BLOG | JUN. 11, 2025

I ain't payin' for no studio time! My buddy has a PC with software in his house. . .


Going through some archives I came across this priceless piece of history: its the rate card from the studio my friends and I used to go to. You can see it here:. After years of nagging, we did get him to discount our rate to $50 an hour, though.... Note that back in 1987 they charged $55 / hour + Tape. (Since they recorded at 3.75 i.p.s. tape costs didn't get too out of hand - and yes, for those of you who don't get sarcasm from flat text, that was definitely an insult! Considering the MX 5050 did 7.5 and I'm pretty sure 15 ips 3.75 for full-band music was not the best speed option available. I've done several transfers for bands who had their master tapes from this place and there is only so much you can get from a 20 year-old 3.75 1/4 inch master...). Well, last week I heard a guy bitch that he wasn't paying us $50 an hour for our studio. He said that rate was "way expensive." To quote my father, "you'll have that." But it made me take a moment and ask "are we really out-of-our-minds-expensive?" Or does this particular gentleman simply fail to value to real cost of a recording studio? So, what a fortuitous find. According to The Inflation Calculator: What cost $55 in 1987 would cost $102.50 as of this writing. So, not only are we less money in sticker price, we're less than half the price in adjusted dollars. And the funny thing was we were in high school, and we found the money to record. The guy yelling about my $50 rate has a full time job and no kids to support. And the studio was not sloppy. They had some decent mics from my recollection. And the Trident Series 70 was a good desk. Its essentially a Series 80 with fewer buses, an ill-tempered power supply and some shelving changes. No, it wasn't an SSL or a Neve, but it was a very respectable piece of gear. (Heck, it probably cost them an arm and a leg back then, too). So, what's the point of my rant? Well, for a variety of reasons, it has become less expensive to go to a professional studio. So, if you're thinking about this as a career choice, here's some factual proof that there is less money to be made that you may have thought. But for you studio owners that have people complain about your rates, at some point you might want to invite those malcontents to leave. After all, if they aren't going to invest $50 an hour for a real studio, are they really going to press their CD/Vinyl? Will they have it mastered by a full-time M.E.? Will they really practice? Maintain their gear? Play out? Market it? Sell their stuff? I'm betting the answer is a resounding "NO WAY." So, you know they don't take it seriously, maybe instead of torturing yourself you should let them record at their friends house. You know, the guy with the cracked version of Cubase and all the Waves plug-ins form a torrent...

TotalJerkStudiosPrices.jpg
TotalJerkStudiosPrices.jpg
TotalJerkStudiosPrices.jpg

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

Or Learn More

MORE ENTRIES

BLOG

Ronan's Recording Show features Jerks Behind Tape Op mag

By Mike Caffrey

December 24, 2009

Our pal Ronan Chris Murphy does this cool "TV" show on his site, http://ronansrecordingshow.com, and the most recent one is with me and John...

BLOG

Vinyl Lives?

By Mike Caffrey

November 3, 2009

James Goss has interviewed many independent record store owners across the country to see how they stay in business and what they sell. Every month a...

BLOG

MICS FEATURED IN THE BEATLES?: ROCK BAND? VIDEO GAME

By Mike Caffrey

October 26, 2009

So I just noticed an email in my inbox from a PR person with the headline: "XXXXX MICS FEATURED IN THE BEATLES?: ROCK BAND? VIDEO GAME". What's next?...
Damian Wagner and the Sound of the Earth?

BLOG

Damian Wagner and the Sound of the Earth?

By Mike Caffrey

October 21, 2009

Ina previous blog post, we saw the beginnings of this project. Damian Wagner was in issue 64 - here's a crazy project where he's amplifying the sound...
Meeting Your Maker

BLOG

Meeting Your Maker

By Mike Caffrey

October 17, 2009

Well, not my maker but the man behind the baby that is our RND5088 console at Jackpot! I got to spend a little time (and a photoshoot) with Rupert...

BLOG

This happens EVERY week

By Mike Caffrey

October 7, 2009

I didn't do this video. But the guy who did must be spying on me. You can replace the style of music with any style, but the conversation is the...
Nashville Recording Summit Nov. 13-15

BLOG

Nashville Recording Summit Nov. 13-15

By Mike Caffrey

October 7, 2009

Tape Op contributor, Chris Mara, has organized an amazing studio event coming up. I wanted to go but sessions have stopped me. If you can make it,...

BLOG

The solution, clearly, is more dissonance

By Adam Kagan

October 2, 2009

It's not Idol, technically, but America's Got Talent and its dentally-impaired overseas cousin are still franchises helmed by Simon Cowell, who I...
Bob Johnston live interview in Montreal October 2nd

BLOG

Bob Johnston live interview in Montreal October 2nd

By Mike Caffrey

September 30, 2009

Our pal Howard Bilerman will be interviewing legendary producer Bob Johnston in Montreal coming up. Should be a real hoot!