of money did the studios you guys work in cost? Im just scared
of what the building itself is gonna cost.. let alone those protools
systems..

Beauchampy.

[~ rob ~]

"Beauchampent" > wrote in message
...
> Myself and three friends are going to start a degree course in music
> production next year and were thinking about the possibility of building
our
> own studio that we can hire and use our ability in when we leave uni.
>
> Some of you are probably laughing quite hard right now, but we know that
we
> arent immediately gonna be able to afford all this stuff. If it takes ten
> years in an office job to get there than thats what it takes.
>
> Of course, theres always bank loans!
>
> So, what sort of money did the studios you guys work in cost? Im just
scared
> of what the building itself is gonna cost.. let alone those protools
> systems..
>
> Beauchampy.
-----------------
Hi, it's always been a fairly competitive business.

But now, and for the past while, studios have been folding left and right,
this is the wrong century to be thinking of building one.

What with the versatility of the digital systems, everybody's doing it at
home, ergo the demand is low.

Put your money into a house, build yer studio in the basement.

A nice ProTools system and allied gear would cost you about $50,000 Cdn I
expect.

But check out the Digi 002 first, grab one now, use it in yer home, search
for it via 'Products' at: http://www.digidesign.com/

Remember, these systems are computers, and depreciate like hell.

-bg-

www.thelittlecanadaheadphoneband.ca

[EganMedia]

> Myself and three friends are going to start a degree course in music
>production next year and were thinking about the possibility of building our
>own studio that we can hire and use our ability in when we leave uni.

A facility capable of keeping four engineers gainfully employed will have to be
pretty sizable. You're going to need to keep it booked, so you'll have to put
it in an area where there is business enough to justify it. If there's that
much business, it's probably a pretty competitive market already, and with the
cheap but usable home digital studios-in-a-box, you'll have to really stand out
from the crowd. I don't think a million dollars US would be too high for a
good starting point. It could very easily go several times that amount.


Joe Egan
EMP
Colchester, VT
www.eganmedia.com

[Rick Powell]

"Beauchampent" > wrote in message >...
> Myself and three friends are going to start a degree course in music
> production next year and were thinking about the possibility of building our
> own studio that we can hire and use our ability in when we leave uni.
>
> Some of you are probably laughing quite hard right now, but we know that we
> arent immediately gonna be able to afford all this stuff. If it takes ten
> years in an office job to get there than thats what it takes.
>
> Of course, theres always bank loans!
>
> So, what sort of money did the studios you guys work in cost? Im just scared
> of what the building itself is gonna cost.. let alone those protools
> systems..
>
> Beauchampy.

UNI as in University of Northern Iowa?

If so, you might want to stop in at Catamount Studios right there in
Cedar Falls while you're there at UNI, and talk to Tom Tatman when
he's got some spare time. I'm sure he could give you a lot of insight
on what it took to get where he is now, and the current state of
recording commerce (especially if you are going to operate in the
hinterlands).

The Catch-22 is this: If you set up shop in a music mecca, there will
be tons of talented people already there who have been doing it longer
than you and are already connected. If you set up shop away from
where the "industry" is, it's doubtful you'll find enough traffic to
justify your existence from a purely business standpoint. Even
studios in the music meccas often have to do whatever the traffic will
bear, if it means doing A/V, audio post for industrial training films,
recital CD's, and commercials, with the occasional musical act thrown
in.

I suspect that 90% of the "music only" studios (that actually have
paying clients) are a break-even proposition at best. Kinda like the
rest of the music biz. And you could spend anywhere from, say, $20k
(DAW-based studio in a basement with inexpensive room tratment and a
modest set of outboard, mics and instruments) to millions (stand-alone
studio, big SSL or Neve room, full floating construction designed by
world-class acoustic architect, with all the toys and the catered
artist lounge, etc.) to outfit a studio suitable for the expectations
of clients as you move up the audio food chain.

RP

[Roger W. Norman]

"Beauchampent" > wrote in message
...
> Myself and three friends are going to start a degree course in music
> production next year and were thinking about the possibility of building
our
> own studio that we can hire and use our ability in when we leave uni.
>
> Some of you are probably laughing quite hard right now, but we know that
we
> arent immediately gonna be able to afford all this stuff. If it takes ten
> years in an office job to get there than thats what it takes.

First off, try "three friends and I are going...". Sorry but you have to
learn from somewhere. Anyway...

Here's a little ditty for you.

Failed recording studio, it's got my pocket,
failed recording studio, I'm on the court docket.
Songs that used to sound so good,
are songs that didn't sell like they should
so I've got a failed recording studio and I
should have listened to my wife, don't you know.

If you don't have a wife, you can have a recording studio. If you have a
wife, you can't do both! <g> Unless you're extremely lucky. Here's the
equation. If you don't have a wife, and you build a studio, you won't have
a wife. Now how much does that make a difference to you? <g> To incorrectly
paraphrase an old saying, "Times of pot will get you through no times of
money, but will times of studio get you through no times of a woman in your
life?

Happy thinking.

--


Roger W. Norman
SirMusic Studio
Purchase your copy of the Fifth of RAP CD set at www.recaudiopro.net.
See how far $20 really goes.




>
> Of course, theres always bank loans!
>
> So, what sort of money did the studios you guys work in cost? Im just
scared
> of what the building itself is gonna cost.. let alone those protools
> systems..
>
> Beauchampy.
>
>

[~ rob ~]

"Roger W. Norman" > wrote in message
...
> "Beauchampent" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Myself and three friends are going to start a degree course in music
> > production next year and were thinking about the possibility of building
> our
> > own studio that we can hire and use our ability in when we leave uni.
> >
> > Some of you are probably laughing quite hard right now, but we know that
> we
> > arent immediately gonna be able to afford all this stuff. If it takes
ten
> > years in an office job to get there than thats what it takes.
>
> First off, try "three friends and I are going...". Sorry but you have to
> learn from somewhere. Anyway...
>
> Here's a little ditty for you.
>
> Failed recording studio, it's got my pocket,
> failed recording studio, I'm on the court docket.
> Songs that used to sound so good,
> are songs that didn't sell like they should
> so I've got a failed recording studio and I
> should have listened to my wife, don't you know.
>
> If you don't have a wife, you can have a recording studio. If you have a
> wife, you can't do both! <g> Unless you're extremely lucky. Here's the
> equation. If you don't have a wife, and you build a studio, you won't
have
> a wife. Now how much does that make a difference to you? <g> To
incorrectly
> paraphrase an old saying, "Times of pot will get you through no times of
> money, but will times of studio get you through no times of a woman in
your
> life?
>
> Happy thinking.
>
> --
>
>
> Roger W. Norman
> SirMusic Studio
> Purchase your copy of the Fifth of RAP CD set at www.recaudiopro.net.
> See how far $20 really goes.
>
>
>
>
> >
> > Of course, theres always bank loans!
> >
> > So, what sort of money did the studios you guys work in cost? Im just
> scared
> > of what the building itself is gonna cost.. let alone those protools
> > systems..
> >
> > Beauchampy.
================
Re the wife, I find many musicians' best friend is their right hand...

-bg-

www.thelittlecanadaheadphoneband.ca

[Deaf Mellon MESA]

> So, what sort of money did the studios you guys work in cost? Im just scared
> of what the building itself is gonna cost.. let alone those protools
> systems..
>
> Beauchampy.

I did some recording in an 1800 Sf studio, 16 channel Paris system,
True Pres, some Manley gear, decent mike locker, fairly big rooms, NO
AIR CONDITIONING or plumbing, place was out in the country. The guy
had at least $80,000.00 in it. FWIW, the basic metal building was
$40,000.00.

He makes pretty nice recordings, but the place isn't fancy. Charges
$35.00 an hour.

DaveT

[Rick Powell]

" ~ rob ~" > wrote in message news:<IQ6xb.503024$9l5.200686@pd7tw2no>...
> Re the wife, I find many musicians' best friend is their right hand...
>
> -bg-
>
> www.thelittlecanadaheadphoneband.ca

So THAT'S what "Musician's Friend" stands for!

RP