Cafe Music Recording Studios - Services List

Band & Acoustic Recordings

We have a huge collection of vintage mics, super high-quality modern mics and are equipped with high grade valve pre-amps, EQs and compressors to ensure the highest and warmest sound quality on offer. (see more details at Studios & Equipment )

Our fully equipped live room offers perfect acoustics for band recordings. We are fully aware of the importance of communication between band members, therefore we try our best to capture the excitement of your performance. In order to do so, record a band in it's natural environment, in one room together. The overdub stage uses the same room, the same acoustics and the same atmosphere.

Musicians will also have free access to our professional back-line including full drum kit, guitars, basses, FX pedals, sound modules, keyboards and synthesisers plus many more toys etc.

Acoustic Recordings

Our main room has outstanding acoustic properties suited to acoustic instruments. We have recorded many acoustic works involving wood and brass instruments and pride ourselves in specialising in this area. Feel free to look at our client list.

Mixing and Mastering

We offer a complete mixing and mastering service for both internally and externally recorded audio.

All our rooms are acoustically treated and equipped with top quality near-field monitoring systems and specific outboard mastering processors for this purpose.

Many clients request mastering from external sources i.e. live rehearsal recording, DJ remixing and general unmastered home recordings etc, the mastering process can vastly improve any recording, do feel free to contact us with any enquiries.

Pre-Production and Arrangement Support

Pre-Production and Arrangement Support We can develop basic song ideas into full compositions or sharpen up half finished songs. We can take this process right up to pre-production for a full recording which would be completed and mixed in the main studio. This ensures that even the most inexperienced talent can achieve top quality music, and pick up valuable knowledge in the process.

We can provide a full development service for aspiring artists of any style and ability. We can create backing tracks for original works or cover versions. Bring your songs, lyrics or even just your voice and we can create the music you hear in your head. We have worked in Electronica, Hip-Hop, Folk, Rock, House, Jazz, Gospel and even Barber-shop!
We have a wealth of experience in this field and can offer career advice and support without any fear of manipulation or exploitation.

Digital Audio Workstation crash course

Digital Audio Workstation crash course For those who are more interested in beat programming and electronic music production we offer a one day crash course for Logic/Ableton. A custom tutorial by in house engineer/programmer Cherif Hashizume (BA Recording Art), who has been acclaimed by many artists for his highly advanced and creative programming skills.
Students will learn the basics of MIDI and manipulation of internal and external instruments such as synthesisers and samplers in order to start composing their own beats, basslines and melodies. Students also learn the basic signal flow of Logic/Ableton for recording/mixing/resampling purposes.
On the next chapter, students will go through the structure and types of synthesisers. They will gain an understanding of what oscillators, filters, amps, ADSR envelopes are contributing to sound shaping and the difference between subtractive/additive/wave table/FM synthesis in order to create the sounds they aim for.
Sampling is one of the most important techniques in electronic music production. Students will learn various ways of sample recording, organisation and manipulation. This includes recording beats, speeches, riffs from vinyl, CDs and MP3s, assignments of those samples on EXS24, Battery, Impulse and Simpler, and individual sample manipulation including time stretching, pitch sifting, filtering and resampling.
At the end of the tutorial, students will learn the basics of mixing and mastering. This consists of EQ and compressor theory and its techniques, explanations of different types of effects such as delay, reverb, flanger, chorus, distortion, filter, vocoder and many others.

The tutorial lasts 5-6 hours and can be completed in a day for £200. The starting time can be varied and suit your time of the day, however the latest time of commencement needs to be 18:00. The tutorial can only be taken one-on-one due to maintaining quality and practicality.

Introduction to Music Recording course (Crash Course)

Introduction to Music Recording course (Crash Course) We are proud to present our educational programme for people who want to learn basics and work flow of recording studios. This short course consists both theoretical and practical classes lead by the studio director Mark Sutherland who has been teaching in higher education courses for many years.

Day 1- Basic theories of microphones, mixing desks, pre-amps, EQs, compressors, sound effects and room acoustics

• Students will learn basics such as difference of dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones, various mic techniques, signal flow of mixing desks and patch bays, different types of EQs and its use, importance of pre-amps and impedance matching, use of compressors, expanders and noise gates, different ways of applying sound effects and basics of both psycho-acoustics and room-acoustics.

Day 2- Applying theories to the real life

• On the second day, students have chance to practice what they learned in the theoretical class with help from the in house engineer to actually record a real band including full drum kit, bass guitar, guitars, keyboards and vocals. Students have opportunities to experience the full work flow of professional engineers and producers to get the song delivered as a finished product.

Day 3- Finalising a song to take it home

•On the final day, students will mix and master what they recorded on the second day. At this point, they will realise the importance and use of EQs, dynamic processors and sound effects to make the recording sounds like a real CD. They also have a opportunity to look into the mastering procedures to maximise the volume and sound quality of the song therefore they will learn everything they need to do in a recording studio.

Each days consists of 5-6 hours of classes. those classes are available from both 12am and 6pm.

The price will be £650 per person and includes all the session musicians, engineers and back-lines.