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[Flash@TMB]

Originally Posted by thurisaz

any chance of a recording of Filthpacts set on Dec 18th. would be much appreciated. bonus live tracks would be ace.

The live recording equipment is owned by the bar, and I will happily to push record. We've outsourced the production exclusively to Mark Thomas Audio (MTA on aberdeen-music), meaning production is independently operated as a separarte concern. This is to ensure that any tracks produced from the recording and subsequently released are of an acceptable quality that reflects well on the bar. So please note that the bar will not release any raw data tracks to artists or bands; MTA has exclusive production rights.

At present MTA is building up a little portfolio of tracks that will feature on a CD in our jukebox and hopefully drum up some business. He selects which tracks he wants to add to the showcase, and some lucky artists are benefiting from a free live recorded track.

Outside of that any act that plays in the bar can comission MTA to produce one or more live tracks on their behalf. So the recording is free, but MTA will charge for the production. The costs will vary but a band should expect to pay upwards of 100 quid per track, although a solo accoustic artist is likely to be charged substantially less. MTA will be only to happy for the band to provide some input into the production but obviously the longer you spend...

Not many bands will be looking to record and produce an entire live session, so this is most likely to be used as a cost effective means of adding a bonus live track to an EP... The charges will seem more than reasonable once you hear the quality. He's produced 3 tracks to date, the aforementioned Contra track Without You, a Jo McCafferty accoustic track called Melt, and a Red Medicine (Inept 303) track called Problems.

We're utilising anything up to 18 mics on each recording, including a stereo pair of rear facing crowd mics. The snare drum gets 2 mics, one top and one bottom.

All the bar requires in return for me pushing record is a credit on the back of the EP saying "Track x recorded live at The Moorings Bar in Aberdeen and produced by Mark Thomas Audio." Neither the bar or MTA will release any of the tracks we record without prior consent from the artists involved, and this includes showcasing them on the jukebox. So if you don't like then we'll wipe!

If anyone does intend to request a recording then please ensure that:

a) You've rehearsed plenty and are tight as fuck.
b) You have all FX, sounds, and levels fully sorted out.
c) It's also worth slightly compromising the stage volumes to reduce mic bleed. It's a good idea to contact MTA in advance to discuss performance techniques for ensuring a good recording.
d) Leave at least 2 clear seconds before, and 10 clear secs after each tune for applause.
e) Make sure you sing into the mics... LOL!

All this will help keep production costs to a minimum.

[DaveRowlands]

Originally Posted by Flash@TMB

So the recording is free, but MTA will charge for the production. The costs will vary but a band should expect to pay upwards of 100 quid per track.

At £100 a track we'll be giving that one a miss then sadly, we've just agreed to do a whole album (12 + Songs) with a weeks worth of recording and another few days producing for the same amount.

[Flash@TMB]

Originally Posted by DaveRowlands

At £100 a track we'll be giving that one a miss then sadly, we've just agreed to do a whole album (12 + Songs) with a weeks worth of recording and another few days producing for the same amount.

Dave - please could you clarify, are you getting a weeks recording and 12 tracks produced for £100 or £1200?

Unfortunately we operate in an environment where some fool that's only attended one soundcheck feels equipped to pass judgment on the venue (LMAO)... so we've got to ensure that anything associated with the bar is of the highest quality. That's why we've stipulated that any releases are produced by MTA. Here's an article on Mark that I tracked down using Google:

http://www.audiocourses.com/article83.html

He really is shit hot!

I must stress that the bar does not charge anything for use of this recording facility - even though the equipment cost a packet. And £100 to get a track produced by the same engineer that worked on the various Muse albums has got to be a bargain!

[MTA]

You gone and embarrassed me now

[Flash@TMB]

Originally Posted by MTA

You gone and embarrassed me now

I can easy go back and edit out the word 'hot' from that post...

[Delly]

Originally Posted by Flash@TMB

I can easy go back and edit out the word 'hot' from that post...

haha that would just be mean!

[Cloud]

Oi, Flash, delete some of your pm's will you?

it's cool by the way for the 2nd saturday.

[milner]

For over £100 pounds you could record a whole ep at captain toms or have a good afternoon out in the mill recording. That is very very expensive. I mean how many bands in aberdeen or for that matter touring bands will have or want to spend 100 on one live song?? Your asking bands to pay you more than 3 times what they will get for the whole gig for one song. The whole production rights doesnt seem very fair and yes i read the article and he obviously knows what he is doing and what not, but why should he have sole rights of producing what i record? But whos to say that again just an example but whos to say that nial who has worked with my band a few times now wouldnt be able to mix and produce it better having known our band better??
Surely charging for the recording and giving the bands the option of using MTA to produce it would be a better idea, just seems to me that you guys are the only ones that will really benefit from this thing.

Sorry just needed to rant for a bit

Edit: after thinking more about it how long does MTA think they will take to produce or mix one song?? Surely no more than a few hours and you are chargin over £100??? Thats more expensive than any studio in aberdeen.

[eat your parents]

So what happens if you're not planning to release the tracks?

We record every show we play now, so we can see where we went wrong, what sounded good etc. A couple of the tracks from the last Lemon Tree show, are going on on the webshite.

I'm not trying to cause trouble, just interested. We're playing your venue on the 11th December I'm told, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

[jester1470]

I've heard the recordings that you did of Contra and it was very, very good, however I think tht the whole exclusivity thing is a bit silly, I can't think of any other venue that does this. If you're worried abiout the quality of the tracks then why not make a contract with the stipulation that if the quality of mixing doesn't reach the standards that show the Moorings in a favourable light then they can't release it. Martin did a superb job on Emma's sound on Saturday possibly the best I've heard anyone do with her, and we would love the raw data of that recording to put into our own studio and tidy up and release, but we can't afford £100 a track. I know Martin's good at what he does but so's the guy we'd use and he knows and has worked with Emma so knows what we want. Very few bands will pay for it, and you're effectively shooting yourself in the foot, you've paid for this great recordiing setup and it was a great incentive to get bands to play the moorings, but not at those prices and with those rules. Touring bands will take their own engineer, what happens then ? you can't put this kind of exclusivity and more importantly that sort of price on band playing a venue the size of the moorings, that's pointless and counter productive.

Still thats how I see it, still a damn good venue, the sound was brilliant but there's no way we'd pay that for any tracks. Another point that should be made is shouldn't the bands have a choice in what song's mixed ? If you decide to mix the songs by the lucky few what value to the bands is there if you mix a song thats old and not that representative of where the band is now.

Cheers

Stuart