Preparing for Recording

• How much does it cost to record with Tone Tree Audio?
  Tone Tree Audio provides a custom quote for each project depending on how many songs/tracks are needed, if Tone Tree Audio is providing any post-production services (ex. mixing and/or basic mastering) and additional needs (ex. adding drums and bass to songs). Some of the determining factors for recording cost include the number of songs/tracks; how many recording days are needed; how many musicians are involved; and the final goal of the project (ex. CDs, digital distribution, etc.).

  Please click the Contact link here or on any web page to provide details on your recording and/or next project to receive a custom quote and guidance.

• How long does it take to record with Tone Tree Audio?
  After receiving a request for a custom quote via the website, Tone Tree Audio will assess how much time is needed for recording based off the details provided. A rule of thumb: each song/track will usually take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to record, depending on the number of musicians or scope of the project.

  For example: a singer who also plays acoustic guitar recording 4 songs can generally expect 3 to 4 hours to record his/her album with Tone Tree Audio. Another example: an audiobook narrator with 10 chapters in his/her project may expect to read for 30 minutes to 1 hour+ per chapter.

• What days and times is Tone Tree Audio available for recording?

  Tone Tree Audio generally books time on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) for recording but can accommodate week nights and other times upon request. When requesting a custom quote please specify when you need your project turned around by (we recommend at least 2 months ahead for booking recording time and 1 month ahead for mixing and basic mastering requests) and days/times that work best for you.

• Where is Tone Tree Audio’s studio located?

  Tone Tree Audio has a small, fully-equipped and acoustically-isolated space in Kearney, Nebraska. The studio space best fits small groups, and can comfortably fit a 2-piece group performing at the same time or a larger group if musicians can record separately/at different times (see ‘Recording’ below for details). The facility has bathrooms and parking available. To see the studio space in action visit our audio recording page for video and audio examples.

  After confirming project details and recording date(s), Tone Tree Audio will provide the address of the studio and times to record. If you’d prefer to record at your practice space or venue (ex. for church worship groups), Tone Tree Audio provides mobile recording services in Nebraska.

Recording

• What do I need to bring to the recording with Tone Tree Audio?

  Please bring your instruments and any cables, extra guitar strings/drum heads, or other specific performance-based equipment to the Tone Tree Audio recording (the studio does not have instruments unless by request). Also, please bring water or snacks for long recording days (we do provide water bottles in limited supply). Tone Tree Audio provides all headphones, microphones, recording equipment and software/hardware to capture your audio.

  Most importantly, bring energy to the performances! Get rest the day before and feel confident about the practice and hard work put into your project; Tone Tree Audio will provide guidance on the recording date(s) so it’s a fun, collaborative environment.

• Can I record with other musicians at the same time?
  There are many options for recording your songs/tracks with Tone Tree Audio. For the best possible quality recording: each musician tracks his/her performances separately via headphones to a ‘click’ track, ‘scratch’ track or beat (ex. a drum beat), and the next musician performs on top of the previous performances (this is called overdubbing).

  However, Tone Tree Audio realizes that some musicians prefer a more ‘raw’ sound or need to perform with other musicians. Tone Tree Audio has the proper equipment and acoustic separation at the studio space in Kearney, Nebraska to comfortably record two musicians together at the same time. Please specify your preference on recording when contacting Tone Tree Audio for a custom quote to ensure the best possible quality recording and performances possible.

• I want to add additional instruments to my songs/tracks, such as drums and bass. Can Tone Tree Audio provide additional instrumentation?

  Tone Tree Audio has a network of local Nebraska musicians (many of whom previously worked with us) to assist with additional instrumentation, such as lead guitar, violin, bass and drums. If you would like additional instrumentation or production on your songs, please alert us to this during the recording and we can provide a custom quote for additional instrumentation and production for your songs/tracks.

• The recording went great with Tone Tree Audio! Now, what do I receive or do next after the recording?

  Recording with Tone Tree Audio is only the first step in the process to crafting an awesome final product ready for distribution and sharing with the world. Generally, during the custom quote process prior to recording, Tone Tree Audio will provide guidance on what is needed to finalize your project.

  For example, with an acoustic, singer-songwriter EP (ex. 4 or 5 songs), we would generally recommend our mixing and basic mastering services to finesse the recorded audio into a finalized format for CD or digital distribution via Spotify, iTunes, CD Baby or Bandcamp (see ‘Mixing/Basic Mastering’ below). If budget allows, Tone Tree Audio can also recommend a third-party mastering service for special needs (ex. for vinyl distribution) or specific genre requirements.

  If you do not require our mixing and basic mastering services, Tone Tree Audio can provide all recorded tracks via a cloud service (ex. Google Drive) for the musician/client to take to their preferred post-production service for mixing and/or mastering.

Mixing/Basic Mastering

• What is mixing and mastering and why do I need it?
  After recording all performances with Tone Tree Audio, the audio is backed up in its raw format. The raw performances require cleanup and assembling of best takes, production needs for the genre of music or project (ex. specific audio guidelines for audiobook distribution) and preparation for the final product, including CD or digital distribution via Spotify, iTunes, CD Baby, Bandcamp or Audible. This post-production process is referred to as mixing and mastering.

  Except for rare cases such as a live recording of a school band’s orchestra performance or other classical music projects, almost every recording project will require mixing and basic mastering to give each project the finishing touches it needs for distribution. See more information on Tone Tree Audio’s mixing and basic mastering services here.

• How much does Tone Tree Audio charge for mixing and basic mastering?
  Similar to custom quotes for recording projects, Tone Tree Audio provides custom quotes for all mixing and mastering requests. Tone Tree Audio generally provides a better rate on mixing and basic mastering services if the client is also recording with Tone Tree Audio.

  Please click the Contact link here or on any web page to provide details on your mixing and mastering needs for your project, and we can provide you with a custom quote.

• I want to make sure my voice is on-pitch after I recorded, and I think I was a little behind on my acoustic guitar strums in a couple of spots. Can Tone Tree Audio fix those performance issues?

  Although it’s never a guarantee that we can fix every performance or audio ‘gremlin’ in your project, Tone Tree Audio has the engineering and mixing/mastering experience to fix almost any pitch, performance and audio-related aspect of your project. Check out some of our mixes and masters on the Listen page for examples of our work.

  However, we cannot fix lackluster or low-energy performances (in our experience, the energy of the performance is the toughest of all things to ‘correct’ in a project). Our rule of thumb: get your performance as close to perfect as you can while recording so we don’t have to worry about ‘fixing’ it in mixing and mastering (avoid the ‘fix it in post’ mentality).

  Please ensure that you are well-rehearsed for your recording with Tone Tree Audio or, if you record with someone else and bring your tracks to us to mix and/or master, ensure your engineer provides multiple takes of your performances for Tone Tree Audio to choose from in the mixing process.

• Wow, our mixes and/or masters sound sweet from Tone Tree Audio! How do we finish the project and get our music to the masses?

  After mixing and/or mastering is finished, the client approves the finalized audio and pays in full, Tone Tree Audio will export mixes and/or masters in high-resolution format dependent on the project and final distribution needs and share the files via a cloud storage platform (ex. Google Drive). The client holds all rights to the finalized audio files after that point to utilize how they wish.

  Tone Tree Audio does NOT provide CD or digital distribution services as part of our recording, mixing or basic mastering services and is not included in our custom quotes. However, we are happy to provide guidance on the process to ensure your finalized audio project is heard.

  Tone Tree Audio recommends CD Baby for CD-production needs, and DistroKid digital distribution needs, including getting your songs onto Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and related streaming platforms. Also check out Bandcamp for a cost-effective (as in free!) website solution for starting musicians and audio projects for distributing your audio on your own terms (Bandcamp can be used alongside CD Baby and DistroKid for a full physical, digital and website distribution rollout for your project, in conjunction with your social media pages and possible paid marketing decisions).