Lake Drive Studio is a budget friendly recording studio and rehearsal space with a private relaxed atmosphere.
Our Mission
Professional studios are great for professionals, but can be expensive and intimidating for inexperienced musicians.
Our mission is to provide an affordable, stress free environment for young emerging artists to develop, rehearse and record their original music.
Lake Drive Studio is a great option for your first studio experience, demo or EP.
How it Works
The vast majority of recording studios charge on an hourly basis. Charging hourly ensures that their time and expertise is fully accounted for. It makes sense and is industry standard practice, however, this is where it can get expensive fast. This is especially true if you are new to the process and are working with a limited budget. The clock is always running…
We do it differently by charging a flat fee per song. This allows you to have a set budget going into the song development process while taking the pressure of time away in the recording studio.
We start by listening to your song ideas and what your intentions are for the music. Based upon how developed the idea already is, how many instruments are involved and other factors, we will determine a flat fee. Fees can range from $300 up to $1,000 per song.
Here are a few examples…
A solo or duo acoustic artist may have a song that is pretty well developed requiring minimal producing, arranging or overdubs. Their fee would be on the lower end of the scale and most of the time commitment would be in recording, mixing and mastering.
On the flipside, a 5 or 6 piece rock band that has some basic ideas but not a complete song would require a lot more songwriting, arrangement, rehearsal and recording time. This type of project would be much more involved.
Song Development
The goal is to help take your idea and create a finished piece of music that you will be proud to share with the world. Developing a song from a basic idea to a finished piece ready for distribution generally follows this process.
Songwriting and Composition – Everything starts with an idea. This is where melodies, chords, lyrics, and rhythms begin to take shape. Sometimes it’s just a few lines or a short loop, while other times, it’s a full arrangement. The goal here is to build the foundation of the song and figure out what story or emotion it’s meant to express.
Arrangement – Once the core idea is in place, it’s time to decide how the song will flow. Arrangement is about structure — which instruments come in when, how verses and choruses connect, and how the energy rises and falls. A good arrangement keeps listeners engaged and makes the song feel dynamic from start to finish.
Sound Design and Instrumentation – This is where the song starts to gain its identity. Record producers choose or create the sounds that define the track — from drums and synths to guitars and textures. In electronic music, this might mean programming beats and designing synth patches; in a band setting, it could mean deciding on tones, mic placement, when to play and when not to play, and overall performance style.
Recording – Recording captures all the performances — vocals, instruments, and any other elements that make up the track. This stage is about getting clean, expressive takes that bring the song to life.
Editing – In this phase of the production process, the best takes are cleaned up and fine-tuned. Timing, pitch, and small imperfections are adjusted. The goal is to make sure everything feels tight and cohesive while ensuring recorded tracks don’t lose the natural performance feel.
Mixing – Mixing music is where all the recorded and programmed parts are balanced together. This involves adjusting levels, panning, EQ, compression, and adding effects to make every element sit properly in the mix. This stage gives the song its space, clarity, and overall polish. Hearing the final mix is often a whole different world compared to the first few drafts of your song.
Mastering – As the final step, mastering music means ensuring the song sounds consistent across all speakers and platforms, matches industry loudness standards, and flows smoothly if it’s part of an album or playlist.