At Date: Wed, 10 May 2006 13:28:42 Farrar wrote:

>Recording everything in the digital domain seems to be incredibly
>cheap with the exception of initial equipment costs, although paying
>someone with Golden Ears to mix and master tends to bump up the cost
>considerably. (Not everyone can afford Bill Symzyck of course...) I
>have listened to many a CD which were recorded on the cheap, and while
>the material would seem to have been accurately captured, the mix is
>horrible. It ruins the listener's experience, in my humble opinion,
>and a lot of local bands would seem to have suffered from this in my
>hometown of Charlotte and also here in New Orleans.

High end studios are crashing and burning in Toronto like mad. Reaction, 
McClear, and others have shut their doors in the last 2 years. Those still 
in the business of catering to the major labels (Metalworks) have upped 
their ante by adding 5.1 to the lure. Still doesn't justify paying $1500 a 
day for admin costs and floor space to get virtually the same ProTools set 
up in some smaller sized studios.

The only time we ever use the big rooms is for mixing now...and occasionally 
tracking live drums if there's a specific drum sound we're after.

Was just in the studio with Segarini last night as the new Segarini Band 
laid down 2 new songs (one a cover of Springsteen's "Tenth Avenue Freeze 
Out") which will be completed on Friday. Eight sessions at 3 hours a piece 
for under a G-note. Live room, Innuendo editing software....real musicians. 
At Metalworks that wouldn't have paid for the first day of bedtracks.

>Have you known anyone to have any success in doing a "self-release"
>e.g. on cdbaby.com? I haven't, but then again I work in public
>radio...

Not sure what you mean....are you talking about an indie band releasing 
their stuff through CDBaby?
Cause a few of my Bullseye acts have their material up there on a trial 
basis and we're getting a decent revenue every month from them.

>Current weather conditions: Mostly cloudy, 61% humidity and 30C.
>Current levee condtions: Who knows? Category Two, they say. Everybody
>down here is so nervous you wouldn't believe it. Marriages are
>breaking up, people in their forties are dying of heart attacks, and
>people like me are keeping an eye on job postings and knowing exactly
>what to pack and when. (Is the CBC hiring? Just kidding.)

The CBC just shut down its costuming and carpentry departments....so shows 
like Air Farce and The Rick Mercer Show will suffer in terms of their skit 
work.



Jaimie Vernon,
President, Bullseye Records
"Not Infecting Our Customers' Computers Since 1985!!"
http://www.bullseyecanada.com
http://www.bullseyerecords.com
Author, Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/

http://www.myspace.com/jaimievernonsmovingtargetz