A mixing facility built around the idea that everyone should have a good mix.  There were several times when I was younger when I'd spend a good chunk of change to record at a nice local studio.  Every time I was let down by the mix.  I want to offer unsigned bands the tools that everyone else has.  The Mixing Station will edit your drums, tune your vocals, and, re-amp your guitars as needed.  The unique part of our process is the simplicity.  You'll find tutorials on this site on how to deliver your songs to us to ensure we have the best sounds going in.  So, whether you are recording your band at home with your Pro Tools LE rig or using a nice local studio, we'll make your songs sound as good as possible.

Our number one goal is to make your songs sound amazing!  A lot of bands want to record themselves.  We embrace this. On this site, you'll find basic tutorials for how to record your band and prep your tracks to get the best possible results from The Mixing Station.  Our engineers will be working very closely with Casey, making sure his techniques and ideas are used.  Casey will listen, tweak and approve every track that comes through The Mixing Station.  We operate a lot like a mastering facility except me mix your songs instead of master them. How it works:

Step 1 - Follow our walkthroughs for recording your songs. 

Step 2 - Follow our track preparation walkthrough to make sure we get your songs in the best possible quality.

Step 3 - We will email instructions for how to upload your songs to our FTP server.  If this is too crazy, there's always the US Postal service.

Step 4 - Sit back and wait.  We will give you our best estimate for when your song will be ready.

Step 5 - One revision is included in the cost.  We will email you with a link to your song.  Listen to it, and if you want to make any changes, let us know.

RATES: The Mixing Station is just getting started!  The first 50 songs The Mixing Station does will be priced at $200 a song. We will accept payments through PAYPAL, cash or money order.

Recording yourself full band:

Let's start with the basics.  You need to have a multi-track setup.  We'll use Digidesign products for our examples, but anything comparable will do.  A minimum of six mic preamps are a must if you are recording real drums.  The Digidesign digi 003 and digi 002 both come with four built in.  You're going to need to get a stereo mic pre like this, to bring you up to six.  You're going to see we recommend the Shure SM57 for just about everything.  It's our favorite mic for its cost/quality ratio. 

* The FOUR

1) Play to a CLICK TRACK  (www.themixingstation.com CLICK TRACKS.zip)

2) Don’t record your tracks too loud.  If the meters on the track you're recording to go red, turn down the mic pre.

3) Tune your drums.

4) Make sure your guitars and bass stay in tune.  Out-of-tune guitars may be unfixable.

* Recording Drums

SNARE - Shure SM57

RACK TOM - Shure SM57 or any decent dynamic microphone

FLOOR TOM - Shure SM57 or any decent dynamic microphone

KICK - AKG D112/Shure Beta 52 or any decent dynamic kick drum microphone

STEREO OVERHEADS - Any two identical condenser microphones.  The Rode NT5's are great

ADDITIONAL MICS in order of importance:

HIGH HAT - Any decent pencil condenser microphone or Shure SM57

STEREO ROOM - Any two identical condenser microphones or Shure SM57’s

SNARE BOTTOM - Shure SM57 or whatever you have lying around

* Recording Guitars:

GUITAR CABINET - Shure SM57

GUITAR DIRECT IN - Anything you can find that will give you a dry guitar signal into Pro Tools would be preferred.  Try using a guitar pod to split the signal so you have a dry guitar tone going straight into your multi-track recorder and the other signal goes into your amp head.  Another option is to use your BOSS tuner. It has two outputs on it.  Send one to the amp and one straight into your muilti-track recorder.

* Recording Bass:

We would prefer a direct in bass signal for mixing.  If you want to use your head, do it, but please include a dry bass signal.

* Recording Vocals:

Get a decent condenser microphone.  M-Audio and Rode have some great stuff for $100-$300.  Use a pop filter and sing from about 8-12 inches away from the mic.  Don't clip the track (make the meter turn red) when singing.  You could get these Rode NT1's and use them for your drum overheads as well as your vocal mic.

MIDI:

Please make sure to include any MIDI data you are using.  Also, make sure you include audio files of all your MIDI sounds.