Yep... they are still essential.

I get the whole " but you can make radio ready recordings in your basement " argument. And yes you can.

However, paying someone who actually knows how to do it right, for professional results, is worth every dollar. You get the room that's properly set up for audio, the gear that exceeds the stuff you bought on a budget, and the person at the desk who has forgotten more than most home recording enthusiasts will ever know. Many of the big artists have home studios where they throw together their songs. But their home studio don't look like our home studios. And they can also pay for an engineer to set in on the board for the recording of the songs. We can't.

A classic example is the folks in this forum. Man, no slams or insults are intended here at all. I have heard some stuff on our showcase that I think rivals anything I've heard out of Nashville. Let me pick one person in particular. Floyd recently posted a song he wrote and recorded several years ago. His demo version of the song was really good, as is all his music. Then he mentioned that the song had been covered by a singer from Nashville on one of her projects and he kindly linked to the cover. It was recorded in a Nashville studio by folks who make a living just recording, mixing, and mastering music. There was an obvious difference between the two. In a nut shell, the Nashville recorded version was, shall we say, shinier, and clean, and full, and just sounded like a top drawer professional mix. I'm sure he would agree, and again, no slight is intended, but the average person listening would have easily picked the one that was professionally recorded.

So in summing up my point.... yes, you can do top quality, radio ready music in your bedroom or basement studio with a small amount of quality gear and by taking the time to learn what to do and how to apply it properly. And for our home demo songs and musical meanderings, and even film and TV submissions, that's perfectly fine. But, there will always be a place for the professional studios....at least for the foreseeable future.

You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.