I first dabbled in recording music as early back as 2006. Since then, I have gotten more serious about it, and eventually decided I was finally ready to take on clients around 2015.

Either option is a possibility, and they both have their benefits. If you want a cleaner, more polished recording, tracking everything separately tends to yield a better result. 

If you want a more raw, messy, and natural feeling to things, recording live is the better option. I would also say that overdubbing the vocals afterward will yield a better result, as it will eliminate bleed and allow for a dynamic vocal recording.

The available gear is the same, essentially, for a demo or album or whatever you may want to do. The difference is in what your goal would be. For a demo, there would be considerably less time spent in the mixing stages and finding sounds for the recording. Typically, the result will be a raw short recording for use for whatever you'd like, be that demo or EP or album, what have you. This option would include very minimal overdubs, usually one amp set and ready to go per guitarist, a really barebones approach.

On the other hand, the other recording options go more in-depth. This includes overdubs, additional takes, time spent finding the right amplifier, and everything you'd expect with recording an album.

No. If you spend the full amount of time on the demo, it will be the full amount. If we finish early, we can negotiate a lesser fee.

This answer is hard to quantify because it depends on a variety of factors. For example, how long are the songs? How well-rehearsed are you/the band on these songs? Have the songs been fully written before entering the studio? Are you focused or distracted while recording? The list goes on.  I will say that a full band is capable of recording a full album in a single day but it's just as possible that you could spend multiple sessions working on one or two songs. Try to give yourself realistic goals and overestimate on the time you think it will take so that you don't feel rushed.

You should bring everything you would need to play a show or practice, or anything you wanted to use to record with. This includes drums, amps, guitars, pedals, cabs, extra strings, picks, etc. 

If we have something that you would like to use, please let us know in advance so we can make sure it is available and ready to go.

The studio does have drum parts, amplifiers, and speaker cabinets available should you need them. If you will need to borrow something, please let me know in advance so that I can make sure that it is here, and can have it set up for you when you arrive. Also, any details would help, i.e. if the amp needs channel switching, how much gain you need, if you use pedals, etc.

It can be nice to have a friend/partner or someone there to help ease tensions in the process, however, it's important to note that this could have an adverse effect; raising tensions or deflecting focus. The studio is also small and can feel crowded quickly. If a friend or additional person(s) to the band must come, please discuss it beforehand and limit it to 1-2 persons.

Yep! I have done a few, and it's always welcome. The only downside would be that there is not currently a (good) acoustic guitar for use at the studio.

The concept is similar to playing a show or something and getting a soundboard recording. Ideally, you come, set up, everything is then mic'd up, you run the set you want to record, and then you tear down, and head out. You tell me any mix notes or anything you'd want, and within a few days, you'd get a rough, raw live recording, with one free revision. There will be a two-hour timeframe for setup/teardown.

If you leave yourself time to retry a song or two, that's fair game. However, we will not have time to listen back to tracks as you go, so come prepared. Remember, this is supposed to be like a 30-minute live performance, so show up prepared to play your best and what you play is what you get!

Here's a rough rundown of how the entire session will go (all times estimated):

5:55 PM - You arrive with your gear ready to load in.

6:00 PM - You bring your gear into the studio and set up.  You set up your amps, you set up your drums, and you plug yourselves in.

6:20 PM - We set up microphones for the drums, for the amps, potentially run a DI from the bass, and set up the appropriate number of vocal mics.

6:40 PM - We get a sound check, make sure everyone is tuned and ready to go, and that everything is working properly (pedals plugged in, bass drum pedal isn't broken, etc). 

7:00 PM - You play your set.

7:30 PM - You finish your set.  We tear down mics and anything else from the studio, and then you begin to tear down your own equipment.

8:00 PM - You finish loading your gear and head home.  

No. The only limits and constraints with the Demo option are time and yourself. Arrive well rehearsed, focused, and ready to rock, and the recording will reflect that. It is important to remember that mixing time is included in this service, so if you are well rehearsed and knock out 20 minutes of music in 2 hours, that will mean that I can spend more time mixing. I will never force you to have to release something that is unmixed or sounds like garbage in case time gets short; the goal here is for you to be happy with what you're paying for, but please don't take advantage of this.

The goal of the in-house package deal is to make the entire process easier on everyone involved. If we record everything in-house, we have control over the recording and quality of everything being mixed, which makes the mixing and mastering processes more streamlined, which makes the estimated turnaround time faster, which makes everybody happy.  What this means is that if we're being sent guitar tracks recorded in a friends garage (or wherever else) and being asked to mix those tracks into the final mix, this would void the in-house package deal. 

Some other conditions may apply and some exceptions may apply (i.e. if you want to record an instrument or part that can't be done in the studio under normal conditions).  In short: if we record your entire album here at The Warren, your project qualifies for the discount.

I mainly use Reaper.

We have a wide variety of plugins available, everything from Oeksound to Waves to Izotope. Mixing is primarily done using channel-strip plugins for workflow and consistency in sound. At the moment, mixing is done primarily using the SSL-UC1 and their native console emulation plugins. 

This is entirely dependent on many, many variables. How was it recorded? Which amplifiers and cabinets were used? Microphone setup? How much of a room sound was captured with the drums? How were the drums tuned?

Generally speaking, it's wise to focus on capturing your own sound that sounds like you. Though it is possible to ballpark a similar "vibe," in my experience, it is better to get the best sounds for the project that you can, rather than trying to emulate someone else's work. Let your creativity run rampant.  If you have a sound you're aiming for, it largely starts at the recording stage and is not something easily achieved by trying to force a different tonal quality in the mixing process..That being said, if you're after a general vibe, feel free to send me examples prior to the recording process so that we can come up with a game plan. 

This is an option that I have been exploring lately, and depending on availability and scheduling, this is an option that would be free of charge. However, you must remember that you are an observer of the process and you are trusting me with handling your vision - I will never let you have something that you hate if you've recorded an album with me. I want you to be happy with the final product, but if you are observing the mixing process, while active suggestions are welcome, you are paying me to do my job. Please speak in advance about this and we can try to work something out.

I will give 3 complimentary revisions, for things such as "less kick drum, more bass, vocals down a little". Afterward, there will be a $30-$50 charge per each additional revision, based on project size. 

If things become a lot more involved, there will be additional charges, such as if a full remixing is required, but not likely more than $50 (barring extraneous circumstances).

Under normal circumstances, 1-2 weeks from receiving your mixes. If you have a specific deadline please mention it when getting in touch.

It is potentially possible, depending on the studio schedule. If you are working with a very tight deadline please let me know ASAP when we start working together, or you can contact me via email at thewarrenrecordinggroup@gmail.com. Please write "RUSH MASTERING REQUEST" and I will get in touch.

• Please send the mixes as WAV files (not MP3s), preferably 24 bit if possible. 

• Please make sure that mixes are not run through a limiter or overly compressed; I will be able to deliver a better product with a dynamic base with plenty of headroom. 

• Mixes can be sent through Google Drive or Dropbox, and please make sure they are properly labeled and numbered for song order. 

• Any additional notes, such as songs fading into each other, or fading out, etc, should be included as well.

A flash drive/thumb drive works great.  Emailing in advance also works well and I can have it downloaded and ready to drop into the recording when you're in the studio.

For mastering, the rates are generally set in stone. That being said, every project is different and I would like to find a way to work with you, so feel free to ask if you believe your project is a special case.

We are located in the town of Frostburg, MD. The studio is located in a private residence so information regarding our location will be given upon booking a session.  Parking instructions will be included along with the address and directions.

We are one in the same.

I do not offer CD duplication, but I often recommend Kunaki, which is one of the easiest and most straight-forward sites to make CDs.

Cash or PayPal work best.  For projects, we highly encourage you to pay half of the estimated cost up front and the remaining cost upon project completion.  Until the project is fully paid, WAV files for the final tracks/mixes/masters (depending on the services requested) will be withheld. 

In moderation, this is okay. However, if the use of these things starts to hinder or negatively impact the session, you will be asked to cease use and potentially asked to leave and the session will be canceled without a refund. In short: don't be an asshole and it won't be a problem.

As this is a private residence, we do have pets living in the house. If it's an area of particular concern, please let us know ahead of time so that we can prepare extra cleaning in the studio of any pet dander. 

Of course, just contact us and we'll organize a time.

The Warren Recording Group is a pseudo-label that serves as a catch-all to bands that record with us but don't have a label of their own.  Any band that records here and wishes to can be added to the catalog and use our logos and info to their liner notes and release info free of charge.  We invite anyone to check out the bands that have recorded with us under the WRG umbrella at thewarrenrecordinggroup.bandcamp.com, which includes songs from each release as well as links to each band's individual Bandcamp links to hear the full albums.  The Warren Recording Group does not offer any sort of album promotion or payment for physical releases (i.e CDs or vinyl), nor does it collect any money from the artists who release music with the name.  It's simply offered as a fun way to be a part of the WRG community for those interested.