Rating
Spent the week recording a VO project at Untold Stories Recordings and honestly, I miss that booth. Great sound, chill vibe, and the team made long hours feel like a breeze. Professional, welcoming, and just the right amount of fun. Highly recommend!
-Jaci Simon
- Professional Sound Quality: Achieve crystal-clear audio recordings that enhance the listening experience and make your poetry stand out.
- Acoustically Treated Studio: Benefit from a soundproof environment designed to minimize noise and maximize clarity, ensuring optimal recording conditions.
- Experienced Audio Engineers: Work with skilled professionals who understand the nuances of spoken word production and provide guidance throughout the process.
- Personalized Support: Receive tailored assistance to help you navigate the recording process, from script preparation to final edits.
- Flexible Scheduling: Enjoy convenience with flexible booking options that fit your busy schedule, making it easy to get started on your project.
- Quick Turnaround Times: Experience efficient production with prompt delivery of your final audio files, so you can share your work with your audience sooner.
Location & Hours
1007 West 19th Street Chicago IL 60608
M-F 8am-8pm, Weekends 10am-7pm
-Recording is $45 per hour, 4-hour minimum.
Deposits And Booking
-Monday to Friday: $45 non-refundable deposit is required to secure/book time, covering the first hour of your session.
-Saturdays: $180 non-refundable deposit is required to secure/book time, covering the first four hours of your session.
-Deposits must be paid within 15 minutes of scheduling to secure your session. No exceptions.
-Failure to show results in deposit loss. No exceptions.
Timing and Payments:
-Sessions start at the confirmed arrival time. No exceptions.
-Please arrive no more than 5 minutes early. If unable to accommodate, you’ll need to wait outside.
Reviews From Untold Stories' Artists
Welcome to Untold Stories Recordings, your premier Chicago recording studio for spoken word recording. We’re here to capture your poetry or performance with depth and clarity, helping poets and performers share their voice with state-of-the-art equipment.
Our Spoken Word Recording Process
Recording spoken word is about preserving the emotion and rhythm of your performance. Here’s how we make it happen in our Chicago studio:
- Studio Setup: We create a quiet, comfortable environment with optimal acoustics in our sound proof and professionally treated booth to ensure your voice shines. Think of it as the perfect stage for your poetry.
- Microphone Selection: We choose from our premium mics, usually a Neumann U87, to match your voice’s tone, whether it’s intense and powerful or soft and introspective. Mic positioning is fine-tuned for clarity.
- Recording: Using our analog gear like our Neve preamps we will use EQ and a bit of 76 compression to capture peaks and a WA2A to glue it all together, we capture clean, high-quality audio. Our focus is on raw recordings that sound professional straight out of the booth.
- Playback Review: We provide real-time playback so you can hear your takes and make adjustments, ensuring you’re happy with the performance.
Simplified Recording Process
We’re happy to record your spoken word project however you prefer, but we’ve developed a method to streamline production:
- Step 1: Record a segment of your poem or performance.
- Step 2: Playback the take and punch in to fix any mistakes.
Multiple Voices: For projects with multiple performers, we set up as many mics as needed. We record a rough take of all performers live together, then each performer records their part separately to ensure the highest quality audio.
Results
With this method, our high-quality recordings often need only light mastering or none at all, minimizing editing or mixing. For spoken word projects requiring additional polish, we’re open to handling mixing with mastering, starting at $175 per piece.
Note: We specialize in recording only for spoken word. For editing, mixing, or mastering not covered above, we’re happy to refer or help you find someone who can polish your projects if needed.
Cost and Booking
For Recording Only Sessions:
$180 covers four hours of studio use. After four hours, recording is $45 per hour.
If purchasing Mixing with Master, minimum recording session is one hour.
Mixing with Mastering: Starting at $175 per segment. Please call for an estimate.
Book Now: Call us at (872) 444-6316.
Why Choose Us?
Our Chicago studio combines cutting-edge gear with a creative, welcoming vibe. We’re perfect for independent and professional poets and performers who want high quality recordings. Let’s bring your words to life together.