Rates
We believe Head Gap is extremely well priced for a facility of this calibre and the service we provide.
As rates are subject to seasonal variations it's always best to call the studio for the current rate. A phone call is always the best way, purely because we can get a more in depth idea of what the project entails and quote accordingly. You won't get the hard sell, just a few questions that make it easier for us to gauge your requirements and expectations. We can also let you know if we have any stand-by rates currently available (explained below).
Types of Bookings
Generally we book by the day and the week. We do book half days under certain circumstances but this is subject to availability and not always an option. On very rare ocassions we can do hourly rates with a minimum of a 3 hour booking, but again, this is subject to availability.
For day rates a day is 10 hours. A day begins at either 10 or 11 am.
We do offer 24 hour lockout rates subject to conditions. Call us for details.
Ordinarily the studio is booked with senior producer/engineers Brent Punshon or Neil Thomason, or with one of our house engineers, however, the studio can also be booked as a dry hire (BYO engineer), with or without an assistant. We recommend having an assistant for at least the first day, particularly if the engineer hasn't worked at Head Gap previously.
Occasionally we have discounted stand-by rates. These become available if we have a last minute cancellation or an odd day between longer sessions. For this rate the session needs to take place within 3 days of the booking and is only applicable to weekdays.
What you get
All the gear listed on the equipment page comes included regardless of the rate, and accurately reflects everything that is currently available for use. This list is updated regularly and if something is not working and waiting on repair it is removed.
Studio rates also include full use of musical gear like amps, guitars, effect pedals, snares and keyboards.
A full kitchen is provided, as is as much fresh coffee and tea as you can drink. The lounge area includes TV with DVD and plenty of space to escape the session if you want to. We also provide an outdoor area at the rear of the building with BBQ facilities.
Assistant engineers are generally $16.50 per hour inc GST with a minimum half day. An assistant can be extremely beneficial in terms of productivity, particularly at the start of a session.
Media Costs
2" Analogue Tape:
Hire - $66 per reel.
Buy - RMGI SM900 approx. $400 per reel. ATR Magnetics aprox. $450 per reel.
Most bands coming through Head Gap choose to use the 2" hire reels that we make available. A reel will give you about 32 minutes of recording time at 15 ips, half that at 30 ips. Currently we have hire reel stock of RMGI SM900 and Quantegy 456.
A note about hire reels:
Using one of our hire reels will result in absolutely no quality difference than if you were using a brand new reel of tape. We turn over our hire reels regularly and have measuring devices (beyond our ears) that can quantify the state of a reel of tape. As long as the tape machine they are being used on is mechanically sound (ours are!) and the tape is not faulty, reels of tape can last a very long time. Regardless, we turn over hire reel stock regularly.
Once a project is finished on hire reels, we can transfer it to digital for mixing or archival purposes.
1/2" Analogue Tape:
Buy - RMGI SM900 $125. ATR Magnetics $162 per reel.
Hire - We neither supply, nor recommend, using hire reels when mixing to the Ampex ATR-102.
CD's and DVD's:
$2.50 per unit. You are welcome to bring your own.
Audio and data retention policy
At the completion of your project, any digital data created as part of your session will be stored for a period of 28 days as a courtesy.
If you are recording at Head Gap and mixing elsewhere, audio recorded on hire reels will be retained by Head Gap up to a maximum of 7 days.
If you require a complete copy of the session and audio data at the completion of a mix session, then you'll need to supply a suitable external hard drive.
Payment terms
You will need to pay for your booking at the conclusion of the session.
We accept cash, EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard, internet bank transfer and cheque.
Deposits are not normally required, although in certain circumstances we may request a deposit in order to secure a booking. We will let you know if we need a deposit.
