Apogee Studios is a full service production studio. We can record your project in studio or on location, edit and master your audio in the digital realm, create CDR masters and short run duplicates, photograph your promotional images, create a complete graphics package and have it all glass mastered, duplicated and packaged for delivery and retail sale. You retain complete control of your project at every step of the process, so you can be assured your finished product will meet your needs.
We use a Mackie 8-bus console as the main input-output stage to a MOTU Audio Interface running on a Dual G4 Macintosh RAID system. You get pure, clean audio direct to disk in each pass, and up to 32 simultaneous tracks at up to 24 bit resolution per record pass. We use Neuman, Shure, AKG, CAD, and EV mics (among others) to ensure you get just the sound you are looking for. Virtual tracks allow you to have an unlimited number of overlay and mix down possibilities. Hard disk recording is clean (over 90db of headroom) and fast, providing an inexpensive and speedy project workflow. Once the audio is in the computer, you can apply digital effects and processing to create the ultimate sound. Once you are happy with the mix, we can track it out as a stereo file and burn it to a CD right there in the studio. In only a few hours you can record several songs, apply processing, remix and walk out of the studio with an audio CD that you can put in your car CD player as you drive away.
In-studio recordings are charged at a rate of $65 per hour with a three hour minimum. Time starts from the time your session is SCHEDULED to begin, till you are finished. Session prepayment is required by cash, check (2 week clearing time required on personal checks) or credit card (Visa, MC, AmEx or Discover) and no refunds are given for any reason. If you are late for the session, don't worry about it, we will charge you as if you were here. GRIN. Yes, you pay for setup time, so be prompt and be ready to set up and play. Being ready to record is key to getting your project completed on time and on budget. If you are "still working that part out", then you are not ready to record it. I am happy to rent the studio to bands as a rehearsal hall, but $65 an hour is a pretty expensive rehearsal space.
On-location recordings are charged at a rate of $75 per hour, with the same three hour minimum and deposit requirements. Time begins when we leave the studio and ends on our return, including drive time, setup and tear-down of equipment, etc. Some additional restrictions on number of tracks, etc. may also apply. If you are wanting location recording, give us a call and we will be happy to help you determine a budget.
Please call for a consultation and quote on your project.
Mastering is probably the single most important thing you can do to your music to prep it for duplication. Beyond mixing and EQ, the mastering process applies a high level active processing variable depth frequency based compression algorithm to your final tracks (or parts, if you are providing separate tracks). The process analyzes the frequency response in your project and amplifies or attenuates those frequencies both separately and in combination to provide a final master that is both louder in terms of volume at playback, and clearer in terms of intelligibility, separation and discernible sibilance. It is the icing on the cake.
If you already have recordings that you would like to modify or duplicate (or we have recorded them for you), you should consider mixing and mastering them in the digital domain. We can feed almost any signal into our mastering system at up to 24 bit resolution. From there you can apply effects (processing), level adjustments (compression, limiting, etc.), pitch adjustments (pitch shift), time adjustments (quantizing) and many other effects, all in the 32 bit digital domain, so there is no noise gain or generation loss (there may be additional noise heard as a result of level adjustment or compression as the effective noise floor of the mix is increased as the music elements are accentuated, but the mixing process itself does not add any noise to the mix that was not already present, if not discernible).
If your audio is in a multi-track format, we can import it into our system and perform digital mixing in a non-destructive environment. That means you can create as many different mixes as you like and have them all available to you at once, without harming your original material. When you have just the right mix, track it out in stereo and we can burn a CD for you on the spot.
If you would just like us to master your finished tracks, we can take them in as stereo files, or as separate tracks. We prefer to have the lead vocals mixed onto one track, guitars (lead, rhythm and solos) on a track, all percussion on a track and bass on a track. If you have other instruments, simply group them in a logical manner (brass for horns like sax and trumpet, woodwinds, etc.). The goal is to provide instruments with similar frequencies on their own tracks so that they can be mastered optimally one at a time, then combined for a final mastering pass. If you only have stereo tracks, we can work with those as well, but breaking out the sounds is ideal. We can accept your audio on CD, CD-R, DVD, DVD-R, S-VHS, VHS, Hi-8, Standard-8, DAT, Cassette, Record (LP) or any format available if you have a playback machine that you can bring into the studio. You are also welcome to bring in your keyboard, digital workstation, drum machine, sequencer, sampler, etc. and go direct into our system.
Digital allows you to make changes to your files as frequently as you like without worrying about noise gain or other analog mixing concerns. Bounce and remix tracks in an endless mix domain with as many virtual tracks as you need. Automation and graphical interfaces allow you to customize your mix to the last detail and have cross-fades, stereo effects, bounces, you name it, reproduced precisely every time you play the file. This is the ultimate mixing console! Best of all, you do not have to pay $150 an hour for studio time in a major production studio to have the features you need available to you.
Mixing services are charged at an hourly rate of $50 per hour. Mastering services are charged at a rate of $10 per audio minute (rounded to the nearest minute) or $50 per track (song), whichever is GREATER, from start to finish. So a 3 minute song would be $50, while a 6:58 minute song would be $70. We also provide full duplication services as listed below.
Apogee Studios offers short run and long run duplication options to fit any budget. Let us deal with the details while you concentrate on the musical aspects of your project. We can provide all the services you require to take a project from the recording to the distribution stage, and maybe even get you some promos along the way!
Duplication pricing can change frequently, and as a result, exact pricing is difficult to provide. Please give us a call and we will be happy to go over options and pricing with you at no cost and with no obligation.
If you have a disc ready and simply want duplication services without design or printing, please call for a quotation.
The following pricing includes 1 CD blank, full color or 2 color CD printing, 4 page insert (2 process color pages, 2 black and white) and process color tray card, and assembly into a standard, single disc, jewel case.
CD Duplication Prices: current as of 8/9/2003 and subject to change without notice.
| CD-R w/ Inkjet Printed Surface & Color Laser Insert/Tray | |||
| QTY | Price Each | Total | |
| 1 | $25.00 | $25.00 | |
| 5 | $15.00 | $75.00 | |
| 10 | $12.50 | $125.00 | |
| 25 | $12.00 | $300 | |
| 50 | $11.00 | $550.00 | |
| 100 | $10.50 | $1050.00 | |
| 199 | $9 | $1791.00 | |
| Single Set Pressed and Offset printed CD Duplication | |||
| 200 | $9.25 | $1850 | |
| 300 | $6.67 | $2000 | |
| 500 | $4.30 | $2150 | |
| 1000 | $2.70 | $2700 | |
| 1500 | $2.43 | $3650 | |
| 2000 | $2.20 | $4400 | |
| 2500 | $2.08 | $5200 | |
| 3000 | $2.00 | $6000 | |
| 5000 | $1.90 | $9500 | |
Quantities of 199 or fewer are short run and will have a full color ink jet printed graphic on the disk and direct print color laser inserts and tray cards. All inserts are process (CMYK) color on front and back panels with black and white (K) inside panels for a total of 4 panels available (single fold). Tray cards are process color (CMYK).
Orders of 200 or more discs are pressed ISO Redbook standard production CD's that include on disk printing in 1 or 2 spot colors (may be screened) and offset printing of insert and tray card (CMYK front and back panels, K inside panels). Also included is barcode for retail distribution and inclusion in your choice of two national distribution programs and possible inclusion on a sampler CD distributed nationwide to radio stations and promoters. Other packaging or configurations are available on a quote basis. Spine Labels can be added for $.15 per disc ($100 minimum charge). Also includes ISRC coding of your tracks. Copyrighting can be provided for an additional $150 through Apogee Studios and includes all paperwork, FedEx fees, Copyright fees and storage of a backup copy here at the studio, a copy for your records and storage of a second master in our safe deposit box. Having us provide the service to you also gives you ready access to an informed expert witness should you ever have to enforce your Copyright claim in court.
Additional design services are charged at a rate of $50 per hour and can include cover and insert design, tray card and label design, J-cards for tapes, promotional posters, etc. Most anything you can think of, we can do. Specialty cases, Eco cases, etc. are by quote only and will cost you more.
Please see the Portrait Photography section of our website for details on photo services we can provide as well.
When you call, please have answers to the following questions: