Fran Ashcroft: Call me Bill, it sounds more expensive

Fran Ashcroft: Call me Bill, it sounds more expensive

There is a trend currently to quote rates for studio time excluding engineer. This isn’t anything new – they’ve been doing it in the USA forever – but chaps, it’s simply not British.

Whilst at first glance passing silly billys may think “oooh that’s cheap!”, we’re really not daft enough to work out the real cost. Well, most of us.

This slippery pricing slope begins by quoting an attractive daily rate, excluding engineer, then quickly snowballs into: -

Studio excluding engineer, VAT, accomodation, control room, overdubs, tape recorders, tape, patch bay, microphones, microphone stands, shock mounts, tinkerbell, electricity. Additional hire charges apply for use of our collection of vintage instruments, outboard effects, computer, useless intern, magic beans, bucket and spade and fairy dust.

Parking £500 per day, toilets 20p FREE TEA AND COFFEE excluding cups

Why not get British Telecom to draw up your studio billing, that’ll confuse them. I’m on the “Recording Unlimited Plan” which is great but I can only work after 6pm and weekends.

Fran Ashcroft’s website