"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S Thompson
Studio 408 Chicago is a local small recording studio with a very band friendly vibe specializing in honest and real recording performances. Brad has been recording since the late 80's when he started with a $50 Fingerhut mail-order acoustic guitar and headphones plugged into the mic jack of a really big boom-box he got as a Christmas gift from his girlfriend. In 1992, he enrolled in Art Institute of Seattle and graduated with a degree, majoring in Audio Engineering and minoring in Band and Talent Management and Promotions. Upon moving to Chicago in late 1994, Brad has worked at Chicago Trax Recording during Ministry's Filfth Pig album. He got a chance to sit in sessions of Chemlab and 16 Volt. Experience the work of great engineers like Critter, Fluffy and other regularly named folks. He has worked alongside Dale Meiners of Wesly Willis' Fiasco at Ghetto Love recording in one of its many inceptions. It was during this time that Brad had a chance to co-engineer with Kevin Fugel and Dale Meiners for Rainer Maria's debut CD as well as recordings for Deals Gone Bad, Whitey and Sub Pop Records 5Style.
Brad has a passion for rock and hard rock music and loves to record every chance he gets. He put together Studio 408 Chicago about 2 1/2 years ago to get recording of his band -Burning The Sun- for free, really. He's a dedicated musician and a passionate recording engineer who tries at all costs to capture the real and organic qualities of rock music. His personal motto about recording is "It's not the gear you use, but the way you use it. With a good ear, you can capture anything"
Here at Studio 408 Chicago, that is our motto and we live by it. Because music is not a hobby, it's a way of life. Listen to the tracks and enjoy.
For those of you who may wonder why I do not do recording packages here's why. I have worked in recording studios where they offer a one to three song demo package for what seems like a good deal. Doing so would put me in a position to try and rush the band out of there to increase my hourly rate and it would rush you out ultimately resulting in you not being happy with the end product. I have been on both sides of the glass as the musician and the engineer for those recording packages and it's not fun either way. It becomes about the money. I would do this for free for the shear love of it if I was independantly wealthy. I'm not so I have to charge something. You'll spend less money and that's more time in mixing and production that WILL result in a better product. I know this from experience. You do not want to be a dollar sign at a recording studio. You are there to get your best tunes on a CD paying a fair price and hopefully with an engineer who is there because he or she wants to be. I believe in the music and I believe in the recording process. Record here and you will be happy. It's my job and an honor for me to record music. Studio 408 Chicago IS dedicated to the music and the recording process to make you comfortable. If you are relaxed and comfortable, it'll show in the musical recording. The end result is you're happy and I'm happy. I don't like recording badly and you don't like playing crappy. I have tons of experience in the audio engineering field and I would be happy to put that to work for you.
All music recorded and mixed and mastered by Brad Calderwood unless otherwise noted.
Rates start at $20/hr and we can accommodate any musicians needs. A contract is required to sign to protect me in case you bring fire. Call 773.787.7855 and leave a message with a call back number and details because I screen all calls. I have to. Some people are crazy!
