Welcome to Mudshark Studios:

Mudshark Studios is a labor of love that specializes in recording up-and-coming bands from the Vancouver/Portland area.
I (Steve Starr) record Emo, Punk, Hardcore, Stoner Rock, Alt Country & Acoustic... as well as stuff that's hard to classify.

This is an archetypical "Home Studio" utilizing a Digital Audio Workstation with M-Audio Delta 1010 & Delta 66 A/D Converters, Mackie
mixer, and N-Track Studio software. I can record 12 channels simultaneously and up to about 45 tracks total before the computer
bogs down. Most projects have between 15 and 35 tracks. There's a selection of about 25 microphones including large
diaphragm condensers, small diaphragm condensers, stage dynamics, and drum mics.

I'm blessed with a large room that has high ceilings and pretty good acoustics. I record most projects in a typical overdub
process where the drums are laid down first and then the guitars, keyboards, and vocals are tracked individually. I also have
two isolation rooms where we can put guitar amps. This allows for single session recording where we lay down drums, guitars,
and bass simultaneously. For projects that have frequent tempo changes, improvisations, or where we want to capture a live
feel, this style of recording works best.

I don't claim to be an arranger or producer but I do have an occasional "producer" type opinion. Some bands want my input
and some don't. If I make a suggestion and you give me a dirty look, I'll shut-up.

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Here's what to expect in a typical recording session:

We'll start by laying down the drums. One track for the snare, one track for the kick, a couple tracks for the toms and a track
for each of the overheads. Typically we'll use 6 tracks for the drum kit. Each drum is miced individually. Setting up the drum
mics and getting a good sound takes at least a couple of hours. You might want the drummer to show up early to get this
process started.

If your music doesn't have too many tempo changes it's a good idea to lay down a click track for each song. If your drummer
is on the ball and knows how to use a click track (as well as the beats-per-minute for each song), that's something we can
do several days before the session starts so we don't waste time with all the band members sitting around.

We lay down the drum tracks for all the songs first. If we use 6 tracks for the drums we can also lay down a scratch guitar track
to help the drummer keep his place. We run the guitar through a POD so that it doesn't bleed into the drum mics.

Once the drum tracks are laid down we record the guitar parts. We'll experiment with your guitar sound to get an optimum result.
The general rule is that we use less distortion than your live shows. If you haven't recorded before, don't freak out if your
guitar sound isn't what you're used to. If we use the same amount of drive/distortion you play with live it will sound too grungy
on the recording.

The bass guitar gets recorded next. You are welcome to bring your bass amp but we usually end up recording the bass
direct through a J-Station amp modeler. If you are drop tuning, the bass will be a little more of a challenge but we'll experiment
with getting the best sound.

Last come the vocals. We'll lay down vocal parts until the singer gives up. Usually the singer(s) will come back for one or two
sessions to finish the vocals. Depending on the prominence and complexity of the vocals we may lay down several tracks
and combine pieces of them together to get a good result (just like they do for J-Lo).

I'll do an initial mix over the next couple weeks for the band to listen to (I'll give you a CD). Listen to this CD in several different
systems and make notes on what you want to change. This may go on for a couple of iterations until we tweak the final mix.
At that point I'll master the CD and give you a copy for final approval. Once you are happy with the master I'll burn a special
CD at a slower speed for you to duplicate.

When we're finished you will hopefully have a CD that sounds surprisingly good for a reasonable cost.

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Time Requirements & Project Turnaround:

One 10-hour recording day should accomplish laying down the instrument tracks for 2 or 3 songs. We'll probably have to
schedule additional time for vocals. Mixing the project takes a while because I have a day job. Figure two weeks for mixing.
Once the mix is approved by the band, mastering usually takes another week.

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Tips For A Productive Recording Session:

1. Work out all your parts and arrangements ahead of time. All band members should know their parts cold.
2. Practice your songs to a metronome. If the drummer comes in and says he doesn't own a metronome because he
xxdoesn't need one, that's a really bad sign. If the drum tracks are screwed up the project will be a mess.
3. Put new strings on your guitars a week or so before the session. Bring extra strings.
4. If your bass strings are more than 6 months old, put on new strings. It's amazing how much better new bass strings
xxsound.
5. Old drumheads sound terrible. They're flabby and don't resonate well. Put on new drum heads a week or so before
xxthe session. If you don't know how to tune your drums, I can recommend someone who can teach you.
6. Make sure you have all your pedals, effects boxes, and bring extra cords.
7. Don't party the night before the session. You're not Guns & Roses - your playing sucks when you're hung-over.

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FairyBandMother Home For Wayward Musicians:

Besides recording local bands, we occasionally provide sleeping space for out-of-town musicians that are playing
in the Portland area. For more information about this service please click here.