Building my studio has been a long time dream of mine since before my days working my way up from a runner at the world famous A&M Recording Studios in the mid 1980s. Wow have things changed. Those days are long gone. But, since I do not have millions to sink into a studio and I don't believe in giving up on my dreams, I am quite pleased with the ability to create a professional studio at home. Plus, I love working at home. At 2AM if I have an idea, I roll out of bed and hit the record button. Yea, the magic of the big studios were cool, that's for sure. I feel blessed that I got to experience it. I don't look back now, only forward where now I have the opportunity to work on music for video projects, my own songs and marketing music for my day job. Pretty cool.
Below Article Source - http://www.tennessean.com/article/20091019/BUSINESS01/910190326/1003/NEWS01/Big+recording+studios+take+a+hit+as+home+sessions+grow
The article below made me want to write this little blog about my project studio in my home called Scorpion Soup Studios. I will write more soon about the studio that I refer to the music room in the desert.
As a recording engineer, McCauley made a good living working out of the many commercial studios that had grown up throughout the Los Angeles area to serve the music, film and television industries.
But with the advent of software that allows high-end recording from a personal computer, he has traded the quasi-industrial atmosphere of the commercial studio for his customers' garages or living rooms.
On a recent afternoon McCauley, 53, opened a wooden gate to the backyard of a house, walked past a pool and into a studio converted from a guest house. He sat in front of dual computer monitors, opened up Pro Tools recording software and tested microphones.
"The old days were big budgets, top of the line equipment and 'How do you want your espresso and can I get it for you,' " McCauley said. "I do miss that a bit. And at the time, even just 10 years ago, it didn't seem like that could ever end, ever go away."
Although nobody officially tracks the number of recording studios, the consensus among industry experts is that the big commercial facilities have taken a major hit. They estimate that as many as half of the Los Angeles area's commercial studios have closed or been sold to artists for private use.
A key reason is that recording software emulates what old studio consoles and tape-recorders used to do — at a fraction of the price. Among the most widely used programs are Avid Technology Inc.'s Pro Tools, Steinberg Media Technologies' Cubase and Apple Inc.'s GarageBand.
"You used to patch everything into a big console. Now you can plug everything into a computer," he said. "And editing music using tape wasn't easy. Now you just click and drag a mouse across the screen."
But with the advent of software that allows high-end recording from a personal computer, he has traded the quasi-industrial atmosphere of the commercial studio for his customers' garages or living rooms.
On a recent afternoon McCauley, 53, opened a wooden gate to the backyard of a house, walked past a pool and into a studio converted from a guest house. He sat in front of dual computer monitors, opened up Pro Tools recording software and tested microphones.
"The old days were big budgets, top of the line equipment and 'How do you want your espresso and can I get it for you,' " McCauley said. "I do miss that a bit. And at the time, even just 10 years ago, it didn't seem like that could ever end, ever go away."
Although nobody officially tracks the number of recording studios, the consensus among industry experts is that the big commercial facilities have taken a major hit. They estimate that as many as half of the Los Angeles area's commercial studios have closed or been sold to artists for private use.
A key reason is that recording software emulates what old studio consoles and tape-recorders used to do — at a fraction of the price. Among the most widely used programs are Avid Technology Inc.'s Pro Tools, Steinberg Media Technologies' Cubase and Apple Inc.'s GarageBand.
"You used to patch everything into a big console. Now you can plug everything into a computer," he said. "And editing music using tape wasn't easy. Now you just click and drag a mouse across the screen."
