New Band Practice Studios Open

[Guest Startex]

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What didn't you like about it? The price? The fact that nobody else in your band turned up? The gear? The size? I'm all ears as to how we can improve it.

Oops, sorry, wrong band. My apologies, your band did come in, it was a band the night before I was thinking about.

I read the post by freddiesoffspring with interest. I will make it clearer on our site that there's 2 combos not speaker cabs. A lot of our gear is indeed on one side of the room but only the guitars are on stands. I don't think that the amps will fall over but might look into a multi-stand for the guitars if that's what you are talking about. Glad you like the recordings. If only more people used the place we could get some money to spend on better gear!

Thanks for the comments

[Chi 666]

Oops, sorry, wrong band. My apologies, your band did come in, it was a band the night before I was thinking about.

I read the post by freddiesoffspring with interest. I will make it clearer on our site that there's 2 combos not speaker cabs. A lot of our gear is indeed on one side of the room but only the guitars are on stands. I don't think that the amps will fall over but might look into a multi-stand for the guitars if that's what you are talking about. Glad you like the recordings. If only more people used the place we could get some money to spend on better gear!

Thanks for the comments

must admit, iv been on the aberdeen music scene for a few years now and i have never ever been to the foyer music. whats the prices and were is it?

[Guest Startex]

must admit, iv been on the aberdeen music scene for a few years now and i have never ever been to the foyer music. whats the prices and were is it?

Easy: check out the Website. Directions, well a map anyway, are on the "Contact us" page. Prices are at the bottom of the "Equipment" page but it's 6 per hour 2-6pm Monday-Friday, 10 per hour at all other times. Open 2pm-10pm Monday-Thursday and 12-8pm Saturday-Sunday. Bookings are on on the website. It's supposed to be for people under 25 but as we are hardly used at all these days we are open to everybody just now.

[Lemonade]

Easy: check out the Website. Directions, well a map anyway, are on the "Contact us" page. Prices are at the bottom of the "Equipment" page but it's 6 per hour 2-6pm Monday-Friday, 10 per hour at all other times. Open 2pm-10pm Monday-Thursday and 12-8pm Saturday-Sunday. Bookings are on on the website. It's supposed to be for people under 25 but as we are hardly used at all these days we are open to everybody just now.

I've looked at your website before but been put off booking practice there because of the under 25 rule (being 28). Foyer is ace. Really good sound in the practice room. I may well start using you.

[Gemz]

We have used room 2, 4 and 6 at Musical Vision and now we have now booked room 4 6 weeks in advance...

I espiecially like looking at the curtains on the wall for some inspiration...

And Scottys a toff!!!

8-)

[Georgie]

Details..

Yo... nice to hear you're making a good use of the space..

What's the usual prices and time scheduling? Like how much for 4-6hours?

Cheers,

JG

[The Milner]

musical vision is rubbish i think, wooden floors in the rooms and pa systems that are so unfriendly to use and it seems to me that it is really badly run, ive been there about ten times now and the guy is almost always late turning up (once he just didnt show).

Toms has its ups and downs, but they always give you good banter and they have an ace tuck shop and for the record room 4 is without a doubt the best room in there, never had a bad practise in that room, plus your away from all the noise which is a plus.

Only been to musical vision once with stayover but it was good, cheap as well.

Ill need to check out transition next time im in the area.

[Chris]

musical vision is rubbish i think...

Only been to musical vision once with stayover but it was good, cheap as well.

Something doesn't add up there.

[FatHand]

Vision is ace. Been there many many many times and always have a good practice

[The Milner]

Something doesn't add up there.

haha oops i meant the foyer.

[Guest Startex]

haha oops i meant the foyer.

Thanks, I think! A bit confusing but as we don't have wooden floors I hope I understand what you are saying.

Worth pointing out that Foyer Music is deserted these days because we don't spend money on advertising. If people want us to survive they need to start using it!

[The Milner]

Thanks, I think! A bit confusing but as we don't have wooden floors I hope I understand what you are saying.

Worth pointing out that Foyer Music is deserted these days because we don't spend money on advertising. If people want us to survive they need to start using it!

yeah i meant your place was good

Do you still have your under 25 rule tho?

[plumpwhiteduke]

Musical Vision

Yeah there are wooden floors all over musical vision, you need a degree in sound engineering to work out how to use the mixing desks and turn on the amplifiers and if you turn everything up to ear shattering volume the amplifiers all feed back and you cant get a good sound in the room.. lol

[Lemonade]

Thanks, I think! A bit confusing but as we don't have wooden floors I hope I understand what you are saying.

Worth pointing out that Foyer Music is deserted these days because we don't spend money on advertising. If people want us to survive they need to start using it!

Dave. It says on aberdeenfoyer.com

a) A rehearsal room with a full backline

(Amps, drums, keyboards etc) and a vocal PA.

Rehearsing 8 per hour (backline & PA supplied)

but it says on Foyerlive.com

Rehearsal room

- 6 (2-6pm)

- 10 (6-10pm) Monday-Friday

Which is right?

[TheTickingTime-Bomb]

Worth pointing out that Foyer Music is deserted these days because we don't spend money on advertising. If people want us to survive they need to start using it!

Can I ask why exactly you don't want to be paid by musicians who are over 25?

It seems completely random and illogical as a business tactic.

[Guest Startex]

Sorry people, I've been away and just saw these posts.

Can I ask why exactly you don't want to be paid by musicians who are over 25?

It seems completely random and illogical as a business tactic.

It would be if we were a business. We are a charity who are funded to work with young people. We would love to be paid by over 25's but the funding that set us up was given because we work with under 25s. Having said that, as we are so quiet at the moment we have opened to anybody, no matter what age, and will look at that again when we are busier.

Dave. It says on aberdeenfoyer.com...Which is right?

I didn't see the aberdeenfoyer site and have just emailed the people who do it to tell them that they have the prices wrong. Thanks for pointing that out.

[TheTickingTime-Bomb]

Cool.

Do you have any links to songs recorded at Foyer?

[nytclubber]

yeah. this is cool. i'd also like to know the links recorded at Foyer!

[sudz]

I stopped using Foyer Music a few years ago when my band all turned over 25. But we have started using the place again now that they have dropped the "under 25" rule.

I think it's the best value rehearsal venue by far, and it's great to see that they have spent some money doing up all the equipment. (I remember back then, that the amps etc were in need of some attention, but all the gear is in top notch working order now.)

I've also got to say that the recordings I have heard from Foyer Music are very high quality compared to somer others. My experience of recording there, is that the staff are very helpful and put in a lot of effort, and they really seem to care about getting the best out of your recordings.

We will hopefully be using the place for quite some time to come.

[sye]

I have been using Captain Toms for many years. Its not exactly cheap but the best thing about it is its consistency. It always feels like a gamble booking to practice in other places cos you're never sure what you've going to get. I have used Musical Vision a couple of times and when I went there (maybe a year ago) we had to wait for someone to show up. There seemed to be a lot of stuff about the place and a lack of decent equipment. Maybe you have to ask for different amps etc? Anyway, Ive always find that the amps, PA and drum kits are pretty much ready to rock on arrival at toms and if Ive had a problem someone will sort it.

Is anyone running a lock-up type practice space these days? Ive heard theres one off Market Street but dont know too much about it

Also, does anyone have their own practice space that they rent privately cos Id be interested to hear how they set that up. Do people find its much better to have your own space? Is the problem just finding somewhere or are you happy to pay by the hour?

[Lemonade]

i'm quite interested in the foyer now, seems cheaper than captain toms and if i remember correctly, more central?

how do we book a rehersal space, and the marshal combos you use, what ones are they?

i'v been going to captain toms for a year or two now and never had any problems with it really. i love room four, fantastic carpet and never had a bad band practice in their, in fact me and my old band wrote some of the songs we enjoyed the most when we were in their a few times in a row:)

Here: www.foyermusic.com - you can book online.

My band practice there and it's fine. There's only 1 room and you have the place to yourself. Some of the equipment has seen better days but in general the sound is OK and Dave is really helpful if you need anything. It's just off Crown Street.

[Soda Jerk]

you need a degree in sound engineering to work out how to use the mixing desks and turn on the amplifiers

If you can't figure out how to turn on a tube amp, then you should probably learn a different instrument.

The amps at Toms are shit. The amps at MV are superb. I don't think that's even opinion. It's just true.

[Lemonade]

If you can't figure out how to turn on a tube amp, then you should probably learn a different instrument.

The amps at Toms are shit. The amps at MV are superb. I don't think that's even opinion. It's just true.

The beauty of Toms is that every room has the same equipment, even if some of it has seen better days. In Musical Vision it's like they've just bought a job lot of random amplifiers and stuck them in the rooms. Plus the rooms are all different shapes and sizes and have completely different sounds, different PA's etc. You sound completey different from one room to the next, whereas at Toms at least it's consistent no matter what room you're in, and you don't have to fuck about familiarising yourself with all the different amps etc. Plus the mic's in MV are laughable, they're like Fisher Price microphones or something. Toms gets a bit of a hard time but it's the best rehearal rooms in the city by a mile. At least it even FEELS like a rehearsal room, MV just feels like a big empty building that somebody's bought or hired and put equipment in the rooms. Toms have a counter, and a shop for strings, straps, plectrums etc. At MV the guys just go and shut themselves in that little room with the door closed and try to avoid talking to you.

Toms is too expensive though.

[Soda Jerk]

Familiarising yourself with sounds and acoustics of a room is something you'll have to do when you play a gig or go on tour though, so it's good practice I think. No venue is like any other venue, and if you're using someone elses drum shells or guitar/bass cab (or even their amp), you have to fiddle around and check that everything is sounding right.

I also like using different amps everytime. Experimenting with different amps and settings broadens my scope of what I want my guitar to sound like rather than just sticking to what I know. However, if I drove, I'd take my own amp, but I hate taking my DSL head on the bus, so I just use what is there, which is fine - because all the amps are pretty awesome. Even the solid state ones.

[FatHand]

You have to adjust to your environment, if you don't that is just lazy. It is not a bad thing to hear your music in different set ups using different amps, PAs either. In terms of MV, If you don't understand the PA ask the staff, knock on the door. If you like one set up in particular why not try and get that room every time, if you book in advance then you can usually get it.

I've used several places in different cities and to be honest it doesn't make a difference to your tunes where you play. If you are a good musician you can adapt and gain a little experience in trying to make the sound as best you can. Sometimes you just have a bad practice no matter what equipment, size and shape of room the room is. Sometimes bands are just shit not matter what the size and shape of the room too

The main thing is that there is usually somewhere to practice in Aberdeen at relatively short notice so cheers for all the people who bother to set up these practice places in the first place!