How Music Recording Studios Came to Life?

Recording facilities were not there since time immemorial, where people could go and live their musical dreams and fantasies just like that. With the advancement of technology and the evolving needs of the people, the concept of recording and playing back came into existence, and recording studios came to life. And, now, studios have become an indispensable part of the world music scenario.

The history of the recording studios

Let us walk through the pages of history and look at how music recording studios in the US flourished and became what they are today.

The first notion of recording

The notion of music studios first came into being when the great American inventor Thomas Alva Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 at the Menlo Park laboratory. The phonograph was a device for improving the sound quality of the telephone. It featured foil-made cylinders and was designed to record sounds.

The advanced version of the phonograph

Soon after the invention of the phonograph, Emile Berliner (a German-born American inventor) developed a way to produce recorded discs in mass. This invention made way for musicians and artists to get their pieces recorded. 

The appearance of sound boxes and the first recording studio

In the year 1889, sound boxes with the feature to reproduce the recorded works were invented. Furthermore, in the year, the first-ever music recording studio opened its doors. It was named the New York Phonograph Company.

The phase of evolution

Within the next 20-years, many music recording studios were founded in the US. They used wax discs for producing records. Furthermore, triode replaced the hand-cranked Victrola by the beginning of the 20th century. It changed the entire landscape of the music industry.

The phase called ‘Never Looking Back

After electronically recorded music became a hot cake in the music industry, Western Electric started using microphones and amplifiers for the purpose of recording. It was a game-changer in the scene of global music.

In the middle of 1900, recording studios began the use of magnetic recording tapes. The best part was - now (at that time), technicians can edit the recordings. Soon after magnetic recording tapes came to the market, multi-track recorders were developed. It allowed the audio engineers to mix various music tracks taped at different time intervals.

The journey from analog to digital

In simple words, from analog to digital, music and music recording studios have evolved a lot down the line. Now, recording studios are equipped with avant-garde technologies and devices that cost millions. Therefore, if you own a music recording studio, having Recording Studio Insurance in place is a great sigh of relief.

There is a range of services that music recording studios offer. These include the following:

Recording

You can define recording as an electronic, mechanical, or digital re-creation and inscription of sound waves. These can be in the form of voice, songs, sound effects, and instrumental music, to name a few. There are two types of music recording technology - analog and digital.

Mixing

As the name suggests, mixing refers to the process of combining multiple tracks and records into one or multiple channels. During the process of mixing, the volume level of the source audio, its frequency content, panoramic positioning, and dynamics are manipulated and improved.

Mastering
 
It is a form of audio post-production. In this process, the recording audio is prepared and transferred to the data storage device from the source with the final mix.

These are the main services. There are many other services associated with a music recording studio.

Get insured

It goes without saying that to have these above-mentioned processes in place and ensure that each and every component in the studio is working as great as new ones, studio owners need to take proper care of the same. Plus, maintaining an entire studio with the entire paraphernalia is an expensive feat. So, only comprehensive Recording Studio Insurance can help the studio owners to keep all the perils and related financial woes at bay.

You will find many musical instrument insurance providers in your state. All you need to do is select a reliable, reputable, and experienced service provider who will take care of all your insurance needs properly.

Brass Musical Instruments - Fascinating Facts You Must Know

Are you a trained musician or someone who loves music and makes sure to keep themselves updated with all the related aspects of music? If so, then you are pretty familiar with the brass family of musical instruments.

So, do you know what is so unique about brass musical instruments?

Let us keep reading to unfold various random yet crucial facts about brass musical instruments.

Brass musical instruments - The uniqueness they possess

As the name suggests, brass musical instruments are essentially made up of brass metal. Musical instruments, which belong to the brass family, play louder than other musical gears in the orchestra. And, therefore, you can hear their sound far away from the place they are being played. The progenitors of this family were carved out of shells, tusks, wood, and animal horns, to name a few. However, modern-day gears are completely made of brass.

Brass instruments come with long cylindrical pipes with wide bell-shaped ends. These pipes are twisted and curved into various shapes that make them easy to grip and play with.

Brass gears are similar to woodwind instruments because the instruments that belong to both these families use the breath of the players to produce sound. However, when it comes to brass musical instruments, the players do not blow into the reed. Instead, they vibrate their lips. They do this by buzzing their lips against the mouthpiece of the instrument.

The mouthpiece of a brass gear is a cup-shaped structure that allows amplification of the humming sound of the lips resulting in the production of sound. Most brass musical instruments come with valves fixed to their pipes, and they appear like buttons.

When the players press the valves, the latter opens and closes the different regions of the pipe. It is how the sound and pitch of brass instruments are changed. Some of the most common brass instruments that are a part of the orchestra include the tuba, Fresh horn, trumpet, and trombone.

With such an intricate design, most brass instruments need proper care and maintenance from time to time. And, another crucial aspect related to musical instruments is - they also need comprehensive insurance coverage. In the case of brass-made gears, it is the Brass Musical Insurance policy that no musician should ignore.

Did you know what materials were the first horns made from?

Well, if your answer is brass because we are talking about brass-made musical instruments, then your answer is wrong. The correct answer is - animal horns and conch shells. And, initially, they were not made for creating music but for making hunting calls.

Some more fun and lesser-known facts about brass musical instruments

●    Trumpets first came into being around 1500 BC. At that time, they were not used for music for entertainment but for religious and military purposes. Also, earlier, the trumpets did not have valves. The latter was added later on in the 19th century. It made playing them easy and hassle-free.

●    Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most-loved composers in the world of Western music, introduced the trombone in his famous composition, the 5th Symphony.

●    Have you ever seen marching bands? If so, then you may also have seen many musicians playing tubas. The tuba they play is of a different variety and is known as sousaphone. It is easy to carry.

●    The first tubas were manufactured in the 1820s. However, at that time, they were not made with precision, and the musicians found it hard to play. However, as soon as the modern tubas came to the market, it brought a sigh of relief among the band leaders.

A friendly reminder to brass instrument players and owners!

Hopefully, you liked the given facts about brass musical instruments. So, now you can imagine one thing. When a family of musical instruments has such solid and rich roots, they have to be priceless.

However, when you buy them, you need to pay the price. Isn't it? So, how would you want to protect your investment in fortune?

You can easily do it by purchasing a dedicated Brass Musical Insurance from a renowned insurance company operating in your state.

Once you have the coverage of a suitable insurance policy, you can feel the difference between the level of mental peace before and after getting one.

Insurance Plan for Music Instrument Dealers & Repairers

When we talk about musical instruments, it is not only the musicians who need to consider having all-around protection for their gears and finances. People from other walks of the music industry also have their shares of concerns.

So, whether you own a musical instrument store or a musical instrument repair business, you need to make sure to protect it from the unforeseen aspects of life which pop up out of the blue. And for that level of protection, you need to buy comprehensive Music Dealer Insurance that works equally well for dealers, makers, and repair professionals.

As far as the music industry is concerned, it does not only comprise musicians and artists. It also includes many other professionals, including instrument manufacturers, sellers, and repairers. Therefore, an ideal insurance plan should be able to address every professional’s coverage requirement.

So, what is the appropriate extent of coverage that you should choose if you are a musical instrument dealer or repairer? Well, that entirely depends on the range of insurance protection you want or avail. However, the standard coverage that almost always works may include the following:

General Liability Insurance for Musical Instrument Dealers and Repairers

Apart from the inventory of musical instruments that you have stocked at your dealership, you might have other gears in your possession. Yes, it is those gears that were brought to your shop for maintenance and repair. What if a customer gets injured or their property suffers damage at your shop's premises? 

Some examples for you!

●    A visitor enters your shop to buy something. And she gets toppled over a heap of wires on the floor while breaking his arm.
●    You sent one of your employees to a customer's home to fix a piano. However, unfortunately, that employee happened to cause damage to the customer's property.
●    A customer sent his musical instrument to your workshop to get the same repaired. However, instead of repairing it, you accidentally broke it or caused more damage than before.

Probably, you know it well that you could be held liable for such accidents. Most importantly, in most cases, the party at fault (in these scenarios, it is you) is responsible for paying for the medical bills incurred by the third party. Also, the party at fault is bound to bear legal expenses if the third-party files a legal complaint. Healthcare and legal services are expensive and could rip your savings apart.

An all-encompassing Music Dealer Insurance covers you against third-party liabilities and also takes care of the compensation part.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

If you operate your business in the US, Workers’ Compensation insurance is necessary if your staff comprises one or more workers (employees). As you deal with different types of musical instruments, some could be small while others could be large, your employees are always at the risk of getting injured. Workers’ compensation insurance for musical instrument dealers and repairers ensures that if an accident happens, your finances remain untouched.

Property Insurance

Musical instruments are prone to suffer damage due to a plethora of reasons, including natural disasters, theft, fire, vandalism, extreme weather conditions, and so on. All these events are likely to cease the operation of your business. Moreover, your inventory is among the most valuable properties you know. Therefore, you would always want to protect it from all sorts of perils. Right? Property insurance for musical instrument dealers and repairers can save you from all types of risks and allow you to stay tension-free.

Crime Insurance

What if an unscrupulous employee breaks into your computer system, bypasses all security screens, and steals funds from your account? It is an evident case of crime. Isn't it? If something like this happens in your dealership, crime insurance for musical instrument dealers and repairers will protect you.

The Final Words

These are some of the vital insurance plans for music instrument dealers and repair businesses. If you have not got your copy of the protection plan yet, make sure to get it as soon as possible. Always remember, you cannot see what's coming in the near future. Right? Therefore, the key is to stay prepared in advance.

An Overview on Musical Instrument Appraisals

It needs immense knowledge and experience to appraise the value of musical instruments accurately. Therefore, musical instrument appraisers play a vital role in the industry. A comprehensive appraisal report comprises various bits of information. Each piece of information is recorded, measured, clicked, reviewed, and tested for accuracy in data, including the history of ownership, condition of the gears, and identifying features.

With all the relevant information in place, a certified appraisal certificate is crucial and has legal importance. Most importantly, if an appraiser over or undervalued any musical instrument or puts incorrect information on the report, there can be legal consequences with financial penalties against them. However, sometimes, mistakes do happen. It is very much human. Therefore, if you are a musical instrument appraiser, make sure to get your copy of Insurance for Appraisers and protect your career and finances from legal and financial implications.

Some crucial information in an appraisal report

An appraisal report comprises many vital elements. It should read about the name of the customer and the effective date of the gear's value. Also, if a legal authority is going through it, you cannot expect them to have a fair idea of the technical terms associated with musical instruments. For example, they might not have any idea about what the first valve trigger of a trumpet or a guitar rod is. Right?

The meaning of all such technical terms should be there in the glossary section of the appraisal report. An appraiser should make sure about it. Let us take a quick look at what all inputs should be there in a standard appraisal report:

Type of value

The report must have the relevant one from the following types of values

●    Fair market value (one person selling the gear to another person)
●    Replacement value comparable (same make, model, and year)
●    Replacement value new (the retail value)
●    Liquidation value
●    Salvage value (the value of the parts that can be recovered or are recovered)
●    Scrap value (the value of the materials that can be recovered or are recovered)

Accurate description of the musical instruments

The report should present an accurate description of the musical instruments, including:

●    The dimensions or the measurements of the gear
●    The age and date
●    The name of the manufacturer
●    Identifying features
●    Materials
●    Logo
●    Condition of the musical instruments
●    Any marking
●    Value conclusion

Bibliography

An ideal appraisal report must also include the reference sources, including:

●    The name of the dealers
●    Publications
●    Industry experts
●    Auction houses
●    Other resources, if any

Glossary

A glossary is a must-have aspect of an appraisal report. It makes the report easy to read for the reviewer and the client.

Industry compliant report

The appraisal report or certificate must be in line with industry standards or USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) specifications.

The credentials of the appraiser

The professionals also need to present their work background, area of expertise, and appraisal qualifications. They need to make sure to be a part of a noted appraisal organization. Their credentials should mention the types of appraisal assignments they have completed successfully.

Where there is so much information to be included, an appraiser should make sure to buy Insurance for Appraisers from a reputable insurance company.

Now that you have got a fair idea about the profile of a musical instrument appraiser and why they need insurance, let us take a look at why musicians need to get their gears appraised.

Why should musicians keep their instruments appraised in the first place?

The life of a musician revolves around musical instruments. For some, their gears mean a world to them. Getting an appraisal will help you get the right value for your gear when you need it.

In simple words, if you do not appraise your musical instrument, you are willingly allowing your insurance provider to cover you for an old violin that happens to be a vintage article valued by musicians across the globe.

Similarly, there are many situations that you may come across in life that will make you feel the importance of getting your gear appraised all the time.

The most important thing - make sure to choose a good and experienced insurance provider. It will make everything, right from choosing a policy, buying one, and making a claim (if needed) as easy as a breeze.