JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Musician Message Forum Enhancement- Substudio Music Services - Demo Enhancements/Repairs

Hi Gang

I have so many music & demo services I decided to break them down individually so you have a better understanding of what's actually available and what's being done. Beside FULL Demo's & Broadcast Quality Productions. Also mixing songs.
I offer other basic services that come in very handy.
Below is an example of just ONE of my services.
As usual there are either audio and or video samples.

The Demo Enhancement Service as you already know is taking your already finished home demo and enhancing the sound. (Mastering) This also includes repairs to the audio and editing if desired.

NEW! - Repairs! actually I have always done it to your songs but never advertised it. lol

Here is JPF member Everett Adam's song mix down which had many multiple audio complications. This a 2 track mix not separate tracks. On the audio sample you will here it before and after. TURN it up & Listen!

Demo Repair Audio Sample running time :37 seconds
www.substudiomusic.com/Repairsample.mp3

EXAMPLE 1 - Removing sibilance, S"ssss yikes you hear this all the time on demos
On the vocal the word "See"

EXAMPLE 2 - Removing Pop's P'sss Or B'ssss
On the vocal "and Purify hearts" listen to the "P" on Purify.

EXAMPLE 3 - Clitches, cracks, noise etc...
Right IN the word "see" " I can plainly see NOISE
................................................

Demo Enhancement Service running time 1:11
www.substudiomusic.com/Enhancesample.mp3

EXAMPLE 1 - JPF's own SDEE's song EXACTLY has he sent it to me before & after
2 sections of the song each.

*Also fixing pitch tuning for vocals!

Why Enhance your demo?

You have old stuff laying around that you want to touch up and save. You are submitting songs to ANYTHING. I see people entering home made songs into contests like Our Stage as well. Send it the best way available to you.

This service has two unheard things.
1- If I hear your demo I may say "This is fine your okay, I'm not going to touch it"

2- If I can't make it better or you don't like it It's FREE!

Service costs from $25 - $30 a song. The more songs the cheaper it gets.
I run specials limited time only offers every now & then that go as low as $15 per song.

Another reason to have Sub enhance a song: If you put it up on Ourstage, it goes head to head with someone else's. You don't want to have yours playing at a much lower volume. And the quality gained by the enhancement will give your song a boost too....

I have Sub enhance all my songs - at least by the time I get ready to put them on a CD - the difference it makes is amazing....

I'll be sending another ten your way in a month or so, Pal

Scott

Gotta aggree Scott,

The public don't want to hear bad recordings. They expect to hear something which is polished and radio quality. ( or near )

The quality of audio gear ( and the price of it ) has come way down in recent years, but that doesn't mean anything if you don't have the skill to use it.

It's a very tough world out there. Use the services available, such as Sub, and invest in quality. It pays off in the end.

cheers, niteshift

$30/song is peanuts... specially if it makes the difference between your song being picked up or not.

Folks, this is a wonderful offer. You see that picture of Mike? that's not what he really looks like. He's really just a giant pair of ears with hands and feet. His Indian name is "Dances-With-Knobs." Mike has the knowledge, skill, and feel it takes to take a song that's close to one that's over the top. On top of that, his prices are too low. One day he'll wake up and start charging real world prices and everyone will be crying that they didn't take him up on this. Do your songs a favor!

There is absolutely no down side to sending your songs to Sub. He always exceeds expectations and simply blows me away with everything he does or suggests. He is the George Martin of JPF!

"The George Martin of JPF" - I like that & it's very true.

I have used Sub's services to demo a number of my songs & am getting them played on radio stations, shows, and internet podcasts. One of the songs he produced for me was selected out of around 1000 entries, to be included on cd put out by Worship Leader magazine. I'd like to think that it's all because I'm a great songwriter, but the truth is, Sub makes my songs sound great. People ask me who the 'band members' are, and I say "Well, there's this guy in New York..."

If you haven't had Sub work his magic on a demo or enhancement, try him out - you'll be very happy with the results.

John Green
Recent Rainfall worship
www.myspace.com/recentrainfall

Hey Mike -

Thanks for breakin' it down for us. Glad to see you offer such great services. From what I can see in this forum, you have a lot of fans! Congrats on the great work.

Hope you're doing well!

Best,

Thanks Scott, Nite & Jim

Mike you are too funny good stuff lol...

Thanks much!

Yes my prices are too low and still I barely get by, actually getting by may not be happening very soon. So if I were to charge accurately I would never ever ever work.
This service is $30 - $25 a tune I did it for a month at $10 -$15 a tune and did not get one single song submitted.

Anyway that is what I was explaining to Heidi when she said to me "You should be booked for months in advance"
Songwriters lack of experience and musicians lack of commitment is the trouble.
That is not a knock, it is a TOTAL understanding.

So yes maybe one day I'll wake up lol... but that will be if & when industry pro's hire me like they used to even as recent as 3 years ago.

Thanks for the support MIke it's always appreciated!

Hi Mike, I've tried doing a similar thing around here, mostly ended up touching up albums and putting them to CD though. With a good pair of ears and some careful use of good hard/software some real wonders can happen, but yes, the price is always a factor. You pay your bills with the work you do, and you do good work, but it's a difficult line to draw between getting work because your prices are great, and determining if it's worth your time to polish every turd that floats your way.

All I can say is keep up the good work, some day, somebody will notice your efforts and pass the word along into the right ears. Until then, never underestimate your talents, push your product and servcies, make people believe they can't live without it, maybe even make a few sample CDs of the examples you posted here, give them out free at local music stores, lesson studios, you never know...

Hi Mike,

With prices a low as let you should get lots of work.

Please give me your mailing address so as I can oredr some demos soon

Lamorna

Thanks Iggy & Tom

Thanks John

I didn't realize it was picked out of a thousand songs very cool.

Yes the "band members" that's my favorite thing. They think your song has a live band behind it or your in one. Even funnier and the best was when I sent the songs in for the movie. The director/writer called and asked I was the manager or agent of the four bands music I submitted.
I laughed and said "that was not 4 different bands it was me and a few friends" lol

So even the songs came off different from each other. What happens very FEW people get to use a 100% live playing on there demo's. And can never afford a band. Then there are some who even though they put some live playing on the demo's sound as if there not. They play parts that sound as if you could have looped them. A certain rawness is missing.

Like I'll always play something on the bass that lets you know someone's playing it!

A big key to a lot of this is NOT doing to many demo's at least at once. I treat your song like it's mine. And to do that requires passion, assembly line work lacks passion somtimes.

Thanks John you are a real friend a great guy and a pleasure to work with.

Hi Lamorna

Thanks! I just wanted to make sure you knew that the price you see here $30 is for enhancements/mastering not actual demos. Just so you weren't misunderstood

I'm trying to set up a different dedicated threads for each service.
With explanations and examples in each.

So it will lay out like this eventually...

1. Demo Enhancments
2. Keyboards
3. Vocals
4. Drums & Percussion
5. Guitars
6. Bass
7. Mixing/Master Only
8. Full Recording w/producing

Setting up examples of all this takes TIME

Thanks again
Sub

HI MIKE

if you arent already-you should be advertising in the NYC link of a free online bulletin board called craigslist...the Musicians link there will get you alot of free advertising.....and with your skills and more than reasonable prices i am sure you would get alot of biz from posting there........heres the link-just click NEW YORK when the board comes up.........good luck!

www.craigslist.org



Tom

Sub,
Glad to see you are promoting your services (with the support of other satisfied customers!) I have a feeling that you're gonna get too busy for us JPFers soon and charge what you're worth!!! LOL!

Thanks Tom & Heidi

Heidi that would be something

Sub dose it all and does it best 1! Folks if you want the absolute best freakin Demo Work ,Enhancement or whatever music service you need at a great price. get it to the Sub man now!!! S.Dee

Hey Dee

Yours was the first one I ever did here and it's right there on this thread

Thanks!

Big ol' bump....

Hi Mike,

We heard a lot about you from other JPF members on our thread we posted here a few days ago.:) So we thought we would check you out. Nice examples of Repair and Enhancement. We do that too, and offer tons of other services, like Online Drummer, Online Session Player, Re-Mixing, Full Production, and Sound Replacement for people that want top quality sounds, like acoustic piano, strings, drums, etc. People just have to send us their midi files for us to replace the sounds. We see now that you´re kind of the mixing-mastering guy here at JPF, and we´re not trying to step on your toes. We were told about JPF by Daniel Palmer at Ourstage, and thought we´d join up, and mention that we´re having a special offer on CD mastering for the holidays.
Wishing you Happy Holidays.

Best regards,
OMM

Thanks Marc, Tom & as always Heidi

Hi OMM, Nice to meet you and thanks for your respect & consideration. It is rare these days and much appreciated.

Actually I'm a songwriter first, the recording started about 25 years ago for me mainly cause it cost too much for me to be in the studio every single day lol.. also I really enjoy the process and love it for the art form it is all in itself.

Like you I go beyond the Repair, enhancements, services actually way way beyond.
Underneath that listing is 5 more live individual instrument services in which I play & record all of them. One is also vocals.

Then I have the mixing only service and I am a full time producer of my material as well as others. Two levels of production as well. One that's high quality & very affordable and the other that is really killer that is more expensive. Inexpensive in a in person session situation but higher range for online work.

Thanks for your kind words and best of luck in all your endeavors.

bump

Mike,

I applaud your talent, work ethic, and sharing spirit. I also applaud your patience, tact, and restraint. You're a good man.

I will second that,Mr Dunbar!
Even with his life altering health problems,Subs spirit has remained strong.
A very admirable quality to have!

Thanks Mike D.

And Thanks Jerry,

Lining em up again

Mike is the man.

Tom

Yessir !

hey Mike, can you enhance a vocal?

No, I'm not talking about a real vocal, I'm talking baout taking my mediocre voice, and making it sound like it's on pitch, in key...possible??

Hi Mike hope all is well, What can a guy do when he feels like he's playing the same thing over and over and not getting any where, making any progress. I been working on a finger picking chord progression for months, I'm stuck going round in circles.
any advice.

Thanks guys..... Tom, Joice.

Caroline

Yes I can... hopefully if it was recorded well enough to help.

You can only do so much without a strong source.
And yes I can pitch correct in places....

Hi Scott

Great to see ya here buddy.... My whole life is COMPLETELY about feeling like I'm not getting anywhere,but it's true and is literally happening

But what your going experiencing is very common and I know exactly what it's like.
And I know exactly how to remedy it

This is what I do and have done...

1- Use your cappo, This thing not only helps for bettering a vocal to a better key. But It is a creative charge. Nw play thoise same chord with that cappo on the 7th fret. Not only will it sound and feel different it will inspire and make you do things you normally wouldn't.

2- Alternate Tune - I FEED of this.... I CAN NOT bare to play another G or D chord ever again. If my song has one I get sick over it, SO I alternate tune and have NO IDEA what chords I'm playing. This sparks GREAT creativity. See you can still try fingerings you'd normally use but they will sound completely different.

I had friend come over to work on a song and he said. "Mike this is G major anyway LOL.. I said yes but I fooled myself. Tricking yourself is a great way to get passed hangups,snags and difficulties.

3- Change off, If you can, put down your guitar and fool with the piano or keyboard.
Or even a bass or banjo... whatever you can get your hands on. Keyboards SOUNDS are one of the most creatively juicy things ever. They keep you peeked so you'll try to write using them. the other night my friend left his Mandolin here. He said I'll get it next time. So I don't own one anymore as I sold it for food & bills.
I picked that sucker up and wrote a new song with it.. It's an instrumental but it is very cool. I even completely re-tuned his MAndolin so that inspired me. I'm probably playing C major to F minor but I DON"T KNOW THAT!.. See?

4- The biggest of all -COLLABS Hook up with somebody to help either finish there song idea, involve them in yours or start from scratch.
Just focusing on the melody end or lyrical end of a song can keep you rolling and take some pressure off have having to create from scratch. This is huge...

I can't GO ANYWHERE so I'm stuck in 90% of the time. So I always have to find someway to keep myself sane. And music is part of my insanity as well as my salvation I trick myself....

New gear or an instrument is always a nice treat.... if you can't take a break and go away or do something else...

Hope this helps...
Actually i know it will..