Frequently Asked Questions
Why does your website not say exactly where you are?
We are a small studio in a private family residence, and we would like to keep it that way - private. Our clients also appreciate peace and privacy while they work here. Don't worry, if you do arrange to record here we will send you our full address and directions.
Fair enough, but how do I know if I can get to your studio?
Ashby-de-la-Zouch is located 20 minutes' drive from the M1 and 5 minutes' drive from the M42/A42. The nearest railway stations are Tamworth and Burton-Upon-Trent (with buses every 30 minutes from the latter), however we recommend travelling by car as we are quite some way (30 minute drive) from both stations. We are a short taxi ride from East Midlands Airport and less than an hour from Birmingham International. We offer overnight accommodation if you are travelling a long way. As we are pretty much right in the middle of the Midlands and near 2 major motorways, places such as Birmingham, Coventry, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Leamington, Rugby and Northampton are all less than an hour's drive from us, and we're within 2 hours' drive of London, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds.
What sort of music do you specialise in?
James is an incurable metalhead, so anything with loud guitar is very much our thing. However, James has extensive experience in other genres, from folk to hip-hop, and is always looking for diverse and interesting projects, so ask away.
Do you work remotely/online?
Yes we do. James has produced (not just mixed, fully produced) albums for artists located abroad entirely over email and Skype, and is an expert in working that way. We accept Paypal so currency conversions are no issue (and as Sterling is worth next to nothing due to Brexit, our prices are pretty competitive for artists outside the UK). Online mixing and mastering is James' bread and butter as a producer.
Can you record me at my place/this place I want to record at?
Within reason, yes - James has a fully mobile recording setup. There will of course be charges for mileage etc. but we can accommodate this unless you live on the Moon or something.
Why isn't the pricing structure more precise?
Working on music production is very much not a one-size-fits-all exercise. Our prices are reflective of the amount of time and work required, which can vary hugely from one project to another, even for similar tasks (mixing some tracks can be much more time consuming than others). We are very interested in working in partnership with musicians, and if there are any tasks that you can and want to do yourself (recording at home, doing your own editing etc.) then we are happy to accommodate that and adjust our prices accordingly. We only do the work you want us to do.
We know that sometimes business refuse to give you any idea of their prices at all in order to get you emotionally committed to the product before dropping an outrageous price on you. That's not what we are doing - we have the figures on our pricing page to at least give you some idea as to what the final cost is likely to be. We work with independent and unsigned artists and we know money is tight, so we are careful to give as much information as we can about possible costs.
Will I get to meet the cats?
You will have no choice but to meet the cats.
Can I bring my own amp?
Sure. We have cabs, so you only need to bring your head. We also have a couple of nice Marshalls for you to use, or some of our extensive collection of software amps, which James is an expert at mixing. Don't bring a Line 6 Spider though, unless you think James needs a large ugly paperweight.
Do you Djent?
P'Keng, P'Keng, P'Keng-Keng-Keng.
What if my breakdown is too brutal?
For a very reasonable sum, we offer Breakdown Cover to all our artists. Our experienced technicians can recover you from even the heaviest or most technical breakdowns and have you back in the last chorus in no time at all. (Does not cover Crabcore).
Is Boy as weird as you make him out to be?
No. He's weirder.
We are a small studio in a private family residence, and we would like to keep it that way - private. Our clients also appreciate peace and privacy while they work here. Don't worry, if you do arrange to record here we will send you our full address and directions.
Fair enough, but how do I know if I can get to your studio?
Ashby-de-la-Zouch is located 20 minutes' drive from the M1 and 5 minutes' drive from the M42/A42. The nearest railway stations are Tamworth and Burton-Upon-Trent (with buses every 30 minutes from the latter), however we recommend travelling by car as we are quite some way (30 minute drive) from both stations. We are a short taxi ride from East Midlands Airport and less than an hour from Birmingham International. We offer overnight accommodation if you are travelling a long way. As we are pretty much right in the middle of the Midlands and near 2 major motorways, places such as Birmingham, Coventry, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Leamington, Rugby and Northampton are all less than an hour's drive from us, and we're within 2 hours' drive of London, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds.
What sort of music do you specialise in?
James is an incurable metalhead, so anything with loud guitar is very much our thing. However, James has extensive experience in other genres, from folk to hip-hop, and is always looking for diverse and interesting projects, so ask away.
Do you work remotely/online?
Yes we do. James has produced (not just mixed, fully produced) albums for artists located abroad entirely over email and Skype, and is an expert in working that way. We accept Paypal so currency conversions are no issue (and as Sterling is worth next to nothing due to Brexit, our prices are pretty competitive for artists outside the UK). Online mixing and mastering is James' bread and butter as a producer.
Can you record me at my place/this place I want to record at?
Within reason, yes - James has a fully mobile recording setup. There will of course be charges for mileage etc. but we can accommodate this unless you live on the Moon or something.
Why isn't the pricing structure more precise?
Working on music production is very much not a one-size-fits-all exercise. Our prices are reflective of the amount of time and work required, which can vary hugely from one project to another, even for similar tasks (mixing some tracks can be much more time consuming than others). We are very interested in working in partnership with musicians, and if there are any tasks that you can and want to do yourself (recording at home, doing your own editing etc.) then we are happy to accommodate that and adjust our prices accordingly. We only do the work you want us to do.
We know that sometimes business refuse to give you any idea of their prices at all in order to get you emotionally committed to the product before dropping an outrageous price on you. That's not what we are doing - we have the figures on our pricing page to at least give you some idea as to what the final cost is likely to be. We work with independent and unsigned artists and we know money is tight, so we are careful to give as much information as we can about possible costs.
Will I get to meet the cats?
You will have no choice but to meet the cats.
Can I bring my own amp?
Sure. We have cabs, so you only need to bring your head. We also have a couple of nice Marshalls for you to use, or some of our extensive collection of software amps, which James is an expert at mixing. Don't bring a Line 6 Spider though, unless you think James needs a large ugly paperweight.
Do you Djent?
P'Keng, P'Keng, P'Keng-Keng-Keng.
What if my breakdown is too brutal?
For a very reasonable sum, we offer Breakdown Cover to all our artists. Our experienced technicians can recover you from even the heaviest or most technical breakdowns and have you back in the last chorus in no time at all. (Does not cover Crabcore).
Is Boy as weird as you make him out to be?
No. He's weirder.