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Basic facts and FAQ about MIME Unit, its services, and what it all means to you as a musician or recording artist.
For further queries, please contact us at mime-unit@hotmail.com
Monday, April 27, 2009
- What is MIME Unit?
MIME Unit is a sound production cum recording studio based in the east of Singapore. It focuses on the niche market of budget recording for bands and musical artists who need quality sounding recordings without the substantially high budget that it takes to fund for such a project.
It does not pretend to be the best there is, neither does it humble itself by claiming to be the worst. It offers what it offers: using good yet affordable equipment, and a decade of sound experience to produce good quality sound recordings that bands and artists can be proud of, yet at a price that is almost as affordable as going to a few weeks of jamming sessions.
If you and/or your bands are students, in full-time national service, folks who earn enough to feed a family but not feed a passion, or just someone who is looking for a cheaper alternative in general, MIME Unit is for you.
- What does "MIME Unit" stand for?
"MIME Unit" is a name inspired by the art of mime, where the limitation of a main source of expression (the voice) does not condemn one's artistic ability to express. It carries over to MIME Unit's philosophy that a lack of budget and resources does not and should not condemn you from expressing one's musical art into tangible form.
- What are the range of services that MIME Unit offers?
The main purpose of MIME Unit is to offer a chance for bands to have an opportunity to produce multi-track recordings at a reasonable rate and quality. Pro-studio offers quality recordings but at price that is not quite affordable to the average musicians. Many times a talented band goes unrecognized because of their inability to go beyond the gig audience. A great song that is played once will be enjoyed once. But a great song on heavy rotation in the audience mind gives you a hit.
- What is your price range?
More info on that can be read here.
- Will the recording sound pro?
Depends. Quality is really subjective, so it's really hard to answer that question. We definitely are not able to give superb audiophile quality recording, or even something that is high budget sounding. But we can definitely assure you that we don't sound "cheap". In fact, most people will not be able to tell that our recordings are done on a really modest set up.
Take a listen to our samples to have an idea of how your recordings can sound like.
- Your multi-tracking price is good compared to normal studio rates, but we know someone/a place who can do multi-tracking for cheaper.
Ask yourself these questions then:
- Are the equipments decent?
- Is there reasonable time frame to record and put everything together?
- Can it be done at a reasonable pace and not all in a single day, thus compromising the quality of your own performance?
- Is a producer involved?
- Does he have 10 years worth of experience?
- Is he meticulous enough with details to spend at least 16 hours of his life putting everything as best as he can?
- Does he give creative inputs to your song as well, and not just record, mix and be the "Yes" man of the band?
- Is he able to give your song that added edge by introducing extra layers into it like harmonising, effects, samples etc?
- Is the final output good?
If the answers to the above questions is a yes, then we can only take our hats off and bow in humble respect to your band for being able to acquire such a gifted and dedicated source. Otherwise, you'll be pretty hard pressed to find one.
- We couldn't find anyone who can do cheaper, we still think you are expensive.
With the rates we are charging and the amount of work we put in to it, we are basically being paid 5 bucks an hour, so we believe if you still believe we are far too expensive, we have to be frank with you: Don't even bother doing a recording.
- We prefer to record live, rather than individual tracks. Are you able to help us with that?
It is possible, but not advisable. MIME Unit is not conducive for such an affair. We would have to resort to going back to pro-studio, and that means that you will have to fork out standard studio rates.
And we hate live recordings. If we have to, we rather do it during live performances.
- I want to get the sound of (insert favourite record/album). Can you help me get that sound?
If there's a will, there's a way. Let us take a listen to it, and we'll see what we can do. However, do know that such albums generally cost thousands to make, with equipments that cost thousands, and people who cost thousands, and even if you spend thousands, we can safely assure you won't get the duplicate results.
- Is it possible to do symphonic orchestration for recording?
Yup. We do have the capability for it. In fact, you can take a listen to our samples to hear it.
- What are the equipments you use to record?
Visit our gallery to take a look at what we have.
- You guys really do music videos as well?
Yes. MIME Unit not only does the music for INRI Studio, Armen is in fact one of the producers for two of their previous award films. More info can be found at their website.
- What are the modes of payment that you accept? Can I pay by installments?
We accept cash, cheque, bank transfers as well as consignments/trade ins. And yes, you can pay by installments.
More info can be found here.
- Can I trade in items that are not part of the Kind List"?
Depends on the item and the cosmetic/working condition of it. Let us know what you have in mind.
- Would you mind if I use your site as a buy and sell/trading platform for my unwanted item? Or would you like to buy it yourself?
No and no. This is not an online flea market site. If we require something, we will actively seek it out.
You might wanna consider some other alternatives for your needs eg By Left, Soft forum, Gear Central etc.
- I would like to work for MIME Unit.
As of now, we are not hiring staffs. However, there might be the occasional recruitment of sessionists or producers for specific jobs. Keep a look out for updates posted on the main page.
- How are we able to get in touch with you?
Best way is via email: mime-unit@hotmail.com
Labels: answers, questions
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| MIME Unit vs pro-studios vs DIY home-based recording: The comparative difference | | 4:02 PM |
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Wanna compare how MIME Unit stands among the other options you have for recording your materials? Here's a frank and honest break down of what you can expect. This entry further explains the problems that are often faced by bands and musicians who are recording their materials:
Pro studio recording:
The good
- The studio has the facilities and equipment for a full range of recordings, from live to multi-track to sampled based computer music.
- The studio handled by experienced techs who has been in the industry for years, who is able to help with the technical aspects of recording should the need arise.
- The studio is built for pristine quality recording, with the equipment and hardware to match.
The bad
- Very often, they are "expensive" to the average musician ie studio use can be between $30-$50 an hour, even more.
- Usually, the price tag for a studio recording does not include mixing. And often, "mixing" is a one-hour affair that is all about minimal balancing and mix down of instruments. True mixing often takes days, even weeks; a long, meticulous process of corrective procedures and enhancements.
- Budget type live recording are cheap. However, the resultant quality is often not worth the "small" price tag. In fact, it's usually a complete waste of money.
- The above process is usually done by a producer or a mixer, which usually comes with a separate and hefty price tag of their own (somewhere between $1k-$4k, depending on experience and amount of work).
- Does not come with mastering.
DIY home recording:
The good
- Home recording hardware has come a long way. Nowadays it is easy to obtain good quality recording with a bit of investment.
- Can be done at your own personal pace.
- Price tag often includes producing and recording into the mix, thus cost less than recording at a pro-studio.
The bad
- It maybe a small investment as compared to a recording studio, but it is still an investment. High expenditure is NOT recommended if the only thing that you want to record is you.
- Often, people who indulge in home recording lacks the technical experience and know-hows to make a really solid recording; something that is recorded well, mixed well, mastered well etc.
- Those who are technically proficient usually will go for high end hardware and equipment, with a space almost like a full blown pro-studio, and often commands the price tag of the equivalent.
- These producers usually produce mainly computer-electro/techno based music, as everything is often based on a full arsenal of sound generating softwares that are electronica based. In other words, they don't do rock very often.
- Drum recording is usually a difficult issue to tackle; due to price, space constraints, equipment, environmental noise, easily irritable neighbours etc. Usually, there is none to record in the first place. And that usually kept home studio from relying its full potential.
- Live recording is often not available.
- Mastering is often none existent.
MIME Unit:
The good
- Most recordings are done on home recording hardware has come a long way, hence you can expect good sound quality in most times.
- Can be done at your own personal pace.
- Price tag for most packages includes producing and recording into the mix, thus cost less than recording at a pro-studio.
- Be very surprised by the price tag we ask for.
- You do not need to spend money on the gears and time on trying to figure out how it works.
- You'll be working with experienced and dedicated individuals who are passionate about the music, not the fee that they will get at the end of the project.
- You'll be working with someone who can ROCK, HIP HOP, ELECTRO... whatever genre you can throw at us.
- You'll be working with someone who does not just blindly follow what you want us to do. We would often give our inputs to what will make not just the recording, but the SONG better. In the end, however, you are the owner of your music.
- We are not selfish with what we know. In fact we are very much keen to share it with anyone who wants to learn. At the end of the day, it's all about the music.
- We don't just accept money as payment. There is also the collateral payment alternative.
The bad
- We may be cheap compared to other studios, but that doesn't mean you can afford us with peanuts.
- We are strict enforcers of our studio rules (don't worry, the rules are pretty simple to follow).
- Same problems about drum recordings as the above point about home recording.
- In fact, we HATE live recordings. Hence, we try minimise the use of recording through amps, or live drum recording whenever we can, which sometimes doesn't sit well with some guitarists, bassists, or drummers.
This is not a hard and fast rule, though. At the end of the day, we still listen to your needs and wants cos you are the pampered bunch.
- Frankly, we do not offer mastering services. Why? Because mastering involves experienced mastering engineers and techs who have in the mastering business for years. It also involves plenty of equipment, and without the right knowledge on audio, a mix can turn into a disaster if not mastered properly. A studio that offers an all in one solution is either expensive or is just plain ripping you off. We're not expensive neither are we cheats, so we rather not take the chance.
That does not mean we cannot do it. We can. But it will take weeks to achieve a good master, that is capable of sounding good on nearly everything. And that would usually equate to cost on our part. With the rates that we charge, we'll be broke within 2 months. We do need to eat.
Labels: comparison
Sunday, April 26, 2009
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| Quality vs budget | | 10:09 AM |
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We cannot emphasize the fact that it is the recording that could very well bridge the gap between the band and a potential audience. Unfortunately though, most bands aren't able to put execute a well produced recording that can really showcase their talent. Why is this so?
All too often, we hear of bands who have been around for three or five or even ten years and having many gig experiences, but who never had an opportunity to have a good, proper recording that can really impress the listener. Some bands are lucky enough to be able to "afford" a studio recording. However, the amount of time allocated in proportion the budget always very limited; a factor which in the end spills over to the resultant recording: often lacking focus and and being far from perfect.
Some bands seek out for the popularly alternative route of self-home recording. Technology has been kind enough to everyone these days, including musicians, and that pretty much allows alot of convenience on their part to do it the DIY method. But no amount of equipment, expensive or cheap, high end or low end, will be able to produce the kind of quality that a studio recording can provide, if you do not have the experience and understanding of the principles of sound. Remember, a studio is not JUST the equipment. It is also the people who are wielding them.
- LOW BUDGET LIVE RECORDING
Experience aside, home-recording is perhaps a good alternative to invest in. But a home recording set up is still costly, and for bands who's members are made up of students, or guys serving National service, or working adults earning less than 2k a month, it is not a viable alternative to have either. Hence they have to rely very much on whatever little they can afford or source out, and most of the time these would be either midi-recorded, or a video recorded live performance with quality can be unforgivable. Labels: recording
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| House Rules: The MIME Commandments | | 7:18 AM |
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As much as MIME Unit would like to have an environment where there's nothing to keep you from being yourselves, there is still a need for a few rules to be observed. These rules are designed basically to have your experince in recording with MIME unit an enjoyable one, actually, so these are rules that can only do good, rather than bad:
- Thou shalt be punctual - Quite possibly the most important aspect of recording with MIME Unit is punctuality. It shows your professionalism as an artiste or a band and could really set the mood for the entire session day.
- Thou shalt come well prepared and ready - It's one thing to not come on time.It's another thing to waste time. Even though it might not look like a professional studio, we treat every project like one, so give us the due respect and come prepared for the session. It serves no purpose to waste everyone else's time because you decided to change strings, or start thinking about that solo line just before your recording. Know the song, know your role and bring the equipments necessary to execute it.
- Thou shalt refrain from band politics - Nobody likes working with unhealthy tension in the air, even more so the producer who's recording you. So avoid one.
- Thou shalt not bring in more people into the premises than necessary - Depending on how many band members there are, and what is required, the producer will allocate how many people and who are allowed to come down for the session in a particular day. Bands are to inform the producer 2 hrs prior to their session should they plan to bring anyone along, and the reason for it. Otherwise, the band will be charged $5 per extra person.
- Thou shalt honor and respect the recording session -Focus is imperative, especially during takes, so unnecessary noises and distractions are not allowed. It's ok to have fun, but if it affects the outcome of the track, discipline needs to be exercised. Nothing is quite annoying to the producer than having a good take spoilt by a phone ringing in the background for example, or having someone frequently going in and out of room. In other words, mind one's behaviour and observe silence when necessary.
- Thou shalt honor and respect the property - Equipments, gears, and other items that are originally in the studio belongs to the studio. It is the private property of the owner of the studio. If you respect the owner, you respect the items. It's basic courtesy. Failure to do so can incure more cost than necessary to the band, or even worse, a ban from the studio premise with no refunds entertained. Also, MIME Unit will not hesitate to make a police report for items that are stolen from the premise, so do not attempt to test your luck.
- Thou shalt honor and respect the producer - It's never an easy thing to record a song. It takes time and tries to come up with something perfect for your part. Now imagine having to sit through every recording of instrument and parts and having to continue working long after the band has left. Hence, it is unavoidable that the energy and stress will take its toll on the producer. He is after all human, so don't expect miracles to happen on something that cannot be fixed, or demand for the impossible.
- Thou shalt honor and respect the due payment - Money is always a touchy issue. Not everybody has it. Those who have, not everyone is willing to part with it. But survival of a business depends on the money that comes in, thus it will help the business if the due amount is paid on time (refer to the Payment section of this site for details).
- Thou shalt keep the place clean - Food is allowed. Drinks are allowed. Trash is allowed. However, clear them before leaving.
- Thou shalt not smoke in the studio - Smoking is not allowed within the recording area, though there is a small smoking area outside the apartment that can be used for your cigaratte breaks.
Failure to adhere to the above rules would incur extra charges to the band, or even a band from the premises without refund of prior payments of the project. Labels: house rules
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| About Armen Rizal Rahman | | 6:00 AM |
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Armen Rizal Rahman interest in music caught fire when he first dabbled with audio editing and sound producing during his studies at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The idea of being able to manipulate sound was fascinating to him, and soon begins the journey that took him further and deeper into the arts of audio. Armed with a minimally equipped personal desktop computer, and a karaoke microphone, he produced two demos in the space of two years (Orbital Nocturne and A Prologue to Genre), under a pseudo identity, Ubermensch. It wasn’t until 2001 that his talent as a composer and producer really shone through, with the composition and production of three tracks; Catastrophe, Streaks and a collaborative effort with Singapore band E.P.I.C. for the cover of Pink Floyd’s Brick on the Wall. Both Streaks and Catastrophe was soon adopted as two of the four songs that appeared as a soundtrack for the award winning e’Tzaintes.
In 2003, Armen was at the helm of the sound design and music composition of INRI Studio’s award winning and well received cult hit, A Wicked Tale, a visceral the hypnotic journey into the theme of seduction and manipulation that demands nothing less than an audio-scape that can drag its audience by virtue of its deceptively simple sound trip. Armen also contribute A Wicked Tale’s one and only full track, Apple Skin, which appears as part of the end credit of the film.
In 2005, as part of his desire to explore further into his aural arts, Armen founded The House of Anonymous; an electro-industrial musical outfit that defined itself has having no definitions, thus allowing him to take his expanding musical portfolio beyond the boundaries of genres. The House of Anonymous saw him further developing his style, and sharpening his skills as a composer and producer. From then on, a series of successful projects and musical pursuits took shape; in 2006, he was one of the Top 5 contestants for a rap competition for Platform 6, in early 2007 he founded SIRENS, a female collaborative project which became the first and thus far only female collaborative project in the local hiphop scene, in that same year, he was a finalist in the Yamaha’s Asian Beat 2007 band competition. He also opened a small recording and producing facility called MIME Unit, which created a buzz in both the hip hop and electro scene. 2008 saw him taking a much deserved break from pursuing his interest, although he continues to craft his art further, taking on small projects for several student videos. However, talk was beginning to brew about a third project by INRI studio. And in 2009 that project was made official: The FRVL Project, with Armen now handling the role of musical producer and director for what could possibly his most ambitious project to date.
Armen continues to perform and compose on a regular basis for The House of Anonymous, as well as with a side band called “Rebel Posse Mayhem”. He is also currently in the process of expanding MIME Unit as a full fledge recording studio house. Apart from FRVL, he is also producing for several other bands like Rebel Posse Mayhem and Passenger Service, as well as organizing mini-gigs for bands to help promote the local music scene. Labels: armen
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