Studio Policies

Policies & Information

We have a few studio policies that make things run smoothly.

Smoking

There is no smoking in the building; this includes incense, candles, sage and anything else you need a flame to get started. These things give off a low-grade smoke which can contaminate the microphone diaphragms causing a reduction in sound quality.

Session deposits

We require deposits for sessions–last minute cancellations are bad for everyone. Your deposit is 100% refundable until 48 hours of your session. You can pay your deposit by buying it from the website store via credit card once you have a confirmed date and time scheduled with us.

Billing Clock Start

Billing starts after all instruments have been carried in and are set up ready to be miked. The drums take the longest usually so sometimes it's best to have the drummer show up ahead of everyone else, usually a half hour will do

Payment Terms

All studio time payments are to be made at the end of each session with cash, personal check or credit card. You can also pay via the website's online store.

Release of Final Masters

No final masters or archival backups will be released unless all studio charges are completely paid for.

Studio Musicians

Studio musicians are available through us or by private contract. The actual fee is determined by the individual player contracted; however, most of them charge somewhere between $35.00 to $50.00 per hour usually with a two hour minimum per session. Some players prefer to charge on a "per song" basis.
Other services we can provide are session production, music transcription (making charts) and printing, mobile recording both audio and video.

The Role of the Producer and why you might want to consider one…

Producer (pro-doo! cer) n. 'Someone who sits in a studio control room and periodically freaks out. Never eats, sleeps, or goes to the bathroom. Occasionally will eat your pizza.'

But seriously, at most sessions there is one person who has the final word about musical things. A producer decides things like the tempo of the song, which take of a particular performance is the "keeper", what the general sound of each instrument should be, how are all the instruments best combined during mixing, and with what kind of effects. It is his job to oversee the recording project as a whole including the setting of budgets and devising a plan-of-attack to produce the recording within the time and financial constraints set forth for the project.

Hiring a producer can greatly enhance the quality of your project because he/she fucntions as an objective, fresh set of ears. The producer's job is to constantly evaluate the recorded performances with respect to how they fit together to create the best, most creative, end product. He is supposed to work with "big picture" in mind at all times, taking the information given to him by the performers as to what their overall intentions are with their music, and using that knowledge combined with his experience to create the final stereo master.

Local Info

    We offer free wi-fi via the Audioworks Studio network. The password is posted at various places around the facility.
    We provide complimentary coffee to clients via the coffee machine on the counter in the kitchen.
    There are many places in the neighborhood to get food (this is Hilton Head after all) and some of them even deliver! A list of local eateries and their hours is posted on the refrigerator in the kitchen.