Why the Eff would a record company pay that much for one album? What does a normal Big Stuio album cost?
Great Questions.
for the first: the record industry is insane.
For the second: anywhere from DIY to $30 million, which I believe was the final cost of getting MJ's "Thriller" from studio to shelves.
These days the technology is such that People like Korg, Roland, Tascam, Digidesign, MOTU, etc. sell products for well under $1,000 that contain, essentially, all the recording technology of a 'big studio' say, 20 years ago. More really, with Digital recording: edits are done in seconds instead of cutting tape; whole sections can be lifted from one place and put to another, vocal pitch correction, and samples of real drums, bass, guitar, etc.
Springsteen's "Nebraska" supposedly went from a Tascam Portastudio [it used Cassettes! shit there's some here prolly never owned a played] to a Mixing and Mastering Studio. Van Halen recorded "Women and Children First" in about 14 days.
So; it depends on the band, and who has the money. People like to get the *Big Name* for the Producer of their albums, and these guys aren't cheap. Studio time is horrifically expensive, and bands like GnR usually just "lock-out" a studio, essentially buying it for the time they are recording there. Then you call Bob Rock or Trevor Horn or Quincy and you're off...
All of this means nothing to the music, however. Some bands work fast: a few takes and let's move on. Some bands do dozens of takes of dozens of version of songs.
In the end; it's the Quality of the Music, not the studio. Listen to those hits from the 1950's. Most of those were done in studios using a couple of Mics. You got your 'Mix' by moving people and instruments closer or farther away from the Mics. Real Multi-tracking wasn't refined until Les Paul got his thing going.
And those 50s songs fucking KILL. The sound? Just the greatest, sweetest sound ever.
Listen to the Elvis Sun Sessions. In Mono; as they were recorded. My GOD! This is the Elvis that had the light of God or something in him, along with the reds. Just the most wonderful, fantastic sound.
He never, ever even got close again. Ever. Recorded in a 'recording studio' the size of small garage.
More bands are recording at their homes and garages. at 24-bit/96KHz. That would have cost you $50,000 five years ago. Ten years ago; that resolution didn't exist. The technology is here.
Side note; some producers, like Machine are still avowed fans of 2-inch tape. They run it at rediculously fast speeds something like FEET not inches per second. Many argue that Digital is Good, while Analog with the right Noise Reduction is superior.
The debates continue.
But gun to my head, to actually answer your Q? I'd say a couple of Million is the tag for a Major Label album. Again, an average, because some bands record albums for what other pay just to put the drum tracks down [hello, Lars?].
Boing (http://www.miketheteacher.com)
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