No, the engineer’s fee is on top of the studio rental. We can also provide an assistant engineer, but this will cost extra. The studio day rate is for the whole day and night (maximum of 6 am to 2 am the following day). You and your engineer decide on what hours work best.How much do engineers charge per hour on top of the studio rental rate?
That will vary. Please contact us to find out.
What are the hidden costs?
The only additional costs are your recording media (external hard drive, analog tape, etc…) There are no instruments or recording equipment that you will be charged extra to use at Jackpot!
Why do you not want to book sessions by the 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 soon become five, making it impossible to book multiple sessions in a row. Occasionally we will do hourly bookings, but frequently these will be bumped – even last minute – for full day projects. Please take advantage of our reasonable day rate 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?
We get asked this a lot for some reason. The simple answer? “Nope.” That’s why it’s called a day rate.
Can we get a tour of the studio?
Of course. Email is easiest, so simply reach out to our Manager about this. 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 Magazine readers who’d like to see the studio and meet Larry as they travel through Portland, or from Elliott Smith fans who think he recorded here (he didn’t, that was our old studio space). There’s just not enough time for this. Thanks for understanding. Also, please do not drop by the studio without an appointment – either a session is in progress or the studio is closed.
Do you have a collection of tracks from Jackpot! for listening?
Here’s a Spotify playlist of a small selection of tracks from Jackpot! Check out the projects page or Discogs to see more of what we’ve worked on in the past!
Do you work weekends?
Of course. In fact, weekends are usually booked up several months in advance. Jackpot! is open every day of the year if requested.
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.
Is my music good enough for Jackpot!?
Jackpot! is a space where music is played and the sound is recorded – it is a service we perform. Jackpot! is NOT is a record label looking for talent, or a gatekeeper to the music business. If you have the inclination to work here, we can accommodate you.
Do you do voice-overs, video editing, music for film or radio spots?
We occasionally do some of these, but Jackpot! is best known and most specifically geared towards recording performance-based music sessions.
Can I record to tape?
Sure. We can run the 16-track and 24-track decks at 30 IPS, which gives you 16 minutes per reel, or we can run at 15 ips for 33 minutes per reel. (First time tape users: Please be aware that calibrating the tape decks for your session and working with tape in general takes a bit of extra time.)
What should I bring if I record digitally?
Bring your own hard drive to back up the session to. Old drives and flash media (thumb drives) always take longer to back up; time you are billed for.
Can you transfer my old vinyl/cassette/reels/etc. to digital files?
Jackpot! can transfer most 2″ or 1/4″ analog reels and 2- and 4-track cassettes and vinyl as well. Drop a line for rates. If we cannot do it we will tell you who can.
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! Sorry.
Does Jackpot! hire engineers or assistants?
There are no engineer, 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 always need more freelancers!
Can I bring my own engineer for my sessions?
Yes, but we’ll need to talk to them first to make sure they are qualified to run the studio.
Is Jackpot! non-smoking?
Yes. Smoke out front and dispose of butts.
Do you allow animals in the building?
We do not. We have had issues with client’s allergic reactions from previous sessions that had animals present.
Can we sleep in the studio overnight while working?
No. Using the studio as a living space overnight is expressly forbidden and is in violation of our lease.
Can we all play live in the studio?
We’re set up to do basic tracks live with groups. We can isolate the drums, guitars and bass with our three iso rooms, 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 three 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 The Dark Side of the Moon or Loveless in three days!
Where can we eat or drink near the studio?
Bete-Lukas – 2504 SE 50th Ave – next door Ethiopian, excellent
“The Lot” next to Plaid Pantry has food carts and beer 1/2 block away.
Hinterland – 2216 SE 50th Ave has food carts and full bar with a patio.
Petite Provence Boulangerie and Patisserie – 4834 SE Division St.
Stumptown Coffee – 4525 SE Division St
The Sapphire Hotel – 5008 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Landmark Saloon – right nearby and fun!