I have
arranged these questions by division of Alternative
Enterprises. Just click on the link below for the
division your question falls under. If you don't find your question listed
here, please email me. I will personally answer your
question, and possibly add it to the FAQ.
Recording Studio
Q. How much do you charge for recording?
A. $40/hr. for bands, $35/hr. for songwriter services/karaoke.
Q. Where are you located?
A. New London, Wisconsin USA. It's about
30 miles west of Green Bay.
Q. I'm a songwriter, and I'm
wondering: How does the process work that you can put music to just
me singing?
A. Please visit my Songwriter Services page, here.
Q. How much can a songwriter expect to pay
for a typical finished song?
A. The range to date is $100 to
$500. The
variance is due to: song preparation, difficulty factor, number of instruments,
length of song, and
quality level needed, among others. A basic demo will be on the lower
end, while a more polished record will be in the upper end. The
average is around $250.
Q. I'm a songwriter, and I live pretty far
away from you. Is it absolutely necessary to physically come to the
studio?
A. No. You can send me rough dummies through
the mail on CD or tape, or email it to me. It is best that you be here to
record your final vocal tracks, but other
arrangements can be made, depending on just how far away you are.
Q. What kind of recorder/mics do you use?
A. Please visit the Alternative Equipment List page,
here.
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Consulting
Q. What is MIDI?
A. "Musical Instrument Digital Interface"
Think of it as a 'LAN (Local Area Network) for musical instruments', or the 'modem for music'. If you want to learn more, please
contact me!
Q. How much do you charge to come to my place? Is it
less to come to you?
A. The Alternative charges a sliding scale to make
"house" calls, starting at $50 for the 1st hour, then $5 less each subsequent
hour. It is only a flat rate of $40/hr. to come to the recording studio
for training, if the equipment is transportable. Understandably, there
will be an additional charge for travel outside of a 30 mile radius.
Q. Can you teach me how to use ProTools?
Cakewalk? Cubase? Acid?
A. The Alternative can teach you how to use ANY
music software, even if I've never seen it before!
Q. Can you help me hook up my computer to my MIDI keyboard
(and install my software)?
A. Absolutely. I make sure you don't make the
classic mistakes, and I'll fix it if there are any problems. I can
also teach you how to use your software.
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Lessons
Q. How much are lessons?
A. I currently charge
only $25 per hour, which is less than most music stores.
Unlike them, I can go over the time at no additional charge (if
necessary) as there is likely no 'next student' right on your
tail. I like to do 'full hour' lessons, which lets us get
more done. Times are very flexible.
Q. What do you teach?
A. Keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, and drum
programming. All lessons are by ear--no note reading. Also,
composition, theory, play-by-ear, and
improvisation. See more details on the Lessons page
A. No. I don't read
myself. I just play. I can teach you to do the same, by EAR,
and teach you the necessary music theory. If you want to learn to read sheet
music, then I am not your teacher.
A. I have contacts with very many
teachers of almost all instruments. I will give you a referral.
A. That would be 4 separate pages. For
instance, if you are a band, it could be Home/bio's, pics, demos, and
schedule pages. We are flexible, and can negotiate larger
sites. We will maintain your schedule for only $10/mo.
Q. I am having problems recording
new tracks to what I have already recorded. The new tracks are out
of time with the already recorded ones. This makes it really hard to
record the new tracks.
A. You are a victim of what is
called "Latency". All computers have a delay between what
you are hearing and what you are recording. I can help you minimize
the amount of latency that your particular software and machine is
exhibiting.
Q. I have a MIDI interface that used to work fine. I
recently upgraded to Windows XP/Vista. Now it doesn't work. Can you help?
A. Yes. MIDI is my specialty. We will
have to obtain the appropriate driver from the manufacturer, then reinstall
it (if it is available). Please give me a call or
Email.
A. Yes. In most cases returning your computer
to it's previous state, depending on the maliciousness of the virus.
