The WoW Style

Are you looking to turn your music into a career?

Then, you’ll need to do it properly. Home-recorded vocals and dodgy mixing just won’t cut it if you want to make it big.

That’s exactly why you need a professional studio. With high-quality equipment, a lot of knowledge, and the time to perfect your sound, you can’t put a price on what a studio can do for your music.

With a quality studio, a trusted team, and a diverse portfolio, visit us at Helvig Productions to help you turn your ideas into incredible music. 

Check out how to find the best recording studio and send your career in the right direction.

Check Out Your Engineer

When you hire a recording studio, you’re also paying for the time of the sound engineer. This is the person who’s going to help you record and nail the sound you’re going for, so you want them to be good – well, more than good ideally. 

An expert engineer can make or break your tracks, so check out their experience. What have past clients said about them and who have they worked with in the past? Where did they learn to become an engineer and how do they sell themselves? 

But, it’s about more than just experience. Your sound engineer should have the same values as you about music. What they write on their website or in their correspondence should resonate with you, and you should establish a good rapport before booking. 

If you can, why not give your sound engineer a call before choosing a recording studio? Chat about music, what you want to achieve from your session, and the sounds they love creating. At the end of the call, you should have a pretty good idea of whether this is the engineer for you.

Have You Got a Budget?

Okay, so while hiring a top-quality, world-renowned studio might be the dream, let’s check in with reality for a second. Professional studios cost money, and the right recording studio has to be within your budget. Before you even start looking, know how much you can realistically spend. That way you can quickly rule out those that are out of your budget and stop some major disappointment.

However, it’s wise to remember that the price you see doesn’t always give you an accurate estimation of how much you’re going to pay. Sounds weird right? Bear with us.

A high-quality studio may charge more per hour, but if they’re experienced they’ll be likely to get your recording down quicker than one that may charge less but is also less efficient. As most studios charge per hour, this is vital to remember! You could be in a cheap studio that ends up costing you more because of the time it takes.

Remember, as well, that you get what you pay for. If you want to produce flawless tracks, you’ll have to consider making an investment that may be costly.

Is the Facility Suitable?

When choosing a recording studio, you must make sure it fits your needs. Once you’re there, it could potentially be too late to get any money back so it pays to do research beforehand.

Ensure your studio has enough space for you. If you have a large band or a huge team, it might be tough to fit you all into a little room. You want to be comfortable while you record.

Check out the acoustic situation as well. Orchestras might be better suited to massive live rooms, whereas pop vocals will only need a small dry room.

There’s also the creature comforts to consider – even if music is the main concern. You’re going to be recording for a while, so a good kitchen, chill-out area, and quiet spots are essential.

The Equipment You’ll Need

Don’t be won over by studios that list heaps and heaps of expensive-sounding equipment. The truth is that a lot of this is going to be for super niche sounds only, and unless you want a really specific and unique sound you won’t need most of it! A good engineer can create excellent quality recordings with just a few basic items, including:

• Quality microphones
• Classic and high-end outboard equipment
• High-end mike preamps

Whilst impressive equipment shouldn’t be a turn-off point, it isn’t the sign of a good studio or engineer. 

Ask For Sound Bites

You wouldn’t hire someone to make your clothes before getting some examples of past work, right? Well, a recording studio is no different.

When it comes to how to hire a recording studio, an essential tip is to ask for sound bites first. They should be able to send you over some clips of tracks that have been recorded by them, in their space. These will give you a better idea of the quality of their recording and whether they’ll be able to get the sound you’re looking for.

Check Online Reviews

You might have done all of your research, found a studio that looks great on paper, and might even be asking how do I hire a recording studio? but if you haven’t checked the reviews then stop. 

Online reviews are a goldmine of information that you need to know. Do a quick Google search of the studio you’re looking at to see what people are saying. Note down comments on their professionalism, how efficient they are, the quality of the facilities, and how happy people were with the end results. If any of these seems subpar, red flag the studio and move on to somewhere else.

Hire the Best Recording Studio

If you’re on the hunt for the best recording studio, these tips should help you. They’re a great foundation to start your research on and if you follow them you should land a great studio that’s right for your sound