Added Value with Every Project

I want to provide my clients with as much value as possible. That’s why I’ve worked hard to give you everything you need to ensure each and every project goes smoothly and results in a great-sounding demo.

Here’s a summary of what I offer to all clients of Sidrat Audio:

Free Consultation & No obligation Quote

I offer my clients a full consultation in advance of any work being carried out, so that we can discuss your project in detail. As well as being invaluable by giving me a good idea of your needs, this is also an opportunity for us to get to know each other a bit in the process.

There’s nothing like a face-to-face chat, so I like to suggest a Zoom meeting, but a phone call is fine, too, if you prefer. Once I have a firm grasp of what you’re looking for, I’ll provide you an itemised quote, with no strings attached.

Production Plan

This is a step-by-step itinerary of your project, detailing each stage in the process. Laid out session by session, your Production Plan provides a road map to your project, from start to finish, covering recording, editing, sequencing, mixing and mastering, as well as any additional stages, such as composition, structure and arrangement.

You may not require all of the above, of course, so your Production Plan will be tailored to your specific needs.

Free E-Book: ‘Recording your Demo: 15 Steps to SUCCESS’

I created this free guide for the use of all my clients, as recording your music can be a daunting task, with a wealth of different aspects to organise. even seasoned studio-goers can find it an effort sometimes, so I wanted to help by making it as straight forward as possible.

This guide will take you through the whole process, from beginning to end. It covers all the things you may want to consider in preparation for your first studio session and what to expect over the course of your project, through to completion.

Although I provide my eBook to all new clients, if you’re not quite ready to get started with your recording, you can still pick up a copy for just £5 – and I’ll be happy to knock that off your quote when you are ready to pull the trigger!

To purchase a copy of ‘Recording your Demo: 15 Steps to SUCCESS’, just click the button below:

Versatile Facilities

The Sidrat studio is acoustically treated and perfectly suited to solo artists, for recording vocals and a wide range of solo instruments. With movable acoustic panels that can be arranged to accommodate a variety of sound sources, from acoustic guitar to electric bass, flute and cello, hand drums to tuned percussion, etc.

In addition to your own instruments, you’ll have access to an eclectic selection of electronic hardware, including both analogue and digital synthesizers, drum machines, samplers, sequencers and effects. I use a number of different microphones to capture a performance, each of which can be routed through a choice of high quality pre-amps before reaching my computer, the studio’s heart.

From, here, I work with several different DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), depending on what’s needed at the time, whether it’s recording, editing, sequencing, mixing or mastering. as well as being a great space for recording, the Sidrat studio was also designed to offer the ideal mixing environment, with minimal room ambience or flutter echo, and as flat a frequency response as possible, ensuring an accurate mix that will translate well onto any listening system.

Friendly & Creative Environment

I like to think I’m a very personable chap, and I’m always happy to go that extra mile to make sure you’re totally satisfied with every step of the production process.

But that’s really only a part of the experience; I also want to make your time in the studio as fun and enjoyable as possible, so whatever you need, I’m here to make it happen.

That’s why I’m always open to new ideas, however crazy they may seem! A relaxed atmosphere and the willingness to experiment is where the very best inspiration comes from, and many of my clients comment on the positive and creative vibe they feel when they’re in my studio.

Skills & Experience

When you book yourself in for a session at Sidrat Audio, you’re not just hiring a room and a bunch of equipment, you’re also hiring me and all the knowledge and experience I’ve acquired over my years in music production.

I bring a wide range of capabilities  to the table and put them at your service, whatever your needs may be. In this industry, all the more so these days, I need to wear a lot of different hats, metaphorically… From that of a recording engineer, mic tech, producer, composer, vocal coach, mixing and mastering engineer…

I provide all the above expertise and more, offering the value of my experience and insight, guidance and judgement at every stage of your project.

Recording, Editing & Production

This is where the magic happens!

If you’re performing in free-time, we can simply jump straight in, but if you need a click track to keep time with (for adding extra layers of sequenced instruments, maybe?), then we’ll figure out the tempo and find a suitable beat before we hit record.

After recording you performing, whether you’re playing an instrument, singing or rapping – or all three! – we’ll need to select the best takes for each part, in order to create a Comp of all your best performances, slicing, adjusting, cross-fading, copying and pasting the audio to create a single seamless take from start to finish.

If there’s any sequencing to be done, this may take place before or after the recording is completed, depending on whether it’s to be an accompaniment or a full Backing Track.

When producing an accompaniment to your song, we’ll record your live instrument along to a ‘click track’, followed by your vocals, before we get started with sequencing the various instrumental layers.

Backing Tracks, however, will need to be created, at least in part, prior to recording your vocals, or you’d have nothing to sing or rap over.

I like to get the essential groove down to start with, before adding the vocals, then I can tailor the music to perfectly complement your performance.

Comprehensive Proofing Process

With every project, I provide a series of proofs in order to ensure that you’re satisfied (or better still, ecstatic!) with the end result. This process is comprised of 6 stages, from the initial Rough Mix to the Final Mix, with 3 full proofs and a listening session in between…

Stage 1 – Rough Mix:

The Rough Mix is purely for you to check your performance in your recordings, along with the various other elements to ensure you’re happy with everything before moving forward.

There’s only minimal mixing involved, setting a static balance between each element and perhaps some panning, just so that you can hear everything well enough, and in more or less the correct proportions, in order to critically examine it all. No further processing is applied.

Stage 2 – Free Drop-in Session (to fix any performance/production issues):

Having checked the Rough Mix, if there are any parts you’re not satisfied with, I offer a free session (up to 2 hours, depending on the project) for doing any minor retakes or fixes before moving on to the mixing stage.

Stage 3 – Mix Proof #1 & Amends #1:

Stage 4 – Mix Proof #2 & Amends #2:

Stage 5 – Mix Proof #3 & Amends #3:

I provide up to 3 full Mix Proofs for each track and allow for 3 sets of amendments. Following your receipt of each Proof – and having listened to them thoroughly on a range of playback systems – you can let me know about any changes you’d like me to make to the mix, which I will apply before providing you with the next Mix Proof.

Stage 6 – Listening Session & Final Mix:

When applying the 3rd and final set of amendments, I like to invite my clients to come in to the studio for a proper listening session, in order to make any last changes together, at the conclusion of which, we’ll have completed the Final Mix.

Multiple Audio Files

On completion of your project, you’ll be provided with a number of audio files to take away with you. These will be supplied in a range of formats according to your needs, including Stereo WAVs and MP3s.

The files will always comprise your final mastered and unmastered mixes, in case you decide to employ the services of a separate mastering engineer.

In addition to the Final Mix, you may also want to have a copy of the stems for your track(s) and/or separate channels, or perhaps a few alternate versions, such as instrumental or acoustic mixes, for example. These can also be provided mastered or unmastered, as required.

These options can be extremely valuable, especially if you plan to make them available to music supervisors for sync with TV or film, etc., via online music libraries. There is, of course, an additional fee for providing these extra files, based on the number of additional exports and the time spent preparing them, which can be quoted for upon request.