What To Expect: The Complete Process at Untold Stories Recordings
Welcome to Untold Stories Recordings! I’m Ian Fell, and I’m thrilled to be your go-to music studio, dedicated to helping musicians like you—whether you’re a band or solo artist—create music that shines and connects with listeners. My focus is on three key steps: recording, producing, and mixing with mastering, all under one roof for seamless, professional results, so you can focus solely on creating great music!
Here’s what to expect when you book a session, what happens during your time here, and how we transform your raw ideas into your dream outcome: a polished, crystal-clear song you’re proud to share, ready to captivate your audience everywhere.
Step 1: Recording – Capturing Your Authentic Sound
When you book a session at Untold Stories Recordings to lay down vocals, instruments, or a full band performance, you’re stepping into a boutique music studio built for creativity and passionate musicians. We start by optimizing the room’s acoustics—positioning you or your gear like a perfectly staged performance. I carefully select microphones tailored to your voice or instrument, ensuring a warm, intimate tone or bold resonance, based on your vision.
Using premium analog hardware and microphones, we prioritize a clean, strong foundation, saving digital effects for later steps. Recording vocals over an instrumental typically takes 2-4 hours; instruments or bands need similar time per instrument, with multiple takes for rich layering. Come prepared with your ideas, and we’ll capture your unique energy efficiently. The result? A raw, authentic recording that’s unmistakably you—your first step toward a professional track that commands attention and sets the foundation for excellence.
Once completed, you can choose to move on to producing with us, take your clean recordings home, or send them to a mix engineer of your choice. Recording-only sessions require a minimum of four hours.
Step 2: Producing – Shaping Your Vision
If you opt for our mixing with mastering services, the next step after recording is producing, where your song truly transforms. During the same session, you take the producer’s seat, guiding artistic choices—think distortion on guitars, reverb on vocals, or bold experimental effects to craft your unique sound. As your engineer, I handle the technical details, bringing your vision to life while you retain full creative control and ownership.
Producing can take as little as 30 minutes for simple tracks or a full day for intricate, layered ideas, depending on your goals. We wrap up with a rough draft for you to review before moving forward. By leading this process, you create a track that’s unmistakably yours, bursting with personality and ready to shine. If you’re purchasing mixing with mastering, there’s no hourly minimum to record Monday through Friday; Saturday requires a four-hour recording minimum.
Step 3: Mixing with Mastering – Crafting a Polished, Professional Sound
After producing, our mixing with mastering process (starting at $175 for vocals over one-file instrumentals, $250 for multitracks) blends and refines your track for a professional finish. Mixing begins post-session, with me dedicating 5-10 business days to perfecting your song. I balance volumes so no element overshadows another, use stereo imaging for clarity and impact, and EQ frequencies for a cohesive tone. This meticulous art ensures vocals shine, instruments harmonize, and effects enhance without clashing, creating a dynamic, immersive mix that captivates on any system.
Mastering follows, polishing your track or album as a whole to boost clarity, volume, and consistency without distortion. This essential step elevates your music to pro level, ensuring it sounds flawless across car speakers, headphones, or streaming platforms. Mastering is included with our mixing at no extra charge. If you prefer just the mix, I’m happy to provide it, along with my version of the master, for you to take to a mastering engineer of your choice.
The result? A loud, clear, cohesive song that stands out, ready to grow your fanbase and open doors—your dream outcome realized.
