Commodore Recording Studio

07/25/2023

Some new stuff coming out of Commodore!

A new song dedicated to the life and art of Anna "Grandma" Moses (1860-1961)

02/27/2023

01/11/2023

RIP Jeff Beck

04/17/2022

It was a lot of fun, and these guys are great!

04/09/2022

Really looking forward to having American Dharma in the studio to record their new EP next week!

03/25/2022

Commodore's website has been redesigned for maximum coolness! Check it out at www.CommodoreStudio.com and while you're there, download your FREE copy of "The Rosetta Stone" by the Doug Benson Collaborative. Look for the link!

Our talented, experienced sound engineers are here to offer world class audio recording and restoration in a custom acoustic environment.

01/21/2022

Here's a friendly heads-up to anyone who may be trying to message Commodore on FB. Their new changes have made it impossible to read/find/respond to messages; clicking on the pertinent icons now take us to FB attempts to sell advertising. If you need to contact Commodore, please use the phone number 301-271-2435 or email [email protected].

12/08/2021

Taking a dinner break - but always fun, interesting, and uplifting to have Cristal Saxon in the studio! What's she working on now??

11/05/2021

Shop Small Saturday is Nov. 27! Sharing this post from our awesome Thurmont Main Street page...but it applies to all Small Businesses across the country. We've been doing a good bit of our Chrismas shopping from other small businesses in town and online wherever we find them - supporting them is more important now than ever. Do you know a small business that you would recommend? We'd love to see your suggestions!

Shop, Dine, & Have a Service performed at a Locally Owned Thurmont Business for “Shop Small Saturday” - Saturday, November 27! Take a break from online shopping to explore your local businesses & all they have to offer this Saturday for Small Business Saturday! Locally owned businesses are the backbone of any community! They supply invaluable services, they are job creators, create a strong tax base (keeping the taxes base lower), & are a lifeline for non-profit organizations. If you child plays sports, take a look at the sponsors on the jerseys- chances are the sponsors are your locally owned businesses. Oh, & one of the best benefits? They offer better customer service & often you are dealing directly with the owner!

Celebrate our locally owned businesses this Saturday for "Shop Small Saturday." Visit & make a purchase at a locally owned business, purchase a locally made product, dine at a locally owned restaurant, & more importantly, incorporate patronizing our locally owned businesses into your daily routine. They need you now more than ever! Shop Small, Big Impact!

Shop Small was created by American Express in the midst of the recession in 2010. American Express created Small Business Saturday® on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to Shop Small and bring more holiday shopping to small businesses.

10/07/2021

I'm looking for 2 or 3 professional female backup singers for a current project. 3 songs, old-school soul/R&B sound desired. Session would probably take between 1-2 hours, and is paid. Email [email protected] if you're interested. Please have some sort of a demo!

09/15/2021

So, here's the next inevitable announcement! As you've all experienced, over the past year and a half, everything everywhere has become more expensive, except for Commodore's studio rate! I held out as long as I could, but in order to compensate for all the things that now cost me more, as of October 1, 2021, the studio rate will increase to $60/hr. Exceptions include projects that are already in progress, and of course existing gift certificates (which are good for a number of hours rather than a dollar amount.) Sorry to have to do it, but it's necessary! Thanks for your understanding.

09/03/2021

This kind of stuff amazes and humbles me, and reminds me just how GOOD you had to be to make records in those days. There was no going back to fix someone's part or edit the performances in any way. This is extraordinarily tight and the recording quality is remarkable. Everybody had to be "perfect" for two minutes-- and they indeed were here.

08/30/2021

Bagpipes! Ca. 1905. From the Giovannoni collection, soon to be on i78s.com.

08/28/2021

Virtuoso John Hazel: cornet solo from the Giovannoni collection. Soon to be posted on i78s.com

08/25/2021

Today's offering: cylinder courtesy of the Giovannoni collection. Fidelity courtesy of Edison labs (ca. 1905.)

08/21/2021

Commodore's newest addition... The French-made Archeophone cylinder player. (This record is ca. 1905.)

08/07/2021

The Weather People tracking at Commodore last night!

07/23/2021

Want to make $20 cash and have fun doing it? Here’s your chance! For the fourth year, Commodore is partnering with a Seoul-based voice technology company to record scripts of English-speaking individuals for smart device development. I need 56 people to read a 250-phrase script of simple commands such as “turn on video,” “it’s too warm,” and a few longer sentences such as "an octopus is very intelligent." Each recording session should take about a half hour. To get a good cross-section of local American dialects, they are looking for a mix of ages (20's and up) and genders (all), but no foreign accents.

This is not a call for character voices or professional-sounding copy reading. We just need natural voices speaking the way you’d talk to a phone or a remote. Readings are by appointment only and will be taking place at Commodore Recording Studio (on Main Street in Thurmont, MD) for the next 2 weeks, beginning on Saturday July 24. CALL 301-271-2435 or MESSAGE our page on Facebook and set up an appointment.
Feel free to share this post!

07/16/2021

A glorious end to the day at Commodore Recording Studio - we are feeling blessed!

07/06/2021

Getting the arsenal ready for more transfer work! L to R: Tascam 32, Pioneer 909, Otari mx5050, and the elusive Archéophone for cylinder playback.

07/04/2021

I always wondered. Here it's finally explained.

10/06/2020

Just a friendly reminder... if you call the studio and there's no answer, please leave a BRIEF message WITH A CALL BACK NUMBER. My answering machine has a finite capacity, so if someone leaves a 5 or 10-minute treatise about their new song or their politics, it leaves no space for anyone else to leave a message. There's also the chance that I might be there and pick up, once I know who's calling! I get 12-15 telemarketers, scammers and robocalls per day (as do most listed businesses) so I also use the machine to screen calls when I'm here. It's nothing personal!

09/04/2020

Can you identify this instrument?

06/17/2020

In July of 2023 it will have been ten years since I leased the building at 204 E. Main Street and officially opened up as Commodore. It’s been very cool, fun and rewarding, but also very expensive. The rent payment goes up every year, taxes, utilities and insurance increase every year, certain repairs to the building end up being my responsibility, audio equipment breaks down, software becomes obsolete due to mandatory computer upgrades, and some months we do well simply to break even. Those of you who have been around since the beginning also know what our unexpected (non-business-related) challenges were, and why it was so difficult to hit the ground running back in 2013. The part of the business that’s most profitable is the transfer/restoration part… which does not require a big building like this. So here’s a heads-up for you musicians who like to record in my studio:
This is not a definite decision yet, but I’m considering closing shop in mid-2023, phasing out the studio aspect of the business, and focusing only on transfer and restoration going forward, in a more affordable space. Since some projects take several years to complete, I want to give enough notice so that nobody is left in the lurch! So if you have a project you’ve been putting off, it might be a good time to start thinking more about it.
Of course, COVID complicates things further, for the studio and for my clients! Since we don’t know how things will unfold over time, the next 3 years should be educational.

06/04/2020

Hello everyone! This is a friendly reminder: sometimes I am at the studio but unable to answer the phone for various reasons. If you need to reach me, please don't hang up when the greeting turns on. Leave a SHORT* message WITH A CALL BACK NUMBER.** My phone does not save the incoming number, so if you don't leave one, I can't call you back. That is also how I'll be able to sort out your call from the majority of calls that come in, which are scammers, robocalls and telemarketers.

*answering machine has finite space, so if you have a five-minute description of your next song, save it for when we can actually talk!
**meaning don't just say "...so call me back."

05/28/2020

Article of the month!

Doug Benson’s work on King Oliver and Wolverines material quickly became benchmarks for what proper audio restoration could reveal. His name on an album is enough to convince those in the know to trade up for what is destined to become the definitive version even if they already own all of the...

05/19/2020

Carlos' younger brother. RIP

Santana had a brush with major success as a member of the band Malo, and made significant contributions to the breadth of Latin popular music.

05/09/2020

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/little-richard-dead-48505/

Pianist-singer behind “Tutti Frutti,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “Long Tall Sally” set the template that a generation of musicians would follow

03/17/2020

Doing their part, and more.

THURMONT, Md (WDVM) — Monday marked the first day of public school closings throughout the four-state area to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. In Frederick County, Maryland, one r…

03/15/2020

Hey folks! I still need 30 script readers before March 25. Call or message... $20 for 20 minutes and lots of fun! Don't be like Evel Knievel and just talk about jumping the canyon... DO IT! YEAH!! WOOT!

03/14/2020

Local friends - if you've never been to a production at this theater, we highly recommend it. A gift certificate to a dinner show would be a wonderful way to celebrate once we're all "sprung" and able to go out in the world again!

Our shows are still proceeding as scheduled, but if you’re staying close to home for a week or so, buying a Gift Certificate to be used at a future performance is a great way to support The Playhouse and other small businesses who operate on small profit margins!
🎁
You can buy online (visit the “Box Office” page on our Website) or call our Box Office Tues-Fri to purchase Gift Certificates in any amount!

Thank you for supporting Small Businesses & Live, Local Theatre!

washingtoncountyplayhouse.com

03/13/2020

I saw a fantastic idea in another post today. Regardless of your views on the validity of the Covid19 scare, many businesses are being temporarily shut down, or patronage is decreasing drastically while it plays out. Since small businesses (including this one) tend to operate within such small margins, a period of "lockdown" that lasts even a few weeks can be enough to push them off the balance sheet. One way to help small businesses stay in business is to consider buying gift certificates to be used after things return to normal. The immediate cash flow will help us pay our monthly running expenses during the drought. Just a suggestion...

03/13/2020

Response has been good for the script-reading gig; but I still need about 35 more readers. This pays $20 cash and takes about 20 minutes. Folks who have done it before will tell you it's fun and quirky, and easy money! The company I'm contracting for is collecting examples of North American speech reading commands like "turn up fan speed" and "show me Netflix" to help develop smart appliances. I have some specific demographic "quotas" and need male and female readers of all ages (14-59) and ethnicities. Message Commodore or call the shop at 301-271-2435. Hope to see you there!

03/12/2020

Monocacy Jazz Quartet tracking on Saturday!

03/09/2020

The audio specs have been worked out, so now we're ready to start recording. CALL/MESSAGE and set up an appointment! I Need you!!

Want to make $20 cash and have some quirky fun doing it? Here’s your chance! For the third year, Commodore is partnering with a Seoul-based voice technology company, to record scripts of English-speaking individuals for smart appliance development. I need 60 people to read a 250-phrase script of simple commands such as “turn on TV,” “it’s too warm,” etc. They estimate each recording should take about an hour. This is not a call for character voices or professional-sounding copy reading; we just need natural voices speaking the way you’d talk to an appliance if it were across the room. To get a good cross-section of local American dialects, they are looking for a diverse pool of ages (14-70), ethnicities (all) and genders (all), but no foreign accents. Readings will be taking place at Commodore (Main Street in Thurmont) for the next 3 weeks. Please message the studio to set up an appointment or call the studio line at 301-271-2435. Feel free to share this post if you want!

03/06/2020

Want to make $20 cash and have some quirky fun doing it? Here’s your chance! For the third year, Commodore is partnering with a Seoul-based voice technology company, to record scripts of English-speaking individuals for smart appliance development. I need 60 people to read a 250-phrase script of simple commands such as “turn on TV,” “it’s too warm,” etc. They estimate each recording should take about an hour. This is not a call for character voices or professional-sounding copy reading; we just need natural voices speaking the way you’d talk to a remote. To get a good cross-section of local American dialects, they are looking for a diverse pool of ages (14-70), ethnicities (all) and genders (all), but no foreign accents. Readings will be taking place at Commodore (Main Street in Thurmont) for the next 3 weeks. Please message the studio to set up an appointment or call the studio line at 301-271-2435. Feel free to share this post if you want!

02/23/2020

He was too busy singin' to put anybody down. RIP Peter. (From a year ago? I somehow missed it last year!)

The affable performer played with the Monkees from their earliest days as a made-for-TV band all the way through their recent reunion tours

02/12/2020

Tip of the day: If you're bringing audio into the studio for restoration, please RESIST THE URGE to work on it yourself first. You'll ultimately save time and money, and get a better result.

"I already used Audacity freeware and applied this $20 declicker I bought on the Internet..."
(...and now I have to spend an hour getting rid of the artifacts left by a cheap declicker.)

"I already did the fade-ins and fade-outs for you..."
(...which is the very last thing that should be done. Volume changes affect everything else.)

"I already ran the background noise suppressor myself..."
(...which has left artifacts I now can't undo. The software we use is expensive for a reason. Let it do its job!)

An analogy:
"Hi doctor. I already sutured myself up where the incision will be. Now you can do the rest of my surgery!"