What we do...

So what is CoLabs all about?

Well, in a nutshell, I mix albums and draw on a collaborative network of music industry professionals to do everything else.

The whole company is based on the idea that most talented creative-type people in the music industry are really good at one or two main things. However, there is a pretty big trend for studios, independent-producers, small labels, etc. to offer the 'one-stop-shop' model. This is the one where they offer everything from songwriting and producing to graphic design and publishing your music, and everything in between. It's not that they aren't good at what they do. It's just that they aren't the best in all of the areas they claim to offer services in. It may be a really great studio that is a great place to track your drums but that also offers 'CD duplication' on the side. Or a record producer who is truly talented but ends up playing all the parts on his clients albums to save on musician fees.

flexibility is great and having a broad skill set will serve you well in the music industry, but, I believe, to really get ahead you need to know where your true talents lie. For myself, I have worn many hats in the studio. Musician, engineer, producer... but when I really looked hard at what I was doing better then anyone else and what I really had to offer, it was the mix. I LOVE to mix albums! I have been fortunate enough to have gained some recognition for my mixing work and have had a fairly steady stream of projects to work on.

So what happens when an artist asks me to produce a record (ya, I still produce albums, the other thing I do really well)? My personal studio is small and (specifically) only set-up to mix albums. Well, I have made lots of good connections in the local music/recording scene and I know where to go to get the best for each stage of the project. I know songwriters, producers, session players, studio owners, mastering engineers, etc. and they all offer a specific creative service better then anyone else!

It's a pretty cool thing to make an album this way. The best part is that it usually costs about the same or sometimes less then the "one-stop-shop" approach. Also, way more creative people get to work on that one project, and its better for the whole local industry!

So that's it in a nutshell. Cool stuff really does happen when people collaborate.