CHATEAU FAQ - updated 09.2011

What kind of equipment do you use?

I track&mix in Nuendo or Sonar (per client request) on a PC with numerous third-party plug-in processors and, if you like, effects. I master in Sequoia mostly using the iZotope Ozone plug-in. Sample rates can range from 44.1-96kHz and the decision is left to the client's discretion (I default to 88.2). 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. (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 I had avoided using whenever possible, became a reasonable choice for many situations. 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. Often we hear people say that "the microphone is the most important thing in the signal chain, then the preamp, etc." I think this is silly. It is all important, and it is all variable. I have heard mediocre mics sound great through the right preamp on the right source, great mics sound horrible through inferior preamps, etc. There are no easy answers.

Currently I am in possession of some microphones belonging to Ben Carver of Studiomedia. There are some very nice mics in his collection and I am very grateful to him for this loan.

I have a Sohmer & Co. full upright piano, a couple excellent Fender guitar amplifiers, guitars, basses, midi keyboards, effects pedals, auxiliary percussion, drum kits (1 jazz, 1 rock), a rotted upright piano soundboard with rusty strings, and a 55-string out-of-tune bandura. I am always collecting ephemera.

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

Why don't you use Pro Tools?

At Experimental Sound Studio I do use Pro Tools 9. For a long time, the program was bloated and expensive and required antiquated proprietary hardware, and the "lite" version (the only practical option for a small studio) placed artificial restrictions on functionality. This changed with Pro Tools 9 (released early 2011), which now works with any type of hardware and has implemented some changes that Pro Tools' devotees had desired for a long time. I have not switched to Pro Tools at the Chateau because I am already familiar with the software I have been using for years and there is no advantage I can see in workflow or sonics in switching now. Perhaps I will switch over one day.

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 Pro Tools or most any other DAW. There is no sonic advantage to either tracking or mixing your project in Pro Tools over Nuendo or Sonar or any other DAW; different DAWs have different mix buss structures, but to call one "better" or "worse" than another is impossible.

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, noise, 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.

The Chateau is an inappropriate space for projects requiring isolation booths. With everyone playing in one room together, recording something like an upright bass next to a loud drummer can pose a problem. However, if your group's playing is acoustically balanced, this is a fine space for you to work in. Of course, if you are multitracking, this is not an issue.

If it seems like your project is not right for the Chateau, chances are it is right for Experimental Sound Studio, and some combination of tracking there and at the Chateau might be the best thing.

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 or 3.0, with at least 10GB 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.

When the session is complete I will archive the DAW files to my own archive disk. I do not keep multiple copies of the archive at present, so if this single hard disk fails and you do not have the project backed up on your own disk, your project is lost to further work. I am happy to deliver the project to you on a backup DVD as well, though I charge for this service.

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 guarantee that your project will still be viable for further work 10 years or even 2 years down the line. For this reason I strongly recommend that you keep two (2) copies of your own session.

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 two four-piece kits and some cymbals that have 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 bring it. Heads should not be "dead" old but should be nicely broken in. Coated Remo Ambassadors on top with uncoated Diplomats on bottom are good. I also like the Evans Studio-X heads on top for harder-hitting music. There are probably other fine drumheads, too.

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 some occasions I've ended up playing drums or guitar or singing harmony 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 will not try 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 the standard 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. That has always gone just fine, and I am skilled at mixing electronic music. There is no booth here but it is possible to create sufficiently dead space using bass traps and blankets.

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. Please email about the possibilities regarding analog devices.

Can you record the dialogue for my movie?

I have done this, but I do not have any of the equipment. If you have equipment but need someone to run it, I would be happy to.

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

I'd love to, provided the sample rate does not exceed 96kHz. I am most familiar with Nuendo and Sonar and prefer to work in them, so I prefer to receive projects in those formats, or OMFs, or folders of individual tracks pertaining to your project that are properly labeled and all starting at the same point. If you have certain ideas that you would like to retain from any possible rough mixes, I'd like to have those, too.

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 of practiced musicians 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.

Are the day rates just 9-12 whole hours or do you take time off for breaks?

Breaks are free. An 11-hr day billed at the day rate might actually take 15 hours, depending on how long breakfast-lunch-dinner go. This is standard at most any studio.

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 send one mix to 6 pairs of phones. Most of the musicians who record here prefer not to use headphones for basic tracking, which makes sense considering you're all in one room together.

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 especially good, too, because the elementary school across the street lets out then. Obviously this is not a problem in the summer.

Also it is haunted.

If you are going to need headphones or isolation booths, or if you don't want to hear cars or EVP in your recordings, I might suggest we work at Experimental Sound Studio.

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 that kind of 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!