A mix recording studio is, literally, where the magic happens in the music industry. As a songwriter, music producer, and session musician, Kip Allen is well-aware of how important a properly constructed and properly designed mix recording studio is. Call Kip the next time you need the best that Nashville has to offer for your next gig.
But now, let’s talk about a mix recording studio.
What exactly, is a mix recording studio?
A mix recording studio is a “jack of all trades” in the music industry. It is where the recording of a track happens. It is where that recording is mixed. It is where that recording is mastered. And, it is where that recording finally becomes a finished product worth being heard by adoring fans.
Do you need one to produce tracks? It depends entirely on how important your music is to you. To those who have aspirations of becoming professional musicians, a mix recording studio is crucial to their success. To the home musician, someone who simply records for the sheer enjoyment of creativity, the answer is a bit trickier, and a much more personal question.
What do you need in a mix recording studio?
Again, we are talking about matters of degree and intent. If the purpose is to record and produce sales-worthy music, you need much better equipment than is needed for a weekend hobbyist.
Equipment for mixing mastering is needed. Good microphones, of course, and amplifiers. Soundproofing the room is crucial to achieve the best sound possible. And, of course, a good computer, because nothing happens, these days, without a good computer.
This is a project which can literally be done with a couple hundred dollars and some creativity, or it is a project which can easily cost tens-of-thousands of dollars for a professional recording studio. It truly all depends upon what you are after in creating one.
Is this a DIY project worth attempting?
Is money tight? Anyone with some basic tools can construct a mix recording studio, and you don’t need the best mixing and mastering software on the market. Basic construction skills can soundproof a room, but the more money you must spend on soundproofing materials, the better that soundproofing will be.
If you are reading this article hoping for definitive answers, we apologize. The simple answer is that a mix recording studio can be constructed, on the cheap, by practically anyone, and it can be constructed, by professionals who know the exact way to achieve perfect sound quality, for tens-of-thousands of dollar.
What, exactly, do you want in a mix recording studio? Answer that question and then you will know how large a Holy Grail to chase after, and what that Grail will cost you.
A final word about Kip Allen
What’s not to say about Kip Allen? Kip arrived in Nashville in 2008 and like every struggling musician hoping to make it big, he scrambled for gigs wherever he could find them. He kicked around for years, sitting in on jam sessions, filling in where a session drummer was needed, playing the dives and the palaces. In other words, he paid his dues. Flash forward to today and Kip Allen is a respected name in the toughest music city on the planet. That’s who you are hiring when you hire Kip Allen.
