Contact Us

Why should I work with Rooftop Music if I have my own home studio?

Rooftop Music is an audio and video studio specializing in content for your social media presence or your electronic press kit (EPK). My goal is to give you an audio and visual representation of what your band (or solo or duo or whatever collective) sounds like on stage. This is most times difficult to do in a club where you gig because of all the variables involved in setting up and playing a live gig. My studio is setup with a 15′ x 15′ stage area fully equipped with PA/subs/monitors, drums, guitar amps, and stage piano.

Ideally, this space is a rehearsal studio where you have the option to add a studio-quality live recording with video. 

What are Rooftop Music’s rates?

Note that my studio is set up for LIVE audio recordings. I have 16 channels, pre-amped for good line-level inputs. Then, I master “in the box.” Studio rates are as follows:

1. Rehearsal-only session, Monday-Friday: $25/hour with 2-hour minimum.
   1. Saturday/Sunday/Holiday rate: $35/hour with 2 hour minimum.
   2. I can do a monthly rate and do have some storage space. Monthly rental depends on our booking schedule and your situation. Please ask if you are interested and we can work something out. Drop me an email here.
2. Audio-only recording: $150/song — within 2-hour session. Rate includes studio rental space hours’ time. You must be able to record 1 song within a 2-hour recording session period. Sessions can go longer depending on how many songs you want to record.
   1. Individual songs exceeding 7 minutes will be counted as 2 songs.
3. Audio plus Video recording: $250/song — within 2 hour session. Rate includes studio rental space hours’ time. You should easily be able to get 2, 5-minute songs of video recorded in a 2-hour session. Sessions can go longer depending on how many songs you want to record.
   1. Individual songs exceeding 7 minutes will be counted as 2 songs.
4. About my Audio recording process:
   1. This studio is set up as a LIVE recording studio. Please note that audio levels vary as they do during a live show. I generally get a very good balance on all songs captured but your audio quality may vary if your input levels dynamically change throughout your rehearsal.
   2. My audio tracking process is record via 16-channel Focusrite audio interface, and mix “in the box.” This means that I will:
      1. Mic all drums, direct to DAW (digital audio workstation), 7 channels of drum inputs.
      2. Line all guitars and keys into DAW. For my guitar inputs, I record with an amp simulator or SIM using Amplitube 5 with Tonex, which I will make available to you as well. Some players will bring and amp modulator such as Neural DSP‘s Nano Cortex or Quad Cortex. These are great SIMs and I encourage you to bring yours. I will DI all guitars and piano.
      3. Record vocals live while you play. There may be some bleed into drum mics but it will be minimal. You will be wearing headphones through my ProArt headphone amp.
   3. Your digital deliverable for audio will be 2 files — (1) *.mp3 file and (1) *.wav file. MP3 is a compressed file. WAV is a large file to use for audio/video editing.
5. Ambient Audio recording: If you want me to set up condenser mics for an ambient room recording, I can do this as well for an upcharge to your rehearsal rental fee. Please contact me via email as the rate will vary based on your length of rehearsal time and other factors that we would need to discuss before I can quote. It is a cheaper option than #2 above and the audio quality is less pristine.
6. About my Video recording process:
   1. If you choose this option, your deliverable will be mix of both audio and video with Google drive link to download your video (MP4 video or other Adobe Premiere video export file type you prefer). Included in this package are all the individual audio tracks captured as WAV and MP3 files.
   2. Our video approach is as follows:
      1. Record your band in HD in a live setting with a 3-camera setup. I will also grab some intermittent HD video from my mobile phone on a gimble (some leads, some vocal and drums shots).
      2. There will be an editing process to finalize your video. It takes 1-2 weeks to turn it around for you, but could be longer depending on my workload at the time.

If you have additional questions, please drop me an email here. I will respond asap, usually in an hour or two.

What is your audio recording approach?

For audio, I capture a clean sound and do all mastering “in the box.” I have a 16-channel recording rack with all tracks pre-amped at the input signal. This provides the cleanest, best quality track capture at input. I record directly into Ableton Live, driven by Scarlett Mix Control.

• 8 channels are captured through an 18i20 interface
  • 1 ProArt MPA II preamp running in stereo (vocal and instrument inputs)
  • 1 Presonus MP20 preamp running in stereo (vocal and instrument inputs)
  • 2 dbx 266SX’s running in stereo (drums)
• 8 channels are captured via Scarlett Octa-Pre (onboard pre-amped) interface

For live drum captures, I record shells using Shure SM57s on all but the kick, which I use Sennheiser e-602 II. For overheads, I use 2 Audio Technica 4021’s. We run all guitars and keys direct using amp SIM’s or DI’s. Our headphones are Audio Technica.

What is your video recording approach?

I will record your video in a staged area in the rehearsal space (14′ x 16′ dimension). I will use professional lighting and film in 2k at 30 frames per second. I have a 4-camera setup, one straght on as an audience member were in front of the stage area watching. Camera #2 is offset to capture a second angle for separate cuts during the video depending on who is playing/singing lead in the song. Camera #3 is a slightly overhead cam capturing your drummer. Camera #4 is a wide-angle floor cam. A few of my videos can be found here.

I will capture your audio as you are playing, direct into Ableton Live (16 channels available). I will then add the 2 video files and audio master to Adobe Premiere (Creative Cloud version) to produce the final video recording. For additional details, drop me an email here and we can have a quick discovery call.

Who is the dog in your pictures?

The pup in the pictures is Holly. She is 11 years old and is a mix: Husky, Pyrenees, Golden, Aussie. She is very sweet loves pets and gives good kisses. She is here every day during the day and sometimes in the evenings. If you are allergic to dogs please let us know and we will make sure she is not in the studio when you are here.

What if I want to mix my own recording?

I will provide a basic mix with the pricing listed above. A basic mix is typically a line level of all vocals and instruments with minimal reverb or delay. I do not adjust pitch in a basic mix. I will provide single WAV files for you to take with you (if you bring a portable drive) or downloadable from our cloud server.

An advanced mix takes the basic mix further and will have much more detail and sound adjustments. Pricing for advanced mix varies depending on number of inputs and additional adjustments you want as well as more in-depth EQ and compression modeling.

Do you both mix and master?

A “mix” is the post production process of taking your recording and adjusting the sound to blend all the elements together to get your expected listening experience. The price of your recording includes all tracks as WAV files and a mix for you in both high resolution and social channel distribution, which sometimes varies in audio quality.

Given that many artists prefer to master their music for distribution on streaming channels, you have the option to have us master your recording (at an added cost) or take your mix and individual audio files and do post production with another engineer. It is totally up to you.

Do you only record content other than music and music videos?

No. I also have experience with podcasts in audio and video format. Whatever media you want to record in audio, video or photography, I can work with you to produce that content. My primary areas of specialty are audio, music video, and podcasting production.

Do you help with song arrangements and tips to help find my ‘sound’?

Though I don’t freely offer consultation on your music (after all it is your music), I’d be happy to assist with the suggestion,”simply ask.” I am an experienced songwriter with a catalog of original music. In the Q/A below, you can read about my approach to songwriting. Some of my original compositions can be found here – https://www.youtube.com/@tonypmuzic.

Who is the owner of Rooftop Music?

Welcome to my studio. My name is Tony Perri and I have been living in Chattanooga since 2014; I am originally from Mobile, Alabama. I began my songwriting and music engineering journey in 1987 when I lived in Athens, Georgia. The first recordings I did of my music came to life on a Tascam PortaOne and I’ve been music tracking/mixing music ever since. I started playing guitar in the 1970s. My mother used to tell me stories of long ago (the 1930s), when her family would all sit on the porch after dinner and play Spanish guitar. She had seven children and I was the only musician of my siblings, something surprising but something that brought me closer to her. My music tastes are a cornucopia of sounds from many different genres. It’s difficult to pinpoint my primary influence. I was generally inspired by the decades of the 1960s, 70s and 80s — 60s pop/rock, 70s & 80s new wave, blues, folk, post-punk, and indie. I like all music. If it has good “movement,” a nice chord progression and interesting melody, I like it.

I started Rooftop Music as a rehearsal space for local musicians. Simply put, if you need a space to rehearse, I got one. It’s turnkey and all you need to do is bring your instrument and plug in. If you want to add an audio recording to your rehearsal, I can do that. If you want to add video to your recording, I can do that as well. I just want to provide a comfortable, great sounding space to help local musicians hone their craft. I also love playing so I’ll be using the studio with my bandmates too. I would love to show you around even if you aren’t ready for a rehearsal. Just drop me a note at tony@rooftop-music.com, and come on over for a tour. 

Our songs aren’t quite polished yet. Do you offer help with songwriting or arranging?

I have been songwriting for over 20 years. I’m not famous by any means but I do know how to craft a song based on what I’ve learned over the years playing, listening and studying great songwriters. By great songwriters I mean: Dylan, McCartney/Lenon/Harrison/Starkey, Keith Richards, John Prine, John Hiatt, Bonnie Raitt, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Smokey Robinson, Robbie Robertson, Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, Bowie, Morrissey, Garcia, to name a few of my favorite writers. I understand songwriting structure and know that a great song has a hook and a journey from points A to B, then drops you off at the end as if it just started and you want it again. But music is very subjective so whatever greatness in your music that you find, that’s what you should pursue and finalize. I’m happy to help you get there if you’d like.

What about refreshments?

I carry a variety of snacks, bottled water, and non-alcoholic beverages to keep you going while you are working in the studio, at no charge. I also provide coffee and tea. The building our studio is housed in has a full kitchen. I do not offer alcohol and the studio is not licensed to sell alcohol.

What about parking?

There is plenty of free parking in the building parking lot.