Silent Sky Studios is a recording studio located in Northeast Arkansas, just east of Jonesboro. Silent Sky was founded in 2008 by Jon Goad, the studio's owner/operator. With over 20 years of experience performing and recording music, we can help you find the sound you're searching for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions. Please read through this list to see if your questions have been answered here before contacting us. If your questions are not answered in this list, please contact us via e-mail or phone through the Contact link.
- Why should I use your studio? Can't I make a decent recording at home?
- Can I record the raw tracks at your studio and then take them elsewhere for mixing or addtional recording?
- What media format/s do you support?
- I play the guitar/bass/drums/etc., but I don't own my own instrument. Do you have one that I can play in the studio?
- Can I record an album using pre-recorded backing tracks?
- I am a singer/songwriter, but I don't play an instrument. Can you record the music for a song that I have written?
- What is MIDI?
- What is VST?
- What is Mastering?
- What is the difference between CD Replication and CD Duplication?
- Do you offer CD Replication/Duplication?
Q: Why should I use your studio? Can't I make a decent recording at home?
While it's true that advances in home recording technology have made it more affordable than ever to create your own recordings at home, you should ask yourself the following questions if you're thinking of recording your own CD:
- Do I have a proper space in my home that will have adequate room, good acoustics, block out unwanted background noise, keep in any noise that will annoy my neighbors, etc.?
- Do I own all of the equipment that I really need to properly record, mix, and master my songs?
- Can my equipment record enough simultaneous tracks to record a full drumkit or band at one time?
- Is my equipment capable of delivering a professional quality sound?
- Do I have the expertise to use my equipment to get the best possible sound from it?
- When I'm recording a song, do I really want to worry myself with the technical details of connecting the equipment, setting up mics and stands, setting levels, troubleshooting any problems, etc., or would I rather focus on delivering my best possible performance, leaving the technical details to a skilled engineer?
After thoughtfully considering these questions, I think that you'll find that it's definitely worthwhile to use a studio like Silent Sky for your recording project. For further reading on this subject, check out the article "Home Studios are Killing Music" by Producer/Engineer Ronan Chris Murphy.
Q: Can I record the raw tracks at your studio and then take them elsewhere for mixing or addtional recording?
Yes, the software that we use records each track to a standard Wav file that can be exported individually. You could then take those Wav files and import them into the software of your choosing (or take them to another studio) for mixing or recording additional tracks. As the artist, your master recordings belong to YOU, and you should feel free to do with them as you please.
Q: What media format/s do you support?
Silent Sky is a computer-based digital studio. All tracks are recorded to a dedicated hard drive in the studio's computer. When mixing and mastering, we work with standard 16 or 24-bit, 44.1kHz Wav files. We can burn your raw, mixed, or mastered tracks to a DVD or CD as Wav files, CDA (standard Audio CD tracks), or MP3's.
Q: I play the guitar/bass/drums/etc., but I don't own my own instrument. Do you have one that I can play in the studio?
My first response to a person who asks this question is, "if you don't even own your own instrument, how are you going to practice up to be ready to do any serious recording?" However, there may be cases where you do in fact own your own instrument, but the quality of the instrument is severely lacking to the point where you wouldn't want to use it on your recording. However, my first advice in that case would be to save up your money for a decent instrument before spending any money on recording.
With all of that said, we do have a pro-quality in-house drumkit that you can use if needed. I can also arrange to provide a bass amp and/or guitar amp if you'll let me know in advance that they are needed. For drummers using the house drumkit, you will still need to bring the following items of your own:
- Cymbals - because Cymbals can be so easily broken by heavy hitters, please BRING YOUR OWN.
- Bass Drum Pedal - drummers tend to get very accustomed to the feel, tension, beater travel, etc. of their own pedal, so it's probably a good idea to bring your own.
- Hi-Hat Stand - this is optional, but is recommended for the same reasons listed above for the Bass Drum Pedal.
- Snare Drum - this is optional, but many drummers prefer to use their own Snare because it's such a signature part of their sound.
Finally, a very practical implication of using someone else's instrument/s is that you simply may not like the sound that you're able to get out of the particular guitar, bass, amp, etc. So, to make things easy on everyone, please try to bring all of your own instruments and related equipment to the recording session if possible. If this is not possible, please let me know in advance so I can make any necessary arrangements.
Please be aware that you will be held liable for any damages incurred during the use of any house instruments. That includes broken drum heads, guitar strings, scratches, dents, dings, etc.
Q: Can I record an album using pre-recorded backing tracks?
Yes, it is perfectly legal to record yourself singing to pre-recorded/karaoke backing tracks provided that the recording is for personal use only, or to be used as a demo to be given away for free. However, if you intend to sell the recording for profit (on a CD, as a digital download, etc.), you must obtain licensing from the copyright holder (the songwriter and/or the company that produced the backing tracks).
Many companies that produce backing tracks have a licensing policy already in place for singers who want to record using their pre-recorded tracks. You will need to contact the specific company to find out about their individual policy.
For vocal recordings with pre-recorded/karaoke tracks, we will:
- Import the track/s from your CD or cassette into our recording software
- Record the singer's vocals onto one or more separate tracks in the recording software
- Apply effects to the recorded vocals (EQ, Compression, Reverb, Chorus, etc.)
- Balance the vocals with the backing track in the Mix
- Master your song/s to maximize the volume and impact to make your vocal recording sound comparable to commercial CD's
The fixed price for these services is $50 per song.
Q: I am a singer, but I don't play an instrument (or don't have a full backing band). Can you record the music for a song that I have written?
Yes, I can provide studio musicians for your recording project. I personally play the drums, some rhythm guitar, and bass, and have lots of musician friends who would be willing to play on your recording. However, any musicians who perform on your song will be an additional charge of $50 per player per song. For example, if I play the drums, bring in a bass player, and bring in a guitar player, it will cost you the standard hourly rate of $25 per hour plus $150 per song for the session musicians (3 musicians x $50 = $150).
If you do plan to use studio musicians, it's a good idea to at least give them a rough demo (even if it's a simple cassette recording of you singing and/or playing) so they can listen to and learn the song in advance. This will save valuable time (and money) in the studio.
Another option in cases such as this would be to use MIDI tracks to replicate either specific instruments (drums, bass, etc.) or all of the instruments on the recording. MIDI uses VST Instruments to create very authentic-sounding recordings, and is often used on many professional recordings today. For more details about MIDI & VST, see "What is MIDI?" and "What is VST?", below.
Q: What is MIDI?
MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI is a recording industry standard protocol that has been widely used since the early 1980's. It's basically a form of electronic communication between MIDI instrument controllers (usually a keyboard) and a computer or other MIDI-compatible devices. In a nutshell, it allows you to record a musical performance, but only records the notes that were played, the duration that the notes were held, the velocity with which the notes were played, etc. MIDI does not actually record any audio. Therefore, after recording a MIDI passage, you can totally change the sound of the performance by simply choosing a different instrument in your recording software. For more details, read this article about MIDI.
Q: What is VST?
VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology. VST is a technology developed by Steinberg (the developers of Cubase) for integrating software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with computer-based audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST uses Digital Signal Processing (via a computer's CPU) to simulate traditional recording studio hardware with software. VST technology is utilized in software applications via VST plugins. A "VST plugin" is simply a software program that simulates a particular hardware device, such as an EQ, Compressor, Reverb, etc. There are also many VSTi's (VST Instruments) that can very realistically simulate specific musical instruments (piano, synthesizer, guitar, bass, drums, etc.). For more details, read this article about VST.
Q: What is Mastering?
Mastering is the process of putting the finishing touches on an already-mixed stereo recording. As with mixing, this may involve the use of EQ and dynamics processing (Compression and Limiting), but usually the application of these devices in the Mastering stage is much more subtle. The use of dynamics processing in the Mastering stage also brings the loudness of the songs to a professional level, and matches the levels of each of the songs relative to one another. This helps to make the songs on an album sound like one cohesive collection rather than a group of separate songs that have been compiled together on a single album. Finally, Mastering also may involve setting Fade-ins and Fade-outs at the beginning and ending of the songs, setting the proper gap length between songs, and determining the final sequence of the songs on the CD. When the Mastering stage is complete, the recording should be ready for duplication.
Q: What is the difference between CD Replication and CD Duplication?
CD Duplication uses a CD-R or CD-RW Drive with Write capabilities to simply burn duplicate copies of an original master CD onto blank CD-R disks. If you were to burn a copy of a CD using your home computer, that would be an example of CD Duplication. Duplication is usually the most affordable alternative when dealing with small-volume orders of less than 1,000 disks. A few years ago, many consumer CD players would not read a duplicated CD, but with the increased popularity of CD burners and their inclusion in most home computers, this is no longer true. Today, most consumer CD players will read duplicated disks with no trouble.
CD Replication is a manufacturing process where a "glass master" disk is created from the original, and then a set of molds are created from that master. Copies are then "cloned", or replicated from the molds using injection-mold equipment. In other words, data isn't just burned onto pre-existing disks like in the duplication process--the plastic disks with the audio data are literally created "from scratch". After being created, the disks are coated with a reflective layer of aluminum, coated with a clear protective layer, and hardened by ultraviolet light. Because replication is a much more involved process, it's more expensive than duplication when it comes to small-volume orders. However, when dealing with larger volume orders, the price-per-disk for replication is actually less than duplication. Replication also provides the highest level of readability for your disks, even if you're playing the disk on a much older CD player.
Q: Do you offer CD Replication/Duplication?
No, we do not offer CD Replication/Duplication in-house, but we are a DiskFaktory affiliate and can provide assistance with any aspect of preparing your DiskFaktory order. This includes graphic design, layout, and other support services. Other notable DiskFaktory affiliates include Guitar Center, Musicians Friend, and American Idol Underground, so you know you're in good hands.
In our experience, DiskFaktory provides the highest quality service at a very reasonable price, and they specialize in short-run CD orders for independent artists. Please contact us for more details about DiskFaktory, or to discuss your CD project. You can also click on the banner below to check out all of DiskFaktory's product offerings.
