For those running commercial facilities, how did you start?

[farview]

farview makes me cry a little.

That's not the sad part. I lied about it being 'the end'. It's not. Right about the time you decide to give up and get a real job, someone with a record deal will call you up and tell you that they always wanted to work in your studio because of the 'vibe'. They are planning on recording an entire album starting at the end of next month. They have a budget!

So you beg, borrow, steal and run up your credit cards to keep the studio open for another month. There's a snag, the band can't come in for another month. So you keep it going for another few weeks.

The band calls up to tell you that thier budget has been slashed in half. They ask if you are still interested in doing it for less money. You say yes because you need to recoup the last two months.

The band call up a week later, The singer OD'd and the drummer aspirated on the singers vomit. The band is breaking up.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

You will be destined to live through this endless loop of giving up- finding a glimer of hope- having your hopes dashed- giving up, etc...

What ever doesn't kill you, makes your credit card balance grow.

[Ryan Silva]

farview makes me cry a little.

That's not the sad part. I lied about it being 'the end'. It's not. Right about the time you decide to give up and get a real job, someone with a record deal will call you up and tell you that they always wanted to work in your studio because of the 'vibe'. They are planning on recording an entire album starting at the end of next month. They have a budget!

So you beg, borrow, steal and run up your credit cards to keep the studio open for another month. There's a snag, the band can't come in for another month. So you keep it going for another few weeks.

The band calls up to tell you that thier budget has been slashed in half. They ask if you are still interested in doing it for less money. You say yes because you need to recoup the last two months.

The band call up a week later, The singer OD'd and the drummer aspirated on the singers vomit. The band is breaking up.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

You will be destined to live through this endless loop of giving up- finding a glimer of hope- having your hopes dashed- giving up, etc...

What ever doesn't kill you, makes your credit card balance grow.

Me too

[T-rex]

No credit cards. I did that route when I was young(er) and I won't go there again. Debt free baby! Minus my house, my wifes student loans, etc., but you get the point!

Yeah the Tiny Telephone thing makes sense. That's kind of how I envisioned it.

[Waltz Mastering]

I think Farview is a little concerned about the competition. Think about it. KY - IL''

[farview]

I think Farview is a little concerned about the competition. Think about it. KY - IL''

We could do a co-op. He could send all his death metal up here and I could send all my country down there.

I'll bet we would still both go broke.

[stereopathetic_banjo]

A very smart friend of mine, when we first talked- asked me this:

Q: What is a boat?
(His)A: A hole in the water you throw money into.

Q: What is a recording studio?
(His)A: A place you store your boats.

But, I can't say much. I've acquired more major pieces of equipment in the past year, than I have since I started recording. I'm THAT dumb.

[T-rex]

Farview, I will send you my death metal and you send me your indie rock (or whatever the kids are calling it these days. . .)

[farview]

I don't get any. It's all metal all the time here. I don't know why.

Every once in a while I'll get a hard rock band. My intern brings in the indie rock sort of stuff. They come in in the middle of the night, so I don't have anything to do with it.

[Brian]

I found a guy in town who found a built out place and partnered with.
Rule #1, negotiate everything and take notes, get it ALL in writing, have them sign and notarize the document.
Make sure you spell out every little detail and who's responsible for what and what happens if they don't hold up their end. All the way down to maintenance of gear.
What happens if something gets broken, the percentage of partnership, how the money gets split and when, who pays the bills and receipts. You can get SCREWED by a guy with no integrity.
The maintenance was my big issue and we split.

Farview missed one big glaring issue with operating a business and here's the antidote to the poison:
Sales!
You have to constantly beat the bushes for jobs to come in, music jobs, movie soundtracks, bands, labels, songwriters, religious groups, voiceovers, other engineers, etc.

Get interns!

Not only can they do stuff you can't get to, but, they can do sales, answer the phone, take bookings, do graphics, clean up, feed the fish, make coffee, and make your place great, I LOVE interns! I'd try to train mine to become engineers, but, if they just can't do it, I try to get them up somewhere. Don't go around thinking your place is too small for interns and don't think they will rob you blind or that they won't, just deal with shit as it comes. I used to give mine paying jobs on the side and they would send the studio biz and I would have them assist and even take over.

TEACH!
Don't forget to pass on what you know, this won't last forever. Make sure you teach them that no one does anything successful alone and what organizations, guilds, unions, to join so they will have their back when they fly the coop.

Have biz cards and Tshirts!
Nothing beats having a nice silkscreened design on a cheap polo! Everyone will love them and they say something to people who see your company.
Get a magnetic sign and get your articles in magazines.

When I reopen my joint I'll be following all my advice, starting with interns and Tshirts.