Frequently Asked Questions

Does the $350 studio rental day rate include an engineer?
No, the engineer's fee is on top of the studio rental.

So what will one day of recording cost me?
If the engineer is $20 per hour, and the studio is $350 per day, a ten hour day would be $550.

What are the hidden costs?
The only additional costs are your engineer's fees and your recording media (CD-R, DVD-R, external hard drive, analog tape, and etc...) There are no instruments or gear that you will be charged extra to use at Jackpot!

How much do engineers charge per hour on top of the studio rental rate?
Most are around $20-$25 an hour, but don't hold us to that... (see the Engineers! page) and ask for their rates and availability.

What doesn't the studio charge per hour?
We prefer to stick to the day rate deal because it's very difficult to deal with bookings of several hours where we end up with a whole day booked by different people scheduled for two or so hours. And it's funny how those two hour sessions then become five, making it impossible to book sessions in a row. Occasionally we will do hourly bookings for special projects, but frequently these will be bumped for full day projects. Please take advantage of our reasonable day rate instead or contact us to see if we have any openings by the hour coming up soon.

Can we break up the day rate over two days?
No, that's why it's called a day rate. (I get asked this a lot!)

Can we get a tour of the studio?
Of course. Email is easiest, or call and leave a message (503-239-5389). Sometimes we can do the tour that day, sometimes a week or so away. It depends on the sessions that are active. The only thing we ask is that you are serious about recording here. We get a lot of inquiries from Tape Op readers who'd like to see the studio and meet Larry as they travel through Portland. Usually there's just not enough time for this, and many times Larry is out of town or working on other projects. Thanks for understanding.

Do you have a drum kit?
Yes. When you book time please let us know if you will be tracking with the drum kit so we can make sure the heads are in good shape for your session.

Do you have a piano?
Yes. When you book time please let us know if you will be tracking with the piano so we can make sure it is in tune for your session.

Do you have a demo CD of tracks from Jackpot!?
At this point, with eight years and hundreds of albums completed we don't. If you schedule a tour to see the studio and are serious about doing a session, we'll play you a variety of tracks.

Do you work weekends?
Of course. In fact, weekends are usually booked up several months in advance.

Can we come in early or the night before to set up?
No. Sessions begin at the time you schedule them. Much of the engineering work begins as you start setting up so we have to charge for this time.

What's a producer?
In general terms: A producer is someone who is heavily involved in your project, possibly attending shows and rehearsals, working on arrangements, checking out your equipment, recommending outside musicians, deciding what songs to record and more. They will see your project through completion, and help you get the best takes. A producer doesn't have to be an engineer, and you may see sessions where a producer and engineer work together. One would hire a producer based on the quality of the previous work this producer has done, familiarity with their style and an understanding that they will be calling the shots and raising the quality of the album project.

What's a co-producer?
In general terms: A co-producer is someone who will engineer your album and make suggestions and subjective comments in order for you to make the best recording possible. They will be active in assessing takes and suggesting sounds, arrangements, etc. Usually they will jump into the session cold on the first day. Generally they will be the sole engineer as well. One would hire a co-producer based on work they've done before and their familiarity with the studio being used.

What's an engineer?
In general terms: An engineer is someone that knows how to operate the recording equipment in the studio, get sounds and accommodate the requests of the artist or producer. One would hire an engineer based on a recommendation from the studio, work they've done before and their familiarity with the studio being used.

What's a recording studio?
A recording studio is a space where music is played and the sound is recorded. What Jackpot! is NOT is a record label looking for talent, a place that hires musicians, or a rehearsal room.

Do you do voiceovers, video editing, music for film or radio spots?
Some of these tasks we can do, but Jackpot! is best known and geared towards recording performance-based music sessions. For much of this post-production work we recommend Rex Recording or Superdigital. We have no video editing or viewing equipment.

Analog or Digital?
Tape is available new for reasonable prices locally at SuperDigital (503-228-2222) or for great deals order from Pro Tape Northwest in Seattle 800-331-6107. If you are on a tight budget, you can purchase used tape from Tape Tape - Bill at 888-909-6775. We've used this tape on many records but have recently been having problems, so buy at your own risk. We can run the machines at 30 ips, which gives you 16 minutes per reel or we can run at 15 ips for 33 minutes per reel. If we’re using Pro Tools we recommend you bring your own FireWire drive. This will speed up backup time. Sessions can be backed up to CD-R or DVD-R but it takes a long time ­ a typical session will take one hour per song to back up, much more expensive than a FireWire drive. You can bring your own CD-R or DVD-R (not DVD+R) media to save money, but please bring your own CD cases if you do.

Do you do mastering?
No. We recommend SuperDigital (503-228-2222). Ask if Jeff Saltzman or Tony Lash can do your album there. Kevin Nettleingham (360-696-5999) is also great and affordable.

Do you have beats?
We have a large selections of drum tracks, samples, etc. but remember that building up tracks is gonna take a lot of time and creativity. There are no "walk in and sing and walk out with a CD" services available.

Can you transfer my old vinyl/cassette/reels/etc. to CD-R?
Once again would like to refer you to SuperDigital (503-228-2222) or Kevin Nettleingham (360-696-5999). 

Are you currently accepting interns?
No. There are no plans to be taking on interns in the future. Please don't email or call about being our intern or asking what other studios accept them. We don't know!

Does Jackpot! hire engineers or assistants?
Never. The engineers all work freelance, many times bringing in their own work. There are no assistant, runner or tape op jobs available. But if you are a competent engineer who can bring in your own sessions please contact us - we need more freelancers!

Does Jackpot! have blank tape for sale?
Sometimes. Call us to find out.

Can I bring my own engineer for my sessions?
If the person isn't listed on our Engineers! page then we'll need to talk to them and see if they are qualified to run the studio here.

Is Jackpot! non-smoking?
Yes. Smoke cigarettes outside only. Smoking "other stuff" is not allowed due to liability/impoundment issues and a misguided government.

Can we all play live in the studio?
We like to do basic tracks live with bands. We can isolate the drums, guitars and bass or run them live in the same room. Doing live tracks with acoustic guitars is possible, but remember that if you are singing a foot away from your guitar that the mic on the guitar will pick up your voice as well and that recording acoustic guitar in the same room as a loud drum set is difficult!

How long will it take to record my album?
We don't know. A well-rehearsed band can lay down most of the basic tracks for an album in two days. Overdubs can take anywhere from one to seven days depending on the amount of work and pickiness. For mixing, budget three hours per song or so at least. A guitarist-singer who has their tunes down can track hours of live stuff in one day, mix it all the same day and have a decent live demo. It really depends what you are looking for. Many of our better songwriter/band projects have taken ten to fourteen days. Some projects go faster. Always add time to your estimates! We've made albums in one day and one month. Just don't try to make Dark Side of the Moon in three days!