Our room books at $100.00 per hour with an engineer inclusive. We also do day rates at $800.00 per which includes 9 hours of session time with an engineer inclusive.
Please give us a call at 510-542-9760 so we can talk about your specific project.
What is the cancellation policy?
If you need to cancel your session, we ask that you let us know at least 24 hours in advance. If it is less than 24hours in advance, we will retain your deposit. Same-day cancellations require that you are responsible for 100% of your session fee.
How do I get to Oscillation Studios?
Oscillation Studios is located at 850 42nd Avenue, Oakland, CA. The entrance is located on 42nd Avenue between Wattling & High Street. To obtain entrance to our lot, please call 510-698-2995 and someone will allow you access to our facility. You will need to get a parking pass from the studio when you first arrive if you do park in the lot (you will never be ticketed or towed, but the building management needs to know which cars belong where in an emergency).
Fruitvale BART Station is located 2 blocks away from our facility.
Do we provide session musicians?
We do not provide session musicians; however, we work regularly with many of the best players in the Bay Area. We are happy to refer you to any musicians that may fit with your project style
Do we provide session producers?
It is not standard practice at Oscillation Studios to offer producers with sessions. However, we are familiar with a number of renowned producers who work here on a regular basis, hired directly by clients who are here to record. If you feel that your project could benefit from a producer and you may be interested in hiring someone, please speak with us directly and we will be happy to refer you to a producer who may be a good match for your project.
What if I want to bring my own engineer?
If you have an outside engineer that you are considering, please discuss this person with us when you call to book your session. We must ensure that all outside engineers are comfortable with the technology in our rooms (the consoles, patch bays, mics and outboard gear, and even sweet spots in the room). We would be happy to assign an assistant to help facilitate the session, if necessary.
How long does it take to mix my project?
Before mixing songs you must have all of their pieces. Mixing is essentially putting it all together and making room for everything sonically. It’s also the step where you put EQ, FX, and reverb on things and make those final decisions as far as level and sound placement. Mixing is just as important as tracking, if not more so. Time allotted for mixing depends on how different you’d like all of the songs to sound texturally and aesthetically. If they are all similar and straightforward, then the mixes will go faster; if every song is different in sounds then you have to sculpt more as you go along. Mixing is also where you make sure that all of the instruments are balanced and that they stay balanced. This means you have to pay attention to each one independently and also in relation to the whole.
On label projects it’s not unusual to spend up to a day per song mixing, although it is also common to do two per day. It involves quite a bit of listening, and listening happens in real time. So consider that if you have a six-minute song, each time you listen through it is going to be six minutes of time. If you have nine songs and a ten hour day that’s only somewhere around an hour and seven minutes to spend focused on one song, which is not very much time.
The whole process is a bit like cooking or baking; tracking is like preparing all of the ingredients, measuring, chopping, etc. Overdubs are like seasoning and doing the final part of the prep work. Mixing is like putting it on the stove and having it all come together in to a delicious cohesive dish and mastering is like presenting it on a plate, giving it that final polish and beauty.
What is Mastering?
Mastering is the final step before going to reproduction. The process allows the mix volume to achieve its maximum volume without distortion or unknown artifacts applied. In conclusion, Mastering is the final polish to your mix
