Discover the best in independent music and music production services, along with expert consulting for artists at our independent record label.
205 Winchester Drive , East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
Our Professional Services
Production Planning
Consultation -
An initial team conference where we scope out the direction and make sure our goals are set with your end in mind.
Development -
We can assign an experienced Executive Producer to your project who can work up the Development Plan and define all of the required activities and milestones.
Recording
Studio and Field/Remote Recording
Solo Singer/Guitarists
Vocalists using custom Backing Tracks
Spoken Word/Book Narration
Small Ensembles
Choral Groups & Churches
Compilation Production for Music Societies
Mixing
Top notch digital mixing of our recorded tracks to .WAV, MP3 (high definition) or CD-R.
Mastering
Our in house capabilities and our strategic alliance with outside mastering labs gives you access to a state of the art Digital and Analog Mastering, under the direction of our master production team and partners.
Package & Graphic Layout and Design
Package & Graphic Layout and Design
Silk City provides Graphics Design and Layout and short-run (1 and up) CD Manufacturing capabilities... Starting with your concept, our custom design and layout will prepare your work for the manufacturing/packaging process...
Our team has experience in creating art in a 4 1/4" space , with the proper layout requirements, in the proper software configurations.
Any combination... Your existing photos, your design ideas, your concepts converted into album art.... Silk City can put together the right graphics for your project and your budget...
Client Projects managed by Silk City...
Singer / songwriter / vocalists
Studio Recording for Solo and Duo Artists
Relaxed and Creative Space
Backing Tracks Available
Live Guitar and Bass Tracks Available
Non-disclosure/Confidentiality of Original Compositions
Silk City will commit to complete confidentiality and non-disclosure related to composer's and publishers original material
Song Files/Recordings will only remain on our equipment until YOU have determined the project is completed.
All physical materials will be returned to the customer once the project is completed, unless we are directed otherwise.
Silk City is happy to attest to the above, in writing, if desired by the Artist, Composer or Publisher of the original compositions.
Vocal Demos and Audition Recordings
Unaccompanied singers can requested our creation of Backing Tracks or submit any of their own for review for potential use.
Basic Output's Available
Silk City can provide the artists with
- A CD/R burned at our Studio
- Wav. files on USB Drive (customer provided or provided by Silk City at nominal charge)
- High Definition MP3 files on CD/R, USB Drive or email to artist.
OR see our Advanced/Finished Demo Packages below
Advanced/Finished Demo Package Available
Silk City is please to offer a short-run Replication Service for 1 + Compact Disc Packages
- Cellophane-wrapped in Plastic Jewel Case
- Full Color Two Page Insert
- Full Color Print ON DISC
- Full Color Tray Card with Splines
Customer may provide Digital Images or Digital Photographs which Silk City can review for incorporation into the Graphics
For approximate pricing, see Short Run Compact Disc & DVD Manufacturing below.
Custom Graphic development subject to review and may be subject to separate quote
Payments and Deposits
Payment schedule and required deposits will be quoted individually to the customer based on each unique project.
Short Run Compact Disc and DVD Manufacturing
Additional Information
Silk City Records specializes in very small, very short-run CD Packages for artists. You can order as few as five or ten all the way up to dozens or (once you get that famous) thousands (volume orders offer more substantial discounts).
The short-run specials are perfect for new and emerging artists and test markets. They include full color on the disc. CD’s include a jewel box with a full color tray card and a two panel (back and front) insert that can also be full color. DVD’s include DVD box, full color cover insert and one-panel internal insert. UPC/Bar Codes can be added to your artwork.
Setup/Preparation Fees:
- Digitization of existing project artwork $50
- UPC Bar Code $15
- Art and .WAV file upload to Mfg. Plant $25 or
- Video File and Art upload to Mfg. Plant $75
- Test/Approval Copy (stage/store ready) $2
- Digital Mastering/Editing Services (if desired) $25/hour
Full Color Compact Discs
- Manufacturing / assembly included
- Full color CD printing included
- Jewel case included
- Full color 2-panel insert included
- Full color tray card included
- Cellophane wrapping included
- All inclusive price** $3.00
- Shipping/handling TBD
Full Color DVD's
- Manufacturing / assembly included
- Full color DVD printing included
- DVD case included
- Full color 1-panel insert included
- Full color DVD case cover included
- Cellophane wrapping included
- All inclusive price** $4.50
- Shipping/handling TBD
**Prices from our plant are subject to change based upon volumes and busy seasons. Silk City Records will provide a firm, fixed quote at the time of your purchase and will honor quoted pricing. Freight (or postage/UPS) from the Utah plant is a straight pass through cost for you with no mark up.
To discuss your project, please drop me an email at silkcitycd@aol.com or give me a call at 973-599-0237
Audio Book Recording and Mastering
Full Service Audio Book Recording – Silk City Records is a full-service audio book recording production facility. Voice Over Talent, CD duplication, USB Thumb Drive Preparation (formatting and Playlist Creation), Final Master to Audio Book Standards, Artwork design and Creation for Compact Disc and Disc Replication in cello-wrapped jewel cases are all available from us and our network of partners . We can assist with your set up with reseller CD Baby and their complete network of legal Digital Distribution Channels (iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, etc.).
Best Value – Whether your works are "How to" books, fiction and non-fiction books alike - each project gets unique and personal attention... We intentionally limit our total projects in house to insure we can meet your expectations AND your unique needs. Your initial consultation is 100% free and we will make sure we can deliver your project as designed before we quote. Our prices are considerably less than than our large-studio competitors, with a much better attention to detail and response to your “in -process” feedback!
Audio Books That Sound Great - Industry Standards continue to drive the levels of sophistication upward and our software and hardware tools will deliver the finest possible raw files and final mix downs whether you need a .WAV file or High Definition MP3 at 320kbps.
Typical Audio File Standards for Audio Books
- Consistent in overall sound and formatting
- Audio Book comprised of consistent file standard (all Mono or all Stereo)
- Audio Book will include opening and closing credits in separate tracks
- Audio Book should be narrated by HUMAN and not “text to speech” recordings
- Each chapter or section should be contained in a unique file which can be uploaded separately.
- Each chapter or section should be no longer than 120 minutes.
- Each chapter or section must contain a section or chapter announcement at the beginning of each audio file
- Each file should have between 0.5 and 1.0 second of room tone/digital silence at the head of the file and between 1 and 5 seconds of room tone/digital silence at the tail of each track.
- Each uploaded file must be free from extraneous sounds such as “plosives”, mic pops, mouse clicks, excessive mouth noise, outtakes/errors and street or ambient noise.
- Each file must measure between -23dB and -18RMS
- Each file must have peak values no higher than -3dB
- Each file must have a noise floor no higher than -60dB RMS
- Each MP3 file must be 192kbps or higher, Constant Bit Rate (we recommend 320kbps)
- Each file must be 44.1 kHz
- Each file must be no larger than 170MB as files larger than that are not typically supported by Audio Book publishers.
Student and choral projects
Student Audition CD Packages starting at $100
Silk City Records has been producing short run and specialty Student CD Audition Packages since 1989 for
- Musicians,
- Vocalists and
- Actors.
Our Student Audition Packages include:
- Professionally manufactured CD-R’s in ANY Quantity
- Full Color on Disc
- Full Color two-panel insert
- Full Color Tray Card Cello Wrapped Jewel Case Student "One-Sheet"/Bio/Stat/Contact Page
We develop all artwork and graphics from your digital images and text.
We can also offer additional services, depending upon your location, such as:
- Professional Photography
- On-location or studio recording
- Mixing/Mastering/Sweetening of your existing recordings
For more information, contact us at
silkcitycd@aol.com or call 973-452-2937
Choir and Choral Packages
Silk City Records pleased to offer very small, very short-run Compact Disc Packages for local Choirs. These can be the perfect "fund raisers" or simply to enable you to share your Choir Program with friends, family, fans and supporters of the Choir. You can order as few as a dozen or (or if you have a larger potential audience) hundreds or thousands (volume orders offer more substantial discounts). The short-run specials are perfect for small budgets or limited issue programs (such as Holiday music). A relatively small production budget will yield a professional digital recording and compact discs. If you sell the CD’s for between $10-15 each, should yield the Choir substantial profits ranging from 35% to 100%…!
Our mobile recording department will come to your performance space and digitally record your Choir with portable, state-of-the-art digital recording equipment and mix and master it for Silk City’s manufacturing.
Silk City has produced thousands of professional quality Compact Discs for all types of organizations and performers and help you create PROFESSIONAL QUALITY Digital Recordings including:
- Manufacturing / assembly included
- All graphics layout from your provided artwork (photos, images, etc.)
- Full color CD printing included
- Jewel case included
- Full color 2-panel insert included
- Full color tray card included
- Cellophane wrapping included
- Shipping/handling TBD (Freight /postage/UPS from our factory in Utah plant is a straight pass through cost for you with no mark up and is quoted based upon the weight/quantity of CD’s ordered).
To discuss your project, please drop us an email at silkcitycd@aol.com or call 973.452.2937
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Analog Tape and vinyl conversion and restoration
Transfers/Restoration to CD , MP3 or .wav file- Original recording on Reel-to-reel Tape
Complete price list for Reel-to-Reel (1/4 inch open reel) conversions:
1 CD made out of 1 Reel-to-Reel tape (any size reel up to 7 inch accepted) of up to 20 Songs or (Maximum) of 80 minutes in length *.
Speeds are limited to 3 3/4 and 7 1/2 IPS on Source Tape.
Simple Conversion, (no individual tracks) $35.00
Basic setup and initial run (items 1 &2) gives you a simple "copy" of what is on your source tape to a digital CD. Because of the nature of tape noise, this means you will have one continuous track compiling all the audio from your tape
1. This includes the setup,
2. initial run to draft CD,
Conversion with Individual Track Assignment $60.00
3. above, plus
4. transcription from initial run draft CD to digital edit mode (if required),
5. editing processes (track formatting, EQ, Normalization, hiss reduction, etc.)
6. re-transcription to format/tracked CD
In items 3-5, we transfer the initial CD to PC-based editing software where we can perform editing functions (i.e. assign tracks and digital silence in between)as well as work some remedial editing into the audio file to improve the sound a bit...
Additional services:
- Tape Logging Services$15.00/hour
- Extra tracks (per extra track over 20 per CD) $1.35/song
- Producer Services (providing evaluation based upon Client Criteria for archiving decisions) $25.00/hour
- Mastering /Sweetening (adding reverb or applying EQ) $10.00/hour
- A CD of your project converted to MP3 $12.50/CD
* Tapes over 80 minutes will be charged at the above rate PLUS pro-rated fee in 20 minute increments ($8.75 per segment for simple conversions and $15,00 per segment for Conversion with Track Assignment)
What you can expect….
- The Open Reel player heads and tape guides are cleaned before each play
- Playback and recording on professional equipment, optimized for best performance
- Finished CD is quality checked
- CD is delivered in "classic jewel-case"
- Return Shipment of finished product and Source Tape within the USA is via Priority Mail
- Rush orders or overnight shipment/courier services are available upon special request for quotation.
- Each CD holds a maximum of 80 minutes.
SPECIAL TERMS & CONDITIONS:
If, during processing, we discover that the tape is blank or can not be recorded, we will not make a CD, but charge instead a "Recording Fee" of $10.00 plus return shipping, and return the material to the customer.
If your tapes are longer than 80 minutes each, each tape will utilize multiple CD's.
All tapes submitted must be in proper running order (all recorded in the same direction, all songs recorded at the same consistent tape speed, etc.)
Breaks in the tape requiring splicing will be charged at a rate of $10.00 for each splice.
NOTE: Because of the very fragile nature of ferric oxide, chromium oxide and mylar tape medium, Silk City cannot accept ANY responsibility for the safety or security of the tape or recorded data.
Silk City bears NO LIABILITY for any and all recording defects that are the result of excessively aged or damaged tape provided by the customer.
Silk City Records, LLC reserves the right to reject any source material and return it with full or partial refund to the client for any reason.
Client must stipulate that they are the owners of all copyrights associated with content provided to Silk City.
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