Original Band wants to record a (vanity) CD but has little to no money to spend!.....

[New Trail]

.....ideas?

 

My original band has enough originals for a CD, but there are several problems. One is that, as an original band, we have no gigs, and there are no places in our area that features original bands, at least for paying gigs. So, that causes two more problems. Without paying gigs, we have no money to spend to record and produce and distribute and CD, and not only that, without gigs we have no potential customers for the CDs anyway! None of us have much money to pay for recording so we have to figure out something else!

 

We could, as I discussed in a prior thread, learn a bunch of covers and play cover gigs and save the money and possibly have enough to record in a year or so.

 

Barring that option, are there any other ways for a broke non-gigging original band to record what would basically be a vanity CD on the cheap?

 

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

[BATCAT]

 

.....ideas? My original band has enough originals for a CD, but there are several problems. One is that, as an original band, we have no gigs, and there are no places in our area that features original bands, at least for paying gigs. So, that causes two more problems. Without paying gigs, we have no money to spend to record and produce and distribute and CD, and not only that, without gigs we have no potential customers for the CDs anyway! None of us have much money to pay for recording so we have to figure out something else! We could, as I discussed in a prior thread, learn a bunch of covers and play cover gigs and save the money and possibly have enough to record in a year or so. Barring that option, are there any other ways for a broke non-gigging original band to record what would basically be a vanity CD on the cheap? Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

 

You don't need to call it a "vanity" CD- the number of unsigned rock bands that ever recoup the recording expenses of professionally recorded/mixed releases through gigging money has got to be pretty small.

 

How much money could you come up with, out-of-pocket, from the whole band, in, say, three months?

[rangefinder]

Sure, with digital recording. I have a handy guidebook called "How to Record Your Own Music and Get It On The Internet" that details much of the process, based on different budgets. Once you have the digital masters, you can burn as many CDs as you feel like.

[kmart]

 

.....ideas? My original band has enough originals for a CD, but there are several problems. One is that, as an original band, we have no gigs, and there are no places in our area that features original bands, at least for paying gigs. So, that causes two more problems. Without paying gigs, we have no money to spend to record and produce and distribute and CD, and not only that, without gigs we have no potential customers for the CDs anyway! None of us have much money to pay for recording so we have to figure out something else! We could, as I discussed in a prior thread, learn a bunch of covers and play cover gigs and save the money and possibly have enough to record in a year or so. Barring that option, are there any other ways for a broke non-gigging original band to record what would basically be a vanity CD on the cheap? Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

 

 

 

My thought is you either...

 

1) Figure out how to solve your problem on yoru own, then publish a book detailing how you got around your challenges. It will be a multi-million $ coup for you and your band, seeing as it's the same problem that just about every band since the dawn of time (and recording technology) has faced:

 

We're broke and want to put out a record.

 

2) Focus instead on the quality of your music. Make it the best and most-appealing popular music ever created. Good enough to sell 10X Platinum GUARANTEED. Leak rough recordings online. If it's THAT good, someone at a major label will be happy to sign you and pay for the recordings in return for the profits off of your sales, because in this day, NOBODY sells Platinum anymore...

[kmart]

 

How much money could you come up with, out-of-pocket, from the whole band, in, say, three months?

 

 

Why 3 months?

 

1) Set a 6-12 month target, figure out how much money you could come up with realistically in that time and commit to it.

Pretso: you now have a recording budget. That amount is the max total you can spend on recording.

2) Book a top-flight studio or basement project recording space accordingly based on your budget.

3) Spend the time between now and hitting that goal in 'pre-production': critique your songs, refine any questionable or rough spots, etc.

4) When the time comes to record, knock them out clean and quick.

5) Mix, master, duplicate.

[JoeDirt]

Got a computer? These days digital recording interfaces are pretty cheap. Yes it will take some work if you are going with an interface with not many inputs but it's doable. The drums will be the hardest to lay down without a lot of inputs, but there are software drums out there for free or cheap if need be. Usually some sort of software like Reaper will come with whatever digital interface you buy.

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/presonus-audiobox-22vsl-usb-2.0-recording-system/h77290000000000 Can find them used pretty cheap if you look around.

[TIMKEYS]

 

.....ideas? My original band has enough originals for a CD, but there are several problems. One is that, as an original band, we have no gigs, and there are no places in our area that features original bands, at least for paying gigs . So, that causes two more problems. Without paying gigs, we have no money to spend to record and produce and distribute and CD, and not only that, without gigs we have no potential customers for the CDs anyway! None of us have much money to pay for recording so we have to figure out something else! We could, as I discussed in a prior thread, learn a bunch of covers and play cover gigs and save the money and possibly have enough to record in a year or so. Barring that option, are there any other ways for a broke non-gigging original band to record what would basically be a vanity CD on the cheap? Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

 

I would as a band remove yourselves from the situation and look at it from an ourtsiders point of view.

 

Given your situation , why would you as a band thats never played a gig, have no place to play an original gig in your town,, bar the option of learning some covers so you could play out and get to the point of making some seed money?

 

Yea we know you wanna be a total original band , but WHY? You cant get from point a to point be with your reasoning and situation. Its not logical.

[BATCAT]

 

Why 3 months?

 

 

I pulled it out of my ass! Based on: the OP made it sound like the band was more-or-less ready to go; I initially thought "six months" but stopped for a minute and thought about how much momentum means for a band, and about my own experiences with setting deadlines just a bit tighter than is comfortable is sometimes a really great way to create a bit of beneficial stress. Six months or a year of just refining songs and not gigging? Ugh.

 

I'm not in disagreement with the thrust of your post. Whatever the time frame, I think what the OP needs to do is look at how much money they can have by the date in question and figure out of they can afford

a)a professional studio

b)a reputable "Basement studio"

c)neither, and they will DIY it

 

The third option isn't necessarily a bad one, but it's got a lot of pitfalls. If you go that route, recording everything "clean" and then having it professionally mixed isn't a bad idea.

[Beyer160]

Find out if any colleges in your area have recording programs/classes that need guinea pigs.

 

If your band is like every band I've ever known, you collectively probably smoke and drink your way through a decent recording budget every month. You could try going straightedge for 30 days and see how much cash you have left by the end of the month.

 

Invest in a modest recording rig. Learn how to use it. Keep recording until your stuff doesn't sound like {censored}. This will take a while.

[kmart]

I initially thought "six months" but stopped for a minute and thought about how much momentum means for a band, and about my own experiences with setting deadlines just a bit tighter than is comfortable is sometimes a really great way to create a bit of beneficial stress. Six months or a Funny: my first thought was about how for me, every single time a shorter 'up-front' period was targeted for recordings, they sucked, or at best were mediocre, and the 2 times where we had a solid plan, and the patience to execute on a reasonable/non-rushed timeline, the recordings came out far better overall.

[New Trail]

 

....why would you as a band thats never played a gig, have no place to play an original gig in your town,, bar the option of learning some covers so you could play out and get to the point of making some seed money? Yea we know you wanna be a total original band , but WHY? You cant get from point a to point be with your reasoning and situation. Its not logical.

 

 

I agree. We're a five piece band and I have the strong feeling that three of us out of the five will not want to learn and play covers. I was just thinking ahead, but maybe they'll prove me wrong!

[BATCAT]

Six months or a Funny: my first thought was about how for me, every single time a shorter 'up-front' period was targeted for recordings, they sucked, or at best were mediocre, and the 2 times where we had a solid plan, and the patience to execute on a reasonable/non-rushed timeline, the recordings came out far better overall.

 

Wel, it's kind of impossible to say without hearing the OPs band play but if the songs are "done" six months seems like a loooooong time to be just polishing stuff up, especially if you have zero gigs. But these things are very specific to the individual sitch.

[TIMKEYS]

 

I agree. We're a five piece band and I have the strong feeling that three of us out of the five will not want to learn and play covers. I was just thinking ahead, but maybe they'll prove me wrong!

 

 

Well ,, from my point of view I would ditch the guys who wont conform. Its fine to write and perform your own songs , but if you really want to move the ball as a band you have to be able to play in front of a crowd. If it takes learning some other people songs, thats what you do. Thats what pretty well every pro has done and many still do.

[jealouscreature]

If you're a band doing original music, better get used to the idea of playing some shows for free, at least until you get your name out there. I can't imagine a place where there are absolutely NO SHOWS in the area that showcase original music.

 

I mean, look at it from the customer's point of view: why should anyone pay to listen to your band when you're brand new, you don't have any recordings, and you haven't even played any gigs? You've got no brand recognition, no market share, nobody knows anything about you. What have you done that makes you think you deserve their money? (I'm not trying to be a dick. I think these are questions all bands need to be asking themselves.)

 

My band got money together through Kickstarter.com, so if your music is really good, you have a compelling story, AND YOU HAVE A SOLID PLAN OF ACTION, you can rally people to your cause. Check the crowdfunding websites, though. They all have different fees and different points of pay-out. (Example: you have to get your entire goal amount funded to get money from kickstarter.com, but indiegogo.com lets you keep any amount, but charges you a higher rate, whereas chipin.com has no fees except for those charged by paypal for processing.)

 

HOWEVER, THESE OPTIONS WILL ONLY WORK IF YOU ALREADY KNOW A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR MUSIC. Strangers are not going to show up and plop down $10,000 for you to record your magnum opus.

 

Good luck with the project! If you need any help or suggestions on crowdfunding, let me know.

[New Trail]

Well, we talked about things last night at rehearsal, but not in much depth, and no plan of action was decided upon. One of the guys says that he knows a guy who has a studio who 'might' record us for free "if we give him a piece of it."

[Vito Corleone]

 

Well, we talked about things last night at rehearsal, but not in much depth, and no plan of action was decided upon. One of the guys says that he knows a guy who has a studio who 'might' record us for free "if we give him a piece of it."

 

 

A piece of what? I'd take him up on the deal. Offer him a percentage of profits off the one CD. You can always pull the old record company trick of never being able to actually show a "profit".

[SLScott86]

 

Well, we talked about things last night at rehearsal, but not in much depth, and no plan of action was decided upon. One of the guys says that he knows a guy who has a studio who 'might' record us for free "if we give him a piece of it."

 

 

Not to sound like a dick, but what "piece of it" could the guy expect without any gigs to support it?

[Funkwire]

 

Well, we talked about things last night at rehearsal, but not in much depth, and no plan of action was decided upon. One of the guys says that he knows a guy who has a studio who 'might' record us for free "if we give him a piece of it."

 

 

I'd be wary of that. If he doesn't make any money off the project, he could get creative...you might be surfing porn sites some night and hear your music as the soundtrack.

[New Trail]

 

I'd be wary of that. If he doesn't make any money off the project, he could get creative...you might be surfing porn sites some night and hear your music as the soundtrack.

 

 

Yeah, the more I think about it, the less I like the idea of someone recording us, even if it was for free. But I was thinking the "piece of it" might even mean songwriting credit. It's all speculation at this point cause we haven't even talked to the guy.

[BATCAT]

Yeah, the more I think about it, the less I like the idea of someone recording us, even if it was for free. But I was thinking the "piece of it" might even mean songwriting credit. It's all speculation at this point cause we haven't even talked to the guy.

 

Assuming that between everyone in the band you could assemble a)passable home recording know-how, and purchase/borrow b)some decent mics/preamps/etc, why not record yourselves, then give the tracks to a professional to mix? It would be a pretty cheap option, you'd have all the time you want to record, and it would probably sound better than a total DIY recording. As long as you get good basic tracks without serious noise/phase/level issues, you'd be in pretty good shape.

 

And you can always re-record in in a professional studio later if you want.

[Lee Knight]

Option 1

 

Usually the community college has a recording arts program and the students are looking for talent. The thing is... it will suck. The thing is... there will be one guy there that rocks and is going places. Find him. He may already have gear. But find that guy. Become friends and partners. You need him, he needs you.

 

The recording might takes place on campus or might take place at his place or at your rehearsal studio with his gear. All are fine options. The only thing that is not an option is working with just anybody. Find that guy.

 

Option 2

 

Everything above but, that guy might be in another band. A... gasp... competing band. Even better. He's probably got more experience than the college guy. Why would he want to help you? He doesn't. He wants to help himself. So...

 

...offer him a co-production credit. Produced by JoMackProducer and Band. Engineered by JoMackEngineer. Maybe even offer him full production credit. You've got that as currency to negotiate with.

 

Now he has a production credit. He'll be able to charge going forward. But for now? You're just helping each other out.

[ggm1960]

 

.....ideas? are there any other ways for a broke non-gigging original band to record what would basically be a vanity CD on the cheap? Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

 

I'm always amazed when I see these kinds of threads. 15 years ago this truly would have been a legitimate problem but in the year 2011 most of us are sitting here staring at a professional quality recording studio as we type.

[Inazone]

As you're planning (or trying to plan) how to move forward with this idea, I would suggest separating the process of recording your music from the "product" (CD, digital downloads, etc.) and focusing strictly on recording. Think about what you and your bandmates could realistically do on your own versus what you'll need outside help with. As common as home recording is, there is more to it than buying and operating the tools to do so, and it doesn't sound like it'd be practical for you guys to tackle the 100% DIY route. However, money is clearly an issue, so you need to make the most of what you have . . . or what you can have if given time to save up without losing momentum. My personal experience is that this is a mix of DIY and working with a professional, and while it's true that "time is money" when you're in a studio, I suspect that your band has plenty of time that could be put to good use in a DIY endeavor. Just don't fall into the trap of trivializing what professionals have learned to do over years of on-the-job training, trial and error.

 

The first order of business is to rehearse the living daylights out of your songs. Throw some sort of recording-capable device with a microphone in the middle of a room and play one song. Can you hear everyone at least well enough to hear mistakes or off-time playing? If not, move your recorder/mic around and try again. Get it? OK, now play through your entire set. Analyze the recording. Pay special attention to the rhythm section, especially the drums. If the drums parts aren't working out, resolve that issue first. Continue to pick through everything else, but if the drums are good, consider this recording a demo for your own reference.

 

For the rest, let me just suggest what has worked well for me. I'm going to suggest some items that you can do yourself and some that you really need to have a pro do for you or with you. Depending on what you have at your disposal already (computer, microphones, cables, amps, etc.) you might be able to do more than what I suggest, but I'll assume that you don't have much.

 

DIY Items:

- Recording eletric guitars/bass, keyboards and any other items that can be recorded direct (via appropriate recording interface, DI box or modeling device) into your computer or recording device.

- Recording vocals (assuming you have a room in which to do so).

- Rough mix on headphones, computer speakers, etc.

- Album artwork and layout.

- Digital download submission via Tunecore, CD Baby, etc.

 

Pro items:

- Recording drums, acoustic instruments or electric instruments played through amplifiers requiring a properly treated room and microphones.

- Recording vocals in a properly treated room.

- Finished mix on proper monitors.

- Mastering.

- Physical media pressing.

 

That's dumbing it down a bit, and there are certainly things that you could do on your own, but if you don't have money or previous experience, it's just not realistic to expect anything approaching pro results with a $99 USB interface, a cheap microphone, cheap headphones and free software. What I've found most effective overall is to record drums in a pro studio, and then record vocals, electric guitars and bass in a home studio (with clean DI tracks for re-amping in a pro studio) with reasonably nice "pro-sumer" grade gear. Even so, I had a soundproofed room in which to mic up speakers, a good selection of amps and guitars, and a bandmate with Pro Tools experience . . . and access to a pro studio for recording the drums "after hours" at a heavily discounted rate. As for the actual finished product, a friend of mine did our artwork, I did the CD booklet layout and the digital release via CD Baby for $50 (iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, etc.) and we pressed CDs. It turned out great, but if not for the fact that I now own most of the equipment myself (aka "investment") it would have been very hard to justify the expense of the physical CDs.

[Beyer160]

 

if you don't have money or previous experience, it's just not realistic to expect anything approaching pro results with a $99 USB interface, a cheap microphone, cheap headphones and free software.

 

 

True, but so what? Some really great music has been made with rudimentary equipment under primitive conditions. In the '90s, Guided By Voices recorded a couple classic, critically acclaimed albums on a 4-track cassette recorder in a basement. They didn't have any money, but they had songs and a burning desire to put them out. I'm all for working hard to make the best recording you can, but the creative process should never take a backseat to the technical process. Forget about someone else's concept of "pro results" and just make the best record you can with what you have.

[Small Stone]

 

True, but so what? Some really great music has been made with rudimentary equipment under primitive conditions. In the '90s, Guided By Voices recorded a couple classic, critically acclaimed albums on a 4-track cassette recorder in a basement. They didn't have any money, but they had songs and a burning desire to put them out. I'm all for working hard to make the best recording you can, but the creative process should never take a backseat to the technical process. Forget about someone else's concept of "pro results" and just make the best record you can with what you have.

 

 

Funny, I was just going to suggest the lo-fi option! Record your songs on a boom-box, and if your songs are REALLY GOOD, then there will be an interest from people who like good music... BUT! It might be a big turn-off for people who don't like rough recordings...

 

Another option to the OP: he mentioned recording a 12-songs album, or something. Maybe recording a 4-songs EP could be a cheaper option. You pay less, but you can have something out faster, get a reputation if your songs are REALLY GOOD, maybe make money so you can then record more EPs...

 

Did I mention that you have to have REALLY GOOD songs? Work on that before hitting that RECORD button...