FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. How does it work?
2. What size orchestra do I get?
3. Where do the sessions take place?
4. What if I want extra musicians or items of technical equipment that are not included in the standard lineup?
5. What if I want fewer musicians than the standard line-up?
6. How much music can I record in an hour?
7. How much does it cost?
8. When do I pay?
9. How will I receive the edits?
10. Is editing and mastering included in the fee?
11. How do I book a session?
12. Can you notify me of new session dates as soon as they become available?
13. I want to book the orchestra for more than two hours. Is this the system for me?
14. I want to book the orchestra for an hour but I want to attend the sessions in person too. Can I do this?
For the remotely-monitored, "per hour" sessions, we schedule normal length orchestral recording sessions throughout the year and divide each of them into three 1-hour segments. Clients can book these individual segments for a fraction of the cost of booking the full-length session. In other words, the orchestra will play a 1-hour session, have a 30 minute break, play a second 1-hour session, have another 30 minute break and play a third 1-hour session.
Clients can book each 1-hour slot individually so, effectively, the cost of a full three-hour recording session is divided among up to three clients.
If you want to reserve time with the orchestra on this basis, you simply contact us and we will book that slot for you (see below for further details). We will provide you with free software that you need to install on your computer and this will give you a direct feed (over a standard broadband connection) into the mixing desk in the control room. You will also be able to communicate directly with the producer during the session, listen to all the orchestral takes live as they happen and make comments.
At the end of the session, the edits will be delivered to you by FTP or by whatever delivery method you prefer (see below for more information). [back to top]
- What size orchestra do I get?
The standard orchestra size for remotely-monitored sessions is 70. This breaks down as follows:
2.2.2.2/4.2.3.1/timp-2perc.hp/12.12.10.8.6
2 Flutes
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets
2 Bassoons
4 French Horns
2 Trumpets
3 Trombones (2 tenor, 1 bass)
1 Tuba
1 Timpani
2 Percussion
1 Harp
12 First Violins
12 Second Violins
10 Violas
8 Cellos
6 Double Basses
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- Where do the sessions take place?
Recording sessions take place in Besedni Dum, in Brno (Czech Republic) with the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra. Click here for more information about the studio and the technical equipment available as standard. [back to top]
- What if I want extra musicians or items of technical equipment that are not included in the standard lineup?
This is normally fine. Just let us know what your requirements are and we will let you know if we can provide them. Depending on the nature of your requirements, there may be a charge in addition to the standard hourly rate (see below). For example, if you wanted a pianist instead of a harpist, we would have to charge a fee for the pianist as we need to pay the harpist to be in the session for the other two hours anyway. If more than one client wanted the same musician/extra equipment, the cost would be shared between you. [back to top]
- What if I want fewer musicians than the standard lineup?
This is fine. However, unfortunately there is no reduction in cost as the musicians are paid to be available for the full three-hour recording session even if they only play in one or two hours of it. [back to top]
- How much music can I record in an hour?
We don't set a limit on how much you can record in your session and different types of music will require different amounts of time to record. As a rule of thumb, most clients can expect to record 5-7 minutes of music in a one-hour period. [back to top]
The cost of remotely-monitored recording sessions is currently €2,750 (EUR) per hour. If you are inside the EU VAT is applicable. [back to top]
Your session booking is secured on receipt of payment (see below). We need to do things this way for the simple reason that if one 1-hour client drops out of a three-hour session, we would make a loss if we didn't secure payment in advance. If you book a session and need to cancel, we will happily refund the cost of your session to you if we can fill the time you have booked with a new booking from someone else. We would much rather do this than for you to pay and not have your recording session. [back to top]
- How will I receive the edits?
By default, we will upload the edits to an FTP account set up specially for you. You will be able to login and download the edits using an FTP client such as the free Filezilla. If you have never used an FTP client, we can provide full instructions on how to use it. It's quite straightforward!
If you would prefer to receive your edits another way (on a DVD, hard drive, as a downloadable ZIP file etc) just let us know. We will be happy to provide them in whichever way best suits you. [back to top]
- Is editing and mastering included in the fee?
No, but we are happy to provide this as an additional service. Just let us know what you think you will require and we will provide a quote. [back to top]
Click on the "Session Dates" tab above to see if there is a forthcoming date that you would like to book. In the first instance, either
us or complete the form on the Session Dates page to let us know which date, how many hours you would like (and any other requirements also).
We will contact you very shortly afterwards to let you know if we can offer you time on your preferred recording session date. If your preferred date is no longer available, we may suggest alternatives.
When we have confirmed that we can offer you a recording session on a mutually agreed date and time, we will send you a contract and an invoice. The booking of the session is confirmed on receipt of payment.
After booking is confirmed, we will send you a document explaining how the session will work and detailing how to install the software needed to monitor the session remotely.
We will also give you contact details for the studio production team so you can plan the details of the session beforehand.
We will also give you details of where and when to send the score and orchestral parts. [back to top]
- Can you notify me of new session dates as soon as they become available?
Yes. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below and we will send you a short email each time a new date becomes available.
Your address will only be used to send you recording date notifications and you can unsubscribe from the notifications at any time by clicking on the "unsubscribe" link contained in any of the emails you receive. [back to top]
- I want to book the orchestra for more than two hours. Is this the system for me?
Possibly. If you do not need to attend the sessions in person and are happy to monitor them remotely, you may still save time and money by not having to travel and stay in the Czech Republic. On the other hand, we are happy to setup a bespoke, remotely monitored recording session for you which is individually tailored to your requirements. If you are unsure what the best option for you is, the best thing to do would be to contact us and we will give you costings for all options and will try to provide the solution that best suits your needs. [back to top]
- I want to book the orchestra for an hour but I want to attend the sessions in person too. Can I do this?
Yes, of course. We will be happy for you to come to your recording session in person. If you need any advice on booking travel/accommodation, we will be happy to help if we can. Just let us know! [back to top]
