Recording Services

The more you know about what we do, the better your recording will come out...

Please read this information before you book time with us! It will help your recording come out better. We want our clients to be as informed as possible so that their music is the best it can be. If you don't read this information carefully and rehearse for your recording it will not come out as good. It is as simple as that. No matter your experience level it never hurts to learn more or practice a little more. So please take the time to read. If you already know it, great. If you don't then happy reading, and if you have any more questions just give us a call.

      Aliehn specializes in modern digital recording techniques. We have the ability to scale the desired budget and degree of professionalism to each clients needs. If a band wants to do a quick live recording, or wants to create a world class album, we can deliver either. Aliehn studios is uniquely equipped to handle many different types of music. We deliver audio to Pro Tools via an expanded 192 IO which can input sixteen simultaneous tracks at once. We can then go back and overdub up to 128 tracks. Because of our Pro Tools HD, and Glyph drives, this is a very reliable system. Most computer recording programs claim unlimited tracks, but this is most usually an advertising trick, because there are many factors involved in reliable track counts. This is the difference in paying 2000 dollars for a computer and recording software, versus buying a Pro Tools TDM system which costs roughly ten times that price. All Pro Tools TDM systems combine hardware AND software to ensure reliability. Many people talk about Pro Tools and don't know the difference between Pro Tools Le, and a TDM system like Pro Tools HD. Though the two are compatible, professional studios use a TDM system for obvious reasons. Pro Tools HD when combined with high quality plugins, such as Waves and Antares, enables artists to have an almost unlimited scope of creative freedom, with unmatched editing power. This is the very same system that is creating the most professional level of sound recordings that is currently available in ANY market. At the end of the day the system saves the mix so that it will be exactly the same when you open it up again. This is a huge advantage.

After all is said and done, going out to a music store, getting a digital recorder, or computer and a cheap mic and recording your own music is expensive, To get real world results, you need a top quality mic or two, several more mics for drums and instruments, some top shelf boutique preamps, tube limiters and compressors, a computer full of plugins, a high resolution A/D converter, some good monitors and an acoustically engineered space. Not to mention that you still have to learn how to engineer, and then actually do it yourself. Thinking about all of this, it is easy to see why going to a real recording studio is the cheaper, better alternative. Do the math, and you will see.

Pre Production, and Tours

We cannot stress enough the importance of pre production work. As a first time client, or a returning veteran discussing the recording process is THE most important step towards getting a great recording. There are steps an artist can take to both speed up the recording process and ensure the highest quality. Consulting is free, and will definitely help clients get to know what is possible, what to expect, and most importantly, what they can do to prepare for a session. We discuss with them various ways to record. Recording with or without a click track is often a concern. There are various advantages to either using a click or not, and we can help steer artists in the right direction. Editing techniques, processing, pitch correction, and tracking methods are also of importance. Likewise we will give a rough quote as to the length of time required to get the desired results. We then suggest methods of practicing for a recording, because this helps immensely. Our philosophy is simple. If our clients sound great, then we sound great. We want you to succeed, because then we succeed. After all we are all trying to create great music right? Our very competitive prices give artists more time to spend on getting the music to sound right. This makes more hours of possible recording time possible, because no matter what equipment you have and what engineer or producer is behind the board, great music takes time to make.

To Prepare for your recording.

Know Your music. You should have all the arrangements written out with a tempo AND time signature for every song. If your music changes time signatures or tempo figure that out and WRITE IT DOWN on a piece of paper, neatly so the producer can look at it and read it. Also have the vocalist figure out the melodies he or she is singing at a piano or guitar. Many times vocalists are unsure as to the exact note they are supposed to be singing. Figure it out BEFORE HAND. If you need help with figuring out the tempos or key's or chords, ask someone who is more experienced for help. In order to critically analize something in a studio you need to be famaiiar with what it is you are playing or trying to play.
Under my experience recording with click track is an excellent way to improve most recordings.(sorry drummers)With our Pro Tools Setup we are able to grid most drum patterns to improve the tightness of the performance. Please do not expect to come into a studio and be able to automatically play with a click track if you are a drummer. Practice with one and you will see that it is difficult. record yourself with a four track or digital recorder and a click track or metrnome to see how tight you are.

Also we suggest storage devices such as firewire hard drives. Why? We simply cannot keep everyones' music on our drives for extended periods of time. If you are planning on completeing a session quikly then it is not need, however if you are planning on taking your time then it is advised. At todays prices of $200 for a drive, that is pretty cheap.