COR was formed to bring convenient, inexpensive recording services to the central Ohio area, with a particular focus on schools and music students. COR consists of the Owner and Principal Engineer (me) and several associates who assist when needed. The company is operated from a simple home office rather than a fancy, full-service recording studio. I bring portable, state-of-the-art equipment to wherever your recording is to be made, whether it’s an auditorium or a living room. I then mix and master the recording and provide you with computer audio files and/or as many nicely packaged CDs as you need.

What have you got? If you can hear it, I can record it! I’ll record your school concerts and make CDs that you can sell as fundraising items. If you need a recording to submit with a music school application, or to use for an audition or competition, I’ll come out to your location, record as many "takes" as you like, and make you a CD of the best one. I’ll record your band’s gigs or rehearsals and make you a CD you can use as a bookings demo or to sell at your shows. Whatever sound you make, I stand ready to record it!

What was that about fundraising? My school is giving a special band concert this season.

Glad you asked. I am prepared to work with you on your fundraising project. (See the Schools page for details.) And the best part is, your first recording is FREE!

Students are thrilled to have their playing professionally recorded and then to hear it on a "real" CD. Parents and relatives will be delighted to purchase this permanent keepsake, knowing that they are supporting the school's music program as they do so.

What do you mean when you say our first recording is free?

Just that! My first project for any school is undertaken strictly as a volunteer effort. I welcome the opportunity to introduce myself to the school and to discuss ways that I could work with the faculty and students in the areas of audio and music technology. (For more information about the kinds of sessions and services I am prepared to offer, see the Instruction page of my personal website.)

We are a 5-piece rock band. Can you record our show live at the Newport?

Sadly, live rock bands represent a bit of an exception to my "I record anything" policy. Sure, I could stick a couple of mikes back in the audience and record like a bootlegger at a Grateful Dead concert. Trouble is, the result would sound pretty much like those old tapes - boomy and muddy. When you are actually sitting in the audience the band is in front of you and the room reverberations are all around you. When you play back a recording made from where you were sitting, the band and the room reverberations both come from the same place - your speakers or headphones. It sounds boomy and muddy.

The proper way to record a live rock show is to put each instrument or vocal on a separate track (or set of tracks) and mix them down to stereo later. Alas, the present COR recorder, though a 16-track unit, only allows me to record eight tracks at once. When you consider that you need at least four tracks for the drums alone, you can see the problem.

A separate set of problems is introduced by recording at a large venue that has its own sound system, engineering staff, etc. Interconnecting with the house PA and working with the staff can become problematic when they have their own way of doing things or need to impose limitations. Making live recordings is much easier at smaller venues like restaurants or small clubs where the band brings their own sound system (or doesn't use one) or, best of all, in the band's own rehearsal space.

COR has made a number of great recordings of rock bands by recording in a rehearsal space or unoccupied performance venue. I record the basic instrumental tracks first, then overdub percussion, vocals, or additional instruments on the remaining eight tracks. The separate-vocal approach allows the singers to re-do small parts of otherwise OK vocals and offers many other advantages over recording everything at once. You end up with a great recording! (Check out the song by The Alarms in the Portfolio for an example of this approach.)

What about smaller or acoustic bands?

If your band does not have drums or amps, or has relatively few players, I should be able to make a good live recording within the eight-tracks-at-once limitation.

What about label and cover art for our CD?

No problem!  You can provide your own, work with me to create it, or just give me an idea and I'll go from there.  Not to brag, but my custom designs have been very well received.  Of course, I will have to charge a graphic design fee. But it's worth it!

Can you record me singing along with pre-recorded tracks?

Absolutely! As long as you have backing tracks on a CD (or as computer files), we're ready to go. Because the instruments are already recorded, I can give you a good price for a quick recording session plus CDs. Call and tell me about your project and I'll give you a custom quotation.

Where do I get pre-recorded tracks to sing along with?

Backing tracks featuring instruments and background vocals but no lead vocal are available for thousands of songs on CDs or online. Give me a call or send me an e-mail to discuss your options if you need to locate backing tracks.

In a typical project, you get two hours of multi-track recording, all post-production, and 5 CDs for somewhere around $200 to $500, depending on the project.

Each project is different.  Let me know what you're working on and I'll try to find a way to get it done within your budget.

Surprisingly little, actually. What makes this whole enterprise possible is the existence of a new breed of "studio in a box" recording units that combine CD-quality audio with a high degree of portability, and contain all of the circuits and signal processing units formerly found only in large recording studios. What I will be bringing is the recorder itself (a Korg D16XD) and a card table to set it on, a power extension cord, some microphones with their associated cables and stands, and maybe a few pairs of headphones. That’s about it! Setup and teardown time is minimal. The focus is on you and your performance, not a bunch of gear and wiring.

The bottom line is, if you don’t like it, you don’t pay. My objective for COR is to establish relationships with customers, and the way I do that is by providing a high-quality, reliable service, and by guaranteeing results for money spent. After your recording is mixed and mastered, I will give you an opportunity to verify that everything is acceptable to you. Only then will I begin the process of duplication and packaging. If you are not satisfied, I will work with you until you are!

Do you do video too, or just audio?

At this point I am strictly "audio only". Video is a whole other world, and it takes a lot of effort, equipment, and know-how to get a good video of a concert or performance. I focus only on the sound.

I am able to provide a high-quality, stereo audio feed to any video equipment that may be in use at the time of the performance. I can add extra microphones if needed (up to 16 channels), and I can create a custom audio mix to be sent to the video gear. I'll be the "audio guy"!

What other services do you offer?

I am available for individual consulting or instructional assignments involving audio systems or music production and recording, as well as basic instruction on keyboard, guitar, and drums. Music is what I do. Let me know how I can help you!

If you live in Central Ohio and you own music recording software, or are planning to purchase such software for yourself or your organization, I am willing and able to assist you with the purchase, installation, use, and/or trouble- shooting of your recording setup, at your location, for a reasonable hourly rate.

I am also ready to assist with the selection, installation and operation of audio systems of all kinds. What's your project?