STUDIO TRILOGY
San Francisco, CA
studiotrilogy.com
Justin Lieberman - Studio Co-Manager, Chief Engineer
Located in the creative heart of San Francisco, Studio Trilogy furnishes producers, artists and engineers with one of the finest recording studio environments in the world. The 8,800 square foot facility boasts three state-of-the-art control rooms, four integrated isolation booths, San Francisco’s most versatile live tracking room, an experienced staff and a great network of award-winning musicians, engineers and producers. In fact, the studio features Northern California’s only 80-channel SSL 9000K mix console with Ultimation, along with a large collection of microphones and a full complement of vintage and modern instruments and gear.
Justin Lieberman joined Willie Samuels and Cindy McSherry in 2010 to launch Studio Trilogy, and became the studio’s co-manager and chief engineer. With over 15 years in the industry, he has earned credits on more than 110 commercially released albums.
How is your studio special?
We’re a true multi-purpose studio that offers services in anything music related. We not only record music, we also score films and games and do radio jingles and voice-over work.
What should artists do prior to recording?
They should prepare everything ahead of time. You need to have your songs and arrangements down, because you can waste a lot of time fighting over parts of songs.
What about instruments and gear?
You need to make sure your instruments, gear and vocals are in good shape so you’ll get the sound you want. We have instruments and gear available, but most musicians like to play their own. And, it should go without saying, but some artists just aren’t ready to perform in the studio. They can’t play to a click or they simply don’t know their parts well enough.
Is there any room for brilliant mistakes?
Of course there should be room for experimentation. Sometimes you’ll get amazing results with something unplanned and unexpected.
Are session plans a good idea?
Yes, if they cover everything. You should avoid downtime as much as possible. For example, taking lunch orders ahead of time will save time. I’ve seen acts take up 30 minutes, or longer, while they decide what they want to eat.
How can you expedite setup time?
You should go through a pre-session setup plan with the studio. Let them know what your instrumentation is and be open to their input. You should also know the kind of sounds you want for your style of music. And, you should get to the studio early enough to minimize setup time.
Should artists hire a producer?
It depends on the producer––they’re not equally strong. The most important thing is to have someone designated to make decisions, whether it’s the artist, a producer or an engineer.
Should artists always record a full album?
Choosing the right songs to record is essential. Too often acts think they have to do a full album when they really don’t have the material. That’s where pre-production comes in. Sometimes four or five songs on a well-done EP will be better than a 10-song LP, with five songs as filler. That alone can save time.
How long should it take to record a song?
It varies… On some songs it can take a couple days to lay down the foundation (bass, drums, etc.). Other times, I’ve seen a song completely recorded in an hour or two.
Any last words?
Music Connection is providing a great service with this article. We’ve always talked about putting tips on our website so that artists can make the most of their studio time. Now, they’ll finally get some good advice. I’m happy that I got to contribute my thoughts.
