Why Choose Musical Horizon^® Services?

Musical Horizon^® services are for:

• Up-and-coming Musicians preparing an Audition or Demo Recording
• Professional Recording Artists – record with us to prepare for your commercial CDs
• Independent Musicians – those who want to get their music on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc.
• Local Musicians giving a Recital – great for keepsakes and for getting your performances out there!
• Music Schools looking to capture their students performing and for advertising
• Middle & High School Bands, Orchestras & Choral groups – fund-raising, mementos for parents
• Professional & Semi-Professional Ensembles – seeking grants and looking to sell to audiences
• Small Ensembles – string quartets, duos, trios, woodwind ensembles, etc.
• Acoustic Jazz and Bluegrass Musicians – we aren’t just for the Classical Musician!

And many others….

Q: So, tell me straight – why is it better to hire a professional recording engineer rather than try to record my own performance?

As a musician you are an expert at your instrument. Why would you want to portray yourself as anything less than that? Recording yourself with a consumer-grade recording device, would be attune to giving a performance using a cheap student instrument. You may get a result that you can recognize, but it would not show off your true abilities. As good as consumer-grade recording devices are today, they do not give you the same clarity and professionalism that your competition is using. One must ask themselves, “Am I ready to compete?” If the answer to this question is yes, you cannot settle for anything less than the best. Your performance will be hindered because you will be worrying about the recording as well as your personal performance. Subconsciously you will always be wondering if you remembered to start the recording, whether it sounds OK, etc. The use of a professional recording engineer eliminates these distractions.

Q: Do you have experience recording classical and/or acoustical music?

We specialize in recording classical and acoustic music. Not many recording studios, even the mobile ones, will tell you that. Every recording session has at least 1 member on our team that is a classically-trained musician. Our lead engineer is a performing classical violinist. Not only do we know what classical music should sound like and how to capture it via audio recording, we know exactly what you, the client, are experiencing throughout the recording process. We’ve been there ourselves – we get it! Don’t forget – most studios don’t even have “real” musicians working for them.

Q: OK, so how come the other guys I’ve hired never make it sound quite right?

Every microphone needs to be placed in a specific location and pointed in a specific direction. Our Musical Horizon^®engineers call this Custom Microphone Placement. Any recording engineer that just plops the microphone down in front of you and says, we’re ready to roll, has no idea what they’re doing. That might work well in a isolation booth in a studio, but not in your living room, or a concert hall. Just because you are on the stage, doesn’t mean the microphone should be pointed at you. Classical music requires that you record the location, not the instrumentalist. Sometimes, yes, the microphone should point at you, at other times you want to pickup the sound of the hall. Every location will have a different setup. As for the editing process, we do not add unnecessary reverb, delays, and other effects, to correct the ambiance. Other engineers may require these effects in order to compensate for their lack of knowledge of microphone placement. We only add effects if it will improve upon an already great sounding recording. We use effects as additional “spice”, when needed, not as a disguise for poor quality.

Q: What is your stance on MiniDisc and Handheld Flash recorders? Can’t I just use my smartphone or tablet?

Unless you buy a professional model, they only make good practice tools. And even then, the professional MiniDisc recorders are still the truly low-end of professional equipment. But why would you buy a MiniDisc recorder at the professional level? Anybody who does is just trying to save money. At that price range, a low-end professional CD burner is the same price, and gives you better options as well as saves you time.The Handheld Flash recorders are better, but still not professional, unless you’re buying the top end model (and at that rate, you’re spending almost as much as hiring a professional, if not more!). As for smartphones… sure there’s an app for that. But come on – that tiny microphone – it’s going to sound awful for anything other than voice.

Musicians who require recordings that are accurate and precise replications of their expertise, at an economical cost, should chooseMusical Horizon^® services.

• We bring our studio to you!
• We have a classically-trained musician on-site at all times!
• We only use carefully chosen professional equipment!
• We offer competitive rates, discounts, as well as, offer student rates!
• You will have more time to warm-up, practice, and rehearse than in a recording studio!
• Your recording session will take place in a familiar environment!
• Your recording will be more competitive than those produced with handheld recording devices!

Schedule a free consultation with a Musical Horizon^® engineer today

Musical Horizon^®engineers have been helping musicians in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania achieve their goals. Let us help you get there. Call today at 973-287-4029 or email us at recording@musicalhorizon.com.

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