London has Abbey Road, but Dexter has Red Lava.
While Red Lava Studios founder Keith Mitchell is not yet expecting the next Beatles to come strolling through the door, he does believe that some great and exciting music can be made in this brand new recording studio. The reason he believes it is because he's already heard it.
Red Lava Studios opened last year and he's already recorded everything from solo acts to full bands to local youngsters interested in putting their voice to disc. And whether you're trying to become the next Beatles or just interested in showing off to family and friends, Red Lava Studios has the tools to help make that happen - although becoming the next Beatles will require plenty of talent on your part.
"The goal of Red Lava Studios is to deliver a top notch recording without gouging the customer, we like to build lasting relationships with artists," Mitchell said. "Artists or bands or singers can expect the best audio we can possibly give them, at an affordable price.
"Everyone's audio needs are different. We like to talk with our customers and find out what their needs are first and get to know them. If possible we even like to attend a show to see the energy and delivery of the groups we're recording because it gives us a better feel for what they want to deliver in their audio."
Making his Mark
Mitchell didn't have to look far to find someone with the experience and expertise to deliver the type of audio customers will be looking for from Red Lava. From the beginning, Mitchell wanted Mark Lavigne to be part of his new venture. The two have been part of each other's ventures since they first came into this world.
"Mark and I are always messing around with our own material and wanted to start laying it down," Mitchell said. "So we decided to build this studio. But when we started thinking about it, we both quickly agreed that we wanted to set it up right with a first-class operation."
Either build it right or don't build it at all was the philosophy. And they chose to build it right.
"I am lucky to have Mark as our producer / sound engineer," Mitchell said. "He has extensive experience in audio editing and engineering. We are a fully automated studio using the most updated Pro Tools Systems, and Mark is very familiar with how to get the most of the equipment."
The duo already is helping produce music to people's ears.
"There are a lot of different sounds and tones we can create," Lavigne said. "What I like to do is give the customer some options. I will give them some things I am hearing and that I think will fit nicely into their song. But I also listen - not only to the song, but to what the customer wants. They might really like the first thing they hear and say, 'let's go with that.' But then I will give them something else, and they will like that even better."
Mitchell enjoys hearing not only the music, but the praises from his customers.
"The accomplishments we have made, the sound quality we can produce, there is nothing better than hearing your audio," Mitchell said. "It is especially good when someone else hears it and loves it or says to you, who is that? They sound awesome. And you respond, that's me."
Mitchell and Lavigne have their own music spinning around their heads these days. They are currently in a band called The Stone Bones and are in the studio recording a CD. The duo discovered music from their fathers and have been jamming ever since.
"His folks and my folks were friends before we were born," said Mitchell, who plays guitar. "In fact our dads had played together in a band when they were younger. I have always been passionate about music. Music can get you motivated or it can be relaxing. It doesn't matter if it's metal or classical."
Mitchell and Lavigne have played a lot of independent music, but their serious work is what they are doing now with The Stone Bones, producing original material and being a studio musician.
Lavigne, who plays bass, guitar and even drums, agrees that their current project has been exciting.
"My father was a musician and he taught me to like all kinds of music," Lavigne said. "I like listening to everything. All styles, all genres. I love it all."
The guarantee
Customers to Red Lava will love what they hear - and that's a promise.
"We don't want people walking out of here until they love what we've done," Mitchell said. "Our customers will have goals and expectations and our goal is to meet those. We are putting our name on their project and we want people listening to be impressed with what we've done."
Customers will be impressed with the layout of Red Lava Studios. The 1,650 square-foot facility was finished in October, 2007 and includes a live room, an isolation booth, control room, lounge, game area and storage area. The end result was a No. 1 hit.
"The lower level of my house was the most logical place to build the studio," Mitchell said. "For us we wanted a place that was comfortable for people to work in and we've accomplished that. We feel the key to getting a great recording is by giving the artist a relaxing laid back atmosphere to put their ideas into reality."
The studio was built the same way Mitchell and Lavigne build a song - with a sound structure, taking no shortcuts and sparing no expense.
"We started this from the ground up and built the studio by hand ourselves," Mitchell said. "We wanted to do this to give customers an experience that we have envisioned getting ourselves. We constructed double thick insulated wood walls out of pine to get a comfortable feel. We added oversized viewing windows and insulated doors. We also put up dΘcor to help keep artists creative and motivated."
That dΘcor includes everything from pictures of Kiss to Led Zeppelin to the Beatles, to an impressive Elvis Presley collection of memorabilia.
The cost
Recording a song, let alone a full CD, can be an expensive endeavor. Mitchell wants to be cheaper alternative - but only when it comes to what you pay and not what you get.
"Everyone has different needs when they record at Red Lava Studios and we like to talk with each person and find out what their needs are prior to recording," he said. "This gives us a better understanding and we can estimate the time needed a little closer. Our rates are starting at $20 per hour to record. We are always looking for efficiency in a non-rushed environment. Our No. 1 commitment is to provide the customer with quality audio.
"We want our customers to feel relaxed and so by talking about their needs up front before we start we can achieve that. Some artists need an hourly rate and some might need a more flexible rate or block time. We are going to give you whatever works best for you. We want to help the artist get to where they want to go on a fair budget."
Mitchell and Lavigne are musicians who write and record at Red Lava Studios so they understand what artists are looking for and that all musician's needs are different. They also understand both sides of music, and have first-hand experience of what it takes to sound good.
"We do offer recordings of any type, including vocalist projects, voice-over projects, re-mixing / re-mastering, full bands, independent instruments, duets, trios, quartets and choirs. We also have done recordings for metal, hard rock, classic rock, soft rock, country and rap."
And since they are both musicians, Mitchell and Lavigne can easily step in to add a part or two if the customer hears something they can't play.
"We have assembled associates to help put together your project if needed," Mitchell said. "If you are looking for a certain element to add and just don't have the resources available we can help, we can refer you to bass players, guitar players, vocals, backups, etc. For example, if you would like or need a violin in your song but don't have anyone, we can help with studio qualified musicians.
"So don't hesitate to ask because we are here to help."
Red Lava Studios was built to help create music that will last and that customers will love. The staff has the experience, patience and ear to help make that happen. And that's a promise.
Red Lava Studios
What: A state-of-the-art recording studio featuring the latest Pro Tools recording software, a live room, an isolation booth, control room, lounge, game area and storage area.
Where: Dexter
Phone: (734) 476-9510
Web site:
www.redlavastudios.com
Owner: Keith Mitchell
Roll with Red Lava:
Operations / Design / Audio
Age: 38
Native of: Dexter
Current residence: Dexter
Background: Marketing, Branding Management, Design, Promotion, Group Manage-ment, Audio Engineering, Music Production
Name: Mark Lavigne
Roll with Red Lava: Producer and Sound Engineer
Age: 38
Native of: Dexter
Current residence: Dexter
Background: Promotion, Group Management, Audio Engineering, Music Production
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