I love making music, and have worked professionally for over 40 years as a bassist, keyboard player, programmer, guitarist, engineer, and pedal steel player. I've played and/or toured with such diverse acts as Alice Cooper, Gino Vannelli, Queensryche, Paul Janz, Strange Advance, and Dirt Road Opera. My studio is www.the-treehouse-studio.com
I am admittedly a bit of an odd duck, in that I don't really specialize in anything, but I do a lot of different things. I'm currently a member of Canadian symphonic synth band Strange Advance, where I've been the keyboard player and programmer for the last few years. I'm also a current member of Dirt Road Opera, a roots/alt country band where I play pedal steel, bass, keyboards, acoustic guitar, and banjo. I also play fretless bass in a jazz trio. I'm also an experienced app developer with several iOS titles in the App Store. Soooo.. all over the map. :-)
In 2005 I built a recording studio on my property from the ground up. It's built to THX specs, and houses all sorts of goodies. Neumann microphones. Neve and API preamps and compressors. Neve summing mixer. Pro Tools. Digital Performer, and Logic. Genelec surround monitors. There's a good collection of guitars and basses, and there's a Yamaha C3 grand piano and a Hammond A100 with a big honkin' Leslie.
I can provide tracks for songs on various instruments, mixing services, and mastering. Simply put, if you have a musical vision you want to realize, I can help make it better!
Send me a note through the contact button above.
Languages
- English
Interview with Robert Bailey
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Feed My Frankenstein with Alice Cooper. I did all the keyboards and programming. It was a blast seeing it in Wayne's World.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Getting ready for a spring tour as keyboard player and technical director with Strange Advance
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: both!
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise to help them do their best work.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: It's not a job. It's a way of life
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: How much will it cost? It depends...
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That it's easy.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Are you really going to go out dressed like that? :-)
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make sure you've done your homework!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Acoustic guitar, and 4 sets of strings.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: 45 years. Went form playing in club bands to recording acts and then doing session work. Took a 10 year detour to work in the video game industry as a programmer and composer.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Eclectic as f***
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Todd Rundgren. I think that my skill set is closest to his.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Always take your wallet on stage.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: All kinds from Canto pop, industrial, hip hop, Americana, and techno pop
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Depends on the day of the week.... I'm a programmer, engineer, producer, and player. I just do what's needed.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: 45 years of experience, good ears, and knowing how too help someone represent their music to the best of their ability.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Record hi end analog. Process in the box. Clients can either send files or projects or come and stay on the studio property.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio is in a separate building on my property, and it was built from the ground up to THX specs. I have 24 channels of Class A analog preamps (API, Neve, Sonic Farm), numerous compressors (LA2A, API), and EQs (API, Moog). Numerous Neumann mics (U87, U67, km 184), Royer ribbon mics and Advanced Audio C12 mic. Everything is coming in and out of an M2 Mac via RME converters. There is a Neve summing mixer of the back end before going to a MartinSound MultiMax speaker controller that handles the Genelec, Ns-10, and Auratone speakers.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Quincy Jones, Trent Reznor, Todd Rundgren, Peter Gabriel, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle, David Sylvian, Bruce Cockburn
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Serving as engineer, producer, and session player. Sometimes as a keyboard player, sometimes guitar, bass, or pedal steel.
- Keyboards - SynthAverage price - $150 per song
- Pedal SteelAverage price - $100 per song
- Bass FretlessAverage price - $100 per song
- Acoustic GuitarAverage price - $100 per song
- Game AudioAverage price - $700 per day
- Mastering EngineerAverage price - $150 per song
- Recording StudioAverage price - $600 per day
negotiable
- Strange Advance
- Nine Inch Nails
- Gillian Welch
- Too much to mention!
