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Albatross Music	Our policy

How good are you?

The success of your project does not depend on sophisticated equipment. It mainly depends on you. When the basics are OK, there is no need for post processing or tweaking your tracks.
If you can sing well, control your pitch, timing and timbre, you will be able to record a good CD. The use of extra's is up to you. But we assume that we don't have to tweak your pitch or timing.
Of course now and then a small error can be polished away, that is not what I mean.

The golden rule: don't try to record anything you cannot perform on stage yourself (possibly with an effect processor).
You're welcome to come and do an afternoon of try-out recordings.

Approach

Basically, we do analog recording of the tracks. Analog in the strict sense means that the whole signal path is based on analog techniques, and that a tape machine is sitting at the end of the chain.
Both methods have their pros and cons. We like the analog approach more.

Some insist on analog recording, and like to do the mixdown digitally. Others go digital all the way. Sometimes both techniques are combined.
Would you like to work digitally, or at least do digital mixing digitally, that is possible, please let us know.

When digital recording became possible for the average studio, a conviction grew that analog recording would soon be over. Not all sound studios abandoned it though.
Despite the convenience and endless possibilities of digital recording now available, some artists are still asking for analog recording and judging by the fact that EMTEC professional tapes have recently become available once more at RMGI, the availability of the analog system has stabilized over time.

The rapid computerization of sound recording methods may have given you the impression that good sound recording is only possible using digital techniques. This is not true.
A lot of re-issued albums considered state-of-the-art are in fact based on analog tape recordings from the past. Digital and analog systems are not different with respect to quality. Both systems create a representation of sound on some medium. In both cases, the original sounds different than the recording. It is a matter of preference what method to use.

If you observe that today's digital techniques are much better that 20 years ago, you may have to accept the fact that your precious 192 KHz 32 bit master is to be wrung ultimately into yesteryear's music CD standard: 44.1 KHz and 16 bits. Most studios have chosen not to invest in Dolby Surround 5.1 techniques.
One of the pillars of the sounds of the 60's and 70's was the state of the art equipment of the time: heavy stuff with a lot of electromechanics requiring a lot of skills not only to master, but to provide proper maintenance as well. This was the era in which we grew up and learned our business.
Sound recording principles haven't changed. Methods have. Those who know about these principles will get better results with any equipment.

Some engineers pretend to keep the 'magic' of analog alive using valve (tube) compressors to emulate the characteristics of analog recordings.
In vain. What has been sampled digitally, cannot be returned to analog recording afterwards. We consider this just a marketing trick. And there are more of them out there.