1hr Session

Deliverable: Scratch Track

Most songs need a little tune-up to get them ready for production!

During the co-writing session, we’ll make sure the:

• Concept is clear

• Lyrics are concise

• Arrangement is flowing naturally

• Melodies & chord progressions pair well

The Session

Normally, it will take about an hour to workshop one song from a solid framework, to a production-ready arrangement. However, if your song is already very developed, we can get through as many songs as we can within that allotted hour. At the end of the session, I like to record a scratch track with a rough vocal and accompany instrument, which for me is usually guitar.

In-Person vs Virtual Sessions

I personally love to work in-person as much as possible because of the atmospheric synergy, but I understand schedules can be busy. In-Person Sessions are at my recording studio in the Mission District of San Francisco, and Virtual Sessions can happen over Zoom / ListenTo. If virtual, please find a quiet space to join the call from a computer with headphones for the best listening experience.

Royalties

Depending on how much writing I do on each song, we can discuss a fair songwriting percentage for royalties. I do not require royalty percentages for my producing or mixing at this time.

Your Song, Even Better

Co-writing can really level up your song! Bringing in a different perspective can improve your song in ways you may not have even thought of! This is an important step not to skip, unless you are a seasoned writer!

Don’t let those songs sit around any longer! Book your co-writing session today, HERE.

3-5 Recording Sessions

Deliverables: Song ready for mixing.

After your song has been workshopped and the arrangement is solidified, now its time to start building out the instrumentation in the Production Phase!

Production Process (Per Song)

• X1-3 Music Production Sessions (4-6hrs)

• X? Optional Session Musician Recording Sessions (4-6hrs)

• X1 Vocal Recording Session (4-6hrs)

Instruments First

Usually, we record the instruments first using the scratch track as a guide. I am a professional vocalist & guitarist, but if we would need to, we can also hire in trusted session musicians if specific needs arise. However, I can usually build out a whole song on my own.

Vocals Next

Once we are 100% happy with the instruments/production elements, we finish the production with final vocals. Being a singer myself, vocal production is a strength of mine, lovingly pushing you to your limit to get the best performance for the song! I just ask that you come to the vocal recording session well-rehearsed, with already having memorized your melodies & vocal phrasing as well as having an idea for what you would like for background vocals. Having a strong starting point for vocals helps us work more efficiently and can substantially cut down our time spent in the studio.

My Gear

At my recording studio, I have the capability to record high-quality vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, midi keys & orchestral, bass guitar, acoustic stringed or horn instruments (session musicians), hand percussion, and programmed drums. I currently do not have the capability to record a full-sized acoustic drum kit which we could arrange to do at a larger studio if needed.

Working Virtually

Although I much prefer working in-person as much as possible for higher efficiency, virtual recording sessions are possible. I highly recommend doing vocals in-person for the best results. That would mean you flying out to SF or me coming to you. Usually, an artist will fly in and we’ll record vocals for multiple songs to make it more worth their time. You can view my gear list below.

Virtual Sessions

It is possible to vocal produce you from afar over Zoom, but you’d have to book some time at a local studio + pay the recording engineer who has the capability to patch me into the session via a Zoom call.

By the end of the Production Phase you will have:

• Full musical instrumentation

• High-quality vocal recording

• Multitracks ready for mixing

Deliverables: Stereo Mix & Stems

The next step in the process is mixing. This is taking the multitracks and transforming it into a balanced stereo mix.

Revisions

I give 3 mix revisions per song. Usually when I’m mixing a song I’ve produced, the rough mix at the end of production is already 75% of the way there, so it normally takes only a few revisions to nail it.

Stems

As part of my mixing service, I also export stems for you, as well as a clean version of the track if there are explicits. These stems are “food group” tracks that you can use for live performances, remixes, etc. Not to be confused with the full multitracks, these are simplified, mixed down groups of tracks to help you easily navigate your song for live performances. Here is an

Example Stems Package:

DRUMS, PERC, FX, BASS, SYNTHS, KEYS, STRINGS, HORNS, GTRS, ACGS, BGVS, VOXS, INSTRUMENTAL, CLEAN VERSION

Deliverables: Stereo Masters, 24bit & 32bit

After we’re happy with the mix, the last step is to master the track.

I outsource this step as is standard practice to keep it unbiased. If you have a group of songs for a project, it is best to do this at the same time. Mastering allows for sonic continuity and polish, taking that stereo track and processing it through analog gear to warm it back up and make it loud enough for streaming. I’ll have you pay the mastering engineer directly through an online payment portal.

Mastering rates are subject to change by the mastering engineer. This fee goes directly to the engineer.

These are baseline rates, and are subject to change based on my current workload, project scope, & timeline, including session musicians or additional recording sessions.

Albums usually consist of 8+ songs. Any volume of songs less than this or EPs will use the Singles Rate.

For in-person sessions, all meals & coffee are covered by the artist. We have an amazing selection of restaurants nearby on Valencia St!

That’s great! I often work on just one part of the process and hand it off to the next person. I’ve listed the rates above for each service to make it easy for you to see what you need for your song!

The process for making a song from scratch to finished master usually takes around a month, but can take longer depending on aligning schedules and number of sessions required for that song. We can of course also work on multiple songs at a time to speed up this process!

Pre-Amp / Interface / Computer

• WA-273 Stereo Pre-Amp/EQ

• Scarlett 18i20 V3 (8 input channels)

• Scarlett OctoPre (8-channel extension)

• Mac Mini M1 w/ Logic Pro X

Microphones

• WA-8000

• SM7B

• RE320

• SM57

• Customized SE Reflection Shield

Monitors/Headphones

• Yamaha HS-5s w/ subwoofer

• Sony MDR-7506s X4

• BenQ 4K Color-Accurate Computer Monitor

Guitars

• Taylor 214 Acoustic, Taylor 110ce Acoustic

• Taylor 12-string acoustic, Taylor Nylon-string

• Telecaster, Stratocaster

• Full Electric Guitar Pedalboard Effects w/ Amp Modeling

Bass Guitars

• Fender P-Bass

• Music Man Stringray

Keyboards

• Fully weighted keyboard controller for virtual instruments

Horns

• Alto Saxophone

Percussion

• Assortment of percussion toys