Studio Info & FAQs

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME?
WHO IS THIS SERVICE FOR?
DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VINTAGE GEAR?
WHAT’S THE BASIC PROCESS?
WHAT GEAR WILL YOU USE?
CAN I HEAR WHAT YOU DO?
WHAT’S THE COST?
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
CAN I GET THE WORK DONE QUICKLY?
WHAT FILE FORMAT/SIZE?
CAN I SEND MP3s THOUGH?
WHAT DO I GET BACK?
WHO ARE THE ENGINEERS?
CAN I SPECIFY WHICH GEAR / SETTINGS?
CAN I ASK FOR THE REALLY WILD STUFF?
DO YOU DO SUBTLE THOUGH?
WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE THE END RESULT?
Terms & Conditions

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME?

This is a bespoke sound processing service – our sounds through our studio.

Essentially, you send us your audio files and give us a brief.

We then process the files using a selection of gear from our incredible studio collection and send you the results.

This is also available as a real-time service so you can direct our engineers and hear the results as we work.

You can be as specific or vague as you wish with your instructions. From “use the Publison to pitch shift the vocals by +/- 3 cents left and right”, to “dirty everything up and make it louder”, to simply “Soundgas it!”. We’ll always aim to give you a range of usable/interesting results; it’s very much up to you how much we follow your lead or use our experience: this will depend on how much guidance you give us. If you select the real-time option you’ll be able to hear the results as we work (subject to your internet connection).

WHO IS THIS SERVICE FOR?

Whether you are a composer working on a soundtrack in need of fresh sonic textures; an artist wanting stems processing through a rare piece of gear; a label looking to develop a new artist’s sound; making music on a laptop in your bedroom; a busy DJ looking for remix inspiration; this is for you.

If you’re not sure, then get in touch using the Enquiry Form and we can take a look and discuss the options with you.

DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VINTAGE GEAR?

In a word: No!

The brief you send us can be detailed and technical, can reference other artists/tracks, or it can be very general and simply ask us for our input and guidance. We are here to navigate you through the process and our engineers are available to discuss your requirements via email or on the phone beforehand, if required. You can select the real-time option and hear the results as we work and direct us as required.

WHAT’S THE BASIC PROCESS?

You send us your files and a brief. We discuss that with you to make sure we understand your needs.

We process your files through a range of gear to achieve the results you want and send you a selection of ideas and a range of treatments.

For the real-time access option, you can listen in and direct us as we work.

We always endeavour to supply you with results that offer you as much flexibility as possible (ie mixed and wet-only passes). If you book the real-time service, we can liaise with you directly during the session.

Ready to send us some info? Fill out this enquiry form now.

WHAT GEAR WILL YOU USE?

Our studio collection of vintage processors is like no other, and our engineers will use our deep knowledge to draw out unique and characterful sounds from your files to fulfil the brief (whether that is standing out from the crowd, subtly blending in, or all points in between).

SEE THE FULL GEAR LIST

As you will see, there’s a lot there, and there’s certainly no obligation for you to take it all in (there won’t be a test!). But if there’s a specific piece or pieces you want to hear on your sounds then let us know as we develop the brief, and we’ll use those in conjunction with whatever else we feel is necessary to achieve the best results.

And will we use all of it? No. Often a carefully tweaked chain of two or three pieces plus outboard processing will give us the sonic shift we are looking for. A less is more approach. But, also yes, sometimes more is more, and if things need to get really wild then (as the studio photos and our Instagram feed hopefully illustrate) we are ready to take things into wild and forbidden sonic dimensions.

CAN I HEAR WHAT YOU DO?

You can. This page has some examples, and it will take you to our archive should you wish to hear more.

WHAT’S THE COST?

Our half day (4 hours) rate is £350 – this allows half a day for us to download and process your sounds, and upload the results. Any less isn’t likely to be sufficient time to provide the level of service and attention to detail that we deliver.

Book your session here or if you have a job you want to discuss with us, fill out our enquiry form (or get in touch direct).

If you need more time then £550 gets you a full day’s lockout (7 hours).

More info:

  • The number and length of the files you provide will naturally determine how much variety you receive in return. Everything is processed in real time in the analogue domain: offline bouncing is not an option!
  • You can book as much time as you require, and we can add additional processing sessions at a reduced rate should you wish to revisit the same sessions at a later date (within four weeks).
  • For the half day rate (£350), the maximum track length is 12 minutes with no more than 30 total minutes of music (ie five stems of six minutes, two of fifteen, or ten of 3 minutes). If you choose to send us shorter sections for treatment (eg samples, hits and short loops), you will receive a greater variety of results in return.

We may from time to time offer introductory taster sessions for simple/specific treatments, for example processing beats through a signal chain of Grampian 636, EQ, compressor and our desk.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

Standard turnaround is dependent on our studio schedule and is currently up to a week, faster for the real-time option. Of course we will discuss timings with you at the beginning of the process and keep you posted on progress. We will endeavour to return files as quickly as possible.

CAN I GET THE WORK DONE QUICKLY?

It may be possible to fast track the work, depending on engineer/studio availability.

There will be a modest extra charge (depending on the size of the job). Enquire for details.

WHAT FILE FORMAT/SIZE?

WAV or AIFF only please (MP3 is possible but only after discussion of the limitations that may place on the process).

We recommend uncompressed stereo interleaved audio with a bit depth of 16 or 24 bit with a sampling frequency of 44.1kHz or 48kHz (higher resolutions possible by arrangement).

Please do not send limited or normalised files – we need as much headroom as possible to ensure the best results.

Please note: track duration, file resolution, and number of stems will affect the variety of results – we reserve the right to increase the studio time required and inform you of extra charges if you send more files than we can process within the selected service.

CAN I SEND MP3s THOUGH?

If you must, but we’ll convert to WAV for processing – ideally we’d prefer to receive high quality files.

WHAT DO I GET BACK?

You will receive wav files at the same resolution as your source material.

Exactly what will depend on the nature of the project and what processes have been applied. We strive to always offer a range of processing options for maximum flexibility.

If appropriate, and if time allows, we may include “extra” passes through more unusual combinations to offer something unexpected.

WHO ARE THE ENGINEERS?

The bulk of the processing is done by our in-house engineer, Ben Hirst, with input from Tony and Gid. We may also use experienced freelance engineers who understand our studio and how to get the best from it.

Ben Hirst is our in-house engineer and Felipe Gutierrez is our main freelance engineer: all the examples on the site are their work. They are in turn overseen by Head Gear Head Tony, who’s responsible for the studio gear selection and knows much of the more unusual equipment inside out; he may also choose to be involved at the processing stage where required.

We also have the extremely experienced and BBC-trained Dr Huw on hand for additional advice – he has recorded many artists and boasts a gold disc for his work with Robert Plant.

CAN I SPECIFY WHICH GEAR / SETTINGS?

You can. If you want a particular program from a specific reverb or digital processor then we can provide that, as well as advice on which options are best if you have a specific end result in mind.

If you haven’t already looked through it, see the gear list now.

CAN I ASK FOR THE REALLY WILD STUFF?

Please do! We love deploying extreme, unusual and experimental combinations when Soundgassing, and you may well get some of these anyway (see above in “What do I get back?”), however it is definitely OK to say “go crazy with it!”

DO YOU DO SUBTLE THOUGH?

Yes, of course. We have a wide selection of classic and unusual effects that are used for gentle enhancement and more subtle processing. And we’ll send you the wet-only files in most circumstances so you have complete control of how much processing is heard when you mix in your DAW.

WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE THE END RESULT?

The initial consultation process should avoid this. If a brief is particularly tricky, we may opt to do some initial test passes to ensure we are on the right track (this will be priced into the job accordingly).

But if you are unhappy for any reason, please do not hesitate to let us know so we can discuss how to rectify the situation.

Terms & Conditions

This entire Studio Info page constitutes the terms of this service and you making payment to us for the work means you have read and agreed to everything here.

If anything is unclear then please discuss it with us before or at the process where we are agreeing the brief for the work.

OUR GUARANTEE

We stand behind our gear with a guarantee of your satisfaction - see the FAQ section above for full details and buy with complete confidence.

SHIPPING DISCOUNTS

When buying more than one item you only pay the shipping on the item with the highest shipping cost. Calculated automatically at checkout.

NEED HELP?

Get in touch via the contact page. We know & love our gear and we want to ensure you get something that matches your needs (that, and we just like talking gear).

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