CHATEAU FAQ - updated 06.21.2009

What kind of equipment do you use?

Mixing is done in Sonar (Cakewalk/Roland) on a PC with numerous third-party plug-in processors and, if you like, effects. Mastering is done in Sequoia. I switch back&forth between KRK V6 monitors (2nd generation) and Ultrasone PRO 650 headphones. Sample rates can range from 44.1-96kHz and the decision is left to the client's discretion. I interface using two MOTU 828mkII's with the current Black Lion Audio mod, as well as BLA's most recent incarnation of the MicroClock. (Nick and I did some A/B tests after these alterations. The modification to the analog section of the 828 showed a significant improvement in the top end, adding some sparkle and clarity, and the two stock pre-amps on the front of the unit, which we had avoided using whenever possible, became the new top choice for uncolored capture. The addition of the MicroClock made a drastic improvement in clarity, especially in the mids/lower-mids, contributing to a much healthier soundstage. Highly recommended!)

In general, I gravitate toward smaller companies making high-quality, cost-effective equipment and modified "prosumer"-grade gear; this approach helps yield high-quality results at relatively low costs, and helps to ensure that the captures made at the Chateau have a distinctive sound.

All cable is Mogami, with Neutrik connectors.

We have a Sohmer & Co. full upright piano, a few amplifiers, guitars, basses, midi keyboards, effects pedals, auxiliary percussion, a drum kit, a rotted upright piano soundboard with rusty strings, and a 55-string out-of-tune bandura. For the time being we have a Hammond B-5 organ (belonging to Ben Brown). We are always collecting ephemera.

Please email if you have specific gear questions, if you'd like a complete list, or if you need to store something that you don't mind me using.

Why don't you use ProTools?

The sound quality is suspect, the program is bloated and expensive and requires antiquated proprietary hardware, and the "lite" version (the only practical option for a small studio) places artificial restrictions on functionality. Recent Sonar releases have featured an exceptional architecture resulting in great-sounding mixdowns, and any editing or digital processing that is necessary with your project is just as easily accomplished in Sonar. If you are concerned about compatibility or if you are planning to mix your project elsewhere, we can create Open Media Framework files of your session that can easily be transported into ProTools or most any other DAW.

How do I know that your studio will suit my project?

I have recorded everything from live club jazz to heavily overdubbed studio recordings involving hundreds of tracks. I've worked with rock, pop, jazz, free jazz, free improv, hip-hop, performance art. In part because the studio is also our home, those of us who live here think of it as a very comfortable, relaxed place to work and create. We have a large book collection. Sprawling Humboldt Park, only a block and a half away, is an excellent place to unwind after a day of tracking. Play tennis, throw a frisbee, catch-and-release some fish in the pond. Make snow-angels in the winter.

Your studio sounds awesome, but my band is based in Bloomington.

Depending on the project, it is possible that we can provide (very) modest sleeping arrangements.

What about smoking?

No cigarettes in the mains, but we have an adjacent grandmotherly kitchen where smoking will not harm the equipment.

Payment?

Cash, check, or PayPal. There is no fixed schedule for payment, but your completed project will not be released until payment is received. Add 3% for PayPal payments.

What about my filez?

I prefer that you come to a session with an external hard disk, FireWire 400 or USB 2.0, with at least 50GB of free space (though obviously some projects need more than others). While in progress, I keep two copies of every project on two different Chateau hard disks. Bringing your own additional hard disk ensures almost failsafe redundancy. This is also a very practical way to take your multi-track project with you upon completion, especially if you plan to mix elsewhere.

If you do not wish to bring your own hard disk, when the session is complete I will burn the DAW files to DVD. Either you can take them or I can keep them. If I keep them, I might use them for something. You never know.

**There is a media fee of $10 for every 10GB of data in the event that you choose to have me burn DVDs of your session.**

Redundancy is an absolute necessity with digital media. All hard disks will eventually fail; all DVDs will eventually corrode. I unfortunately do not have the resources to archive multiple copies of everything I work on here, so I leave the responsibility for redundancy to you once your session is complete. Making multiples is your own responsibility. If someday you decide to reopen your project and find that the only DVD of the multitrack in existence has corrupted, or that the hard disk you brought to your session is broken, I will not have another copy.

Can I come in and set up before the session begins?

You can take your time getting set up at the start of a session... I won't start the clock as soon as you walk in the door, and arrangements can be made if you are going to need a lot of time for yourself or if you are coming in from out of town. I will have everything as set-up as I can before you get here, and I'll start the clock when I start placing microphones.

Can I hear any samples of the work you've done? Can I get a tour?

Please email; I would be happy to send an mp3 or give a tour.

Do I need to bring a drum kit if I want drums / real drums?

I have a four piece kit with ride, crash and hat that has been used on many recordings here. The heads are usually old but you are welcome to tune them any way you prefer. If you have a kit you like, you should put new heads on it (top & bottom) and bring it. Remo Ambassadors are good. I also like the Evans Studio-X heads for harder-hitting music.

Will you be "producing" my project, or "engineering" it?

I consider myself an engineer. That said, if I have an opinion that I think will make a positive difference, I won't withhold it. On a few occasions I've ended up playing drums or guitar on a recording; what would you call that? In general, I like to see you do what you do and make sure it is well-captured and well-mixed. I do not want to take responsibility for the art of your music.

Do you do mastering?

Sometimes... I am familiar with the process and can get the job done well enough, but the Chateau is not a mastering studio. I prefer not to master projects that I mix (but can make a few recommendations, if you like), as prevailing wisdom suggests that "another set of ears" is especially helpful at this stage, as well as a different room. That said, if you are not prepared to drop the dough for a professional mastering job, I can do a better job than most people working out of their bedrooms. I am happy to master home recordings or projects recorded at other studios, provided the sample rate does not exceed 96kHz. But really, if you can afford it, a top-quality mastering job makes a big difference.

There are some particular processes that go into creating a master for vinyl that I am not equipped to perform. If you are planning to have your project pressed to vinyl, I cannot master it for that purpose.

Mastering work at the Chateau is billed at an hourly rate, not by minutes of music as is often the case at proper, dedicated mastering studios.

Do you do beats?

I can and have, but remember this takes time like anything else... I do not provide "walk in, sing, walk out" service. If you are looking for a hip-hop producer, I am not a terribly avid fan of the music and will probably not produce anything groundbreaking for you. However, people have come to the Chateau to rap over beats they had already made, and that has always gone just fine. There is no booth here but it is possible to create sufficiently dead space.

Do you do voice-over?

Yup. Shure SM-7B into a Universal Audio M-610, compressed in the computer.

Do you do analog recording?

No. If you want, you can bring an analog recording device and I can plug my front end into it. If you want me to mix a session like that, I'll record it into the computer and mix there.

Would you mix a project that I recorded on my own/at another studio?

I'd love to! I am most familiar with Sonar and prefer to work in it, so OMFs are preferred, possibly accompanied by 2-track rough mixes if you have certain ideas that you would like to retain in the final mix.

Can you transfer my old vinyl/cassette/reels/etc. to CD-R?

Maybe. Call or email.

How long will it take to record my project?

I don't know. If you and a friend are tracking a 60-min multi-track album from the bottom up, filling in compositional holes as you go and doing lots of overdubbing, it could easily take over a hundred hours all told. If you have a well-rehearsed band and are tracking mostly live without too much overdubbing, it will probably take a lot less. If you are doing everything live and never looking back, probably an afternoon or two plus five to ten hours of mixing can be enough; maybe less depending on the size of the ensemble.

Is there anything weird I should know about the place?

I can't really set up headphone mixes at present. Where headphones are a necessity, the best I can do is one mix into two sets of phones. Most of the musicians who record here prefer not to use headphones for basic tracking.

Another weird thing is that you can hear the street in the studio. It's quiet and most of the time it is not noticeable. If you are playing *extraordinarily* quiet music and do not want the occasional rumble of a car or a barking dog bleeding into your track, it would be best to schedule time late at night, if possible. Avoiding 2:30-3:00PM on weekdays is good, too, because the elementary school across the street lets out then. Obviously this is not a problem in the summer.

Yeah something came up. When's the next time you're open?

At present there is no cancellation fee, and I hope not to need to implement such a wretched thing. If you can't make it, the earlier you can let me know, the better. In situations in which extenuating circumstances arise I am quite understanding, but a no-call-no-show is not fun and often in fact costs me money. Please be responsible and treat the studio and your session with respect.

Where did you get your name?

The name carries over from my former space, a defunct screen-printer's shop in Garfield Park, Chicago. Tristan DeWitt named the studio "The Chateau" after a microwave-sized auxiliary oven by the same name, which we found in the "kitchen area" of the building.

lft my hat @ ur place. do u stil hve it?

Come check the lost&found, my friend.

Are there any other questions I should be asking?

Probably. If you think of some, email!