Recording Services

At House Recording Studios, we offer a wide range of audio recording services geared not only towards musicians, but to advertising agencies, radio stations & movie production houses.  Here are some of the services we offer and a description of each service:

Digital multi-track recording, editing and mixing –

Whether you are a college student looking to record an audition piece or a major label recording artist, we are equipped to satisfy all of your studio needs.  When working with us, you’re not only getting an engineer on the session (someone to get you great sound), but you’re also getting a producer on the session as well (someone to make sure that the energy, the timing, the emotion and the pitch of the performance are all top-notch).  We have a large array of microphones and outboard equipment to choose from to give our clients a variety of tonal options.  Everything is recorded through high-end Lynx AD/DA converters and onto an Avid Pro Tools HD system to ensure excellent stability and superb sound quality during the session.  We record everything from vocals to acoustic/electric guitars to drums/percussion to small orchestral ensembles.

After the tracks have been recorded and properly edited, the mixing phase entails blending and balancing all of the levels, adding proper dynamic & tone shaping tools, inserting effects like reverb/delay/chorus to add some depth and extra magic to the recordings, etc.  We use a 16 channel analog summing mixer to give our mixes some extra warmth and clarity.  Mixing is a true science and art form and it is a critical part of the recording process.

Songwriting and production services –

Whether you sing us a melody over the phone or provide us with sheet music and a rough draft recording, we have the ability to transform your idea into a fully produced, radio-ready song.  Our team of skilled arrangers, engineers and producers will help develop the sound you are seeking.  We have access to some of the finest studio musicians in the New York area and we can provide live instrumentation if the song calls for it.  If the client has lyrics, but no written melody, that is fine.  We’ll have a pre-production meeting prior to getting started with the arrangement/recording to solidify the melodic chord structure.

MIDI programming and sequencing –

In addition to songwriting and production services, we also offer MIDI programming and sequencing.  If the song doesn’t call for live instrumentation, we can program any of the instrumentation electronically through our various synthesizers and sequencers.  We have access to several amazing sound libraries, containing great audio samples in every genre of music from hip-hop to rock, electronic dance music, pop, country, etc.

Remixing –

We have the ability to edit or layer/blend songs in a unique fashion so they sound different from the original.  We can easily manipulate the tempo or the pitch/key of a song.  One great example of a remixing service includes creating a mashup of many songs into a short 2 or 3 minute format.  We do this type of work regularly for several cheerleading squads.  Another example includes adding instrumentation to a song that isn’t already there.  Perhaps one wants to add a punchy drum beat to a song that doesn’t have any drums or percussion.  We also have access to a large library of raw vocal tracks (a cappellas) and we can match any vocal to any instrumental, creating a different song altogether.

Sound for TV and radio advertising –

We do a significant amount of sound for TV and radio advertising, including voice-overs and sound design.  Some of our clients include the A&E Network, Twizzlers, The New York Islanders, 1-800-Flowers, Spike TV, among others.  In today’s rapidly changing and competitive marketing environment, it is important for businesses to get their name out to the public in any way they can.  Television and radio are two great avenues to do so.  Our facility has a phone patch which facilitates a person (perhaps an outside producer) listening in to the session from a remote location to provide our engineers or the voice-over talent with direction.  We’ve also conducted numerous radio shows at the studio where the client/host will accept caller testimonials to provide feedback on a given product or service.

Post-production, sound design, voiceover narration and ADR –
 
Whether you are a movie production company working on a major feature or a student putting together an independent film, we are equipped to accommodate all of your audio post-production needs.  We have the ability to create soundscapes, be it a jungle scene in Africa, a hospital scene in the ER or a wild sporting event at Madison Square Garden.  We do this by formatting and sequencing audio samples and sound effects to create a story.  We have an abundance of skilled voice-over artists who are available upon request.  ADR, or dubbing, is the process of re-recording and synching dialogue for a particular scene after the video footage has been recorded.  We can import the video file into our audio software and have the actor or voice talent view the video footage on a screen and re-record the dialogue accordingly.

Audio Books –

We’ve worked with many authors who have recorded the text/dialogue of their book on to an audio format.  For those who don’t enjoy reading or don’t have the time to do so, an audio book facilitates appreciating the content of the book.  It’s certainly easier to carry around an audio file on one’s smart phone or audio playback device than it is to carry around a hard copy book.  One can also listen to the audio book while driving and it won’t take their visual concentration off the road.  Voice-over artists can be provided upon request to fulfill any of the characters that may be part of the story.  In addition to voice recording, we also have access to several royalty-free music and sound effects libraries which can be used to enhance the audio book.

Audio restoration and audio transfer (from record/cassette to CD or other media) –

We have the ability to restore audio that may have been improperly recorded.  Perhaps there is some nasty background noise or ticks and pops in the audio.  Our tools can remove this unwanted noise.  We also have the ability to transfer audio from one medium (cassette tape or vinyl) to another medium (digital audio, CD, etc.).  In addition to transferring the audio, we will also master it as well.  This is the process of making the audio sound warmer and sweeter, giving it more clarity and depth.  We do this by running the signal through various dynamic and tone shaping processors.

Overdubbing –

Once the foundation tracks have been recorded, we can overdub additional instrumentation, be it vocal harmonies, percussion, catchy guitar licks, etc.  Overdubbing helps make the recording process more convenient.  For example, if the lead guitar player is temporarily unavailable, the recording (drums, bass, etc.) can still be made and the guitar tracks added later.  Similarly, if only one guitar player is available, but the song calls for multiple guitar parts, the guitar player can record each part separately, where it would have been impossible to play the lead part, the rhythm part and the solo simultaneously.  We have an enormous track count capability at our studio and this helps to promote creativity and experimentation.  It’s always best to record all ideas for a project so when it comes time to mixing, we can assess the instrumentation/overdubs and see if it fits the vibe and the direction of the song.  If it doesn’t, we can easily mute it.

Location recording –

We have the ability to create a professional recording outside of the studio (an example being a concert/lecture hall).  One of the key benefits of a remote/location recording is that the performers will respond to the audience and won’t be as distracted by the recording/production process.  Another reason for this type of recording is to capture an artist in a different acoustic space such as a church, ballroom or meeting hall.  The recorded tracks will then be brought to our studio for mixing and mastering to give them that clean, polished sound.

In-house music and sound effects libraries –

We have access to some amazing royalty free music and sound effects libraries, which can be used for audio books, music production, voice-over demos, etc.  Whether you are a hypnotist recording a meditation CD with ambient, spacey music in the background or a voice-over artist who is delivering a sales pitch for a certain product that requires an upbeat, catchy tune in the background, we can provide this type of service to enhance your project.

Studio musicians available upon request –

We have access to some of the finest musicians in the New York area.  No matter what your style or genre is, we can provide any type of player for any application.  The studio musicians will come to the session prepared and will execute near perfect takes within one or two passes, wasting no time and maximizing efficiency.  We’re happy to connect our clients with the studio musician prior to the session so that all important information pertaining to the session is discussed.   

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