Stepping Stone Sound

The recording stage is where it all starts; the quality of your final product is usually dictated by what happens here. Working with a qualified engineer using professional equipment can make all the difference between getting a full, vibrant sound or a dull, lifeless one.

At Stepping Stone Sound, we feature a state-of-the-art Pro Tools recording system loaded with a huge selection of  industry leading plug-ins and software, and a large selection of professional quality microphones, preamps and processors to give you a rich, detailed sound that allows you to hear every nuance of every performance. We use high quality digital converters and an ultra-clean signal path to ensure that we capture every sound as accurately as possible. But what it ultimately comes down to  is the engineer. And with more than 13 years of experience , including working with and learning from some of the biggest names in the recording industry, our engineer will put all of his knowledge and skill to work for you to make sure your session goes smoothly and quickly, and that you will receive the professional quality results you expect.

So call us today to speak directly with our engineer about your project. He will take the time to let you know what you can expect, and how you can prepare yourself before entering the studio to help make the experience as productive and enjoyable for you as possible. He will also make note of any special requests or requirements you have, and we will do our absolute best to accomodate you.

Recording Rates: 

Base Rate - $25 per hour

4 Hour Block - $90

8 Hour Block - $175

20 Hour Block - $425 

40 Hour Block - $800 

Recording time is billed in 1/4 hour increments.

With our in-house instrumentation service, you can add individual instruments to your song, or take advantage of our Full Music Package for a full-band sound. All instruments are performed by an experienced, professional musician. Check out some of our demos to hear for yourself!

Full Music Package - $150

Includes:

• Drums
• Bass
• Three guitars
• Piano/synth/organ/electric piano (choose one)
• Percussion instrument  

Single Instruments:

•  Acoustic or electric guitar - $25
•  Bass - $25
•  Piano - $25
•  Synthesizer - $25
•  Electric piano (Rhodes, Wurlitzer, etc.) - $25
•  B-3 organ - $25
•  Solo String (Violin, Cello, etc.) - $25
•  Orchestra/String Section - $50
•  Drums - $50
•  Percussion (tambourine, shaker, etc.) - $15 

A professional quality mix is an absolutely essential part of creating a  professional quality recording, and Stepping Stone Sound has the tools to transform your music and put it on the same stage as the music you hear from your favorite artists on the radio.

We start by editing out any background noises that aren't supposed to be there (coughs, chair squeaks, etc.) Then we make volume and panning adjustments to the individual tracks to put everything where it needs to be in the stereo field. Finally, we use EQ, compression, and effects like reverb and delay to add depth and punch to the individual tracks and to blend everything together, making the entire recording sound bigger, tighter, and more cohesive. We also offer corrective tools such as vocal tuning, Vocalign (for tightening doubled vocal tracks), drum replacement, and Pro Tools' revolutionary Elastic Audio and Elastic Pitch features. These tools allow us to quickly and easily correct many common types of problems, and are included at no extra charge.

And did you know that Stepping Stone Sound can mix your tracks even if you didn't record them here with us? This is a great option for people who have their own home studios for recording but want a professional's touch for the mix. Call or e-mail us today to find out how it works.

Mixing Rates:

$25 per hour or $100 per song, whichever is less.

Because songs are treated seperately during the mixing stage, they will almost always have different overall volume levels and equalization at the end of the process. Mastering employs specialized tools and techniques to correct these differences, providing a smooth, cohesive listening experience where the levels are the same across all the tracks on your CD, and the songs all sound like they belong together. It is also during this process that your tracks are arranged on the master disc in the correct order, and any fades, spacing, hidden tracks, etc. are added or adjusted to provide the desired flow from the beginning of the CD to the end (this part of the process is called track sequencing).

But beyond simply being a corrective process, digital mastering takes your music to the next level sonically, making it sound bigger, better and "larger than life." Even single songs will benefit greatly from this process. And once your music has been mastered, it will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with any major label release without flinching. And in this ultra-competitive marketplace, that is an essential part of ensuring your CD's financial success. 

When done correctly, mastering can drastically improve the quality of virtually any recording, whether it was created in a professional recording facility, a home project studio or at a live show. And as always, Stepping Stone Sound offers this service with fast turnaround times and a commitment to superior quality, all at a price that you can easily afford. 

So give us a call to speak directly with an engineer about the benefits of mastering and what it can do for your music. We'll even review your material for free and let you know whether mastering can help.

Mastering Rates:

$25 per song