Thank you for your interest in my services! Please note that the information below is very generic, so if you have any further questions that haven't been answered or covered here, please feel free to contact me, either via email: rickyseraphico@btinternet.com and/or by telephone on 01227 719 370/ 44 1227 719 370 (outside the UK).

I provide demos and masters of your songs, giving you a full service, from beginning to end, so you get a professional CD of your song, which you are free to do whatever you want to with it. All I need from you is a vocal melody and your lyrics, although the more you can provide me with, the better.

You will always get unbiased feedback of your songs. We will talk about your songs, the direction you envisage, its style, structure, and of course, I am here to assist you with all that. A lot of the times, my clients simply leave it all to me, as they know they can trust me to deliver the goods and beyond!

Each person has different needs and requirements, and with that in mind, I have come up with 3 different packages available to cover for these (but of course, these are only a guide line). The 3 basic packages available are:

1 - DEMOS;
2 - "POSH" DEMOS (my own terminology);
3 - MASTERS.

Please note: For more details/rates on these, please email me below on 2 - Click here to email me your requirements.

1 - RATES:

A typical mistake people often make whenever shopping for a producer, is to ask how much a producer charges for his/her services without trying to find out what they are getting for it, how many hours will be spent on your song, how it all works, etc. Of course money is, at the end of the day, a very serious consideration, but I believe there's a lot more to it than just that, but there's got to be a balance here, and quite frankly, I believe I do offer you a good one.

My area of expertise is definitely on production/arrangements and my playing, particularly, guitars and bass. Although mixing and mastering are extremely important factors in order to achieve the best possible results, there are many good studios/sound engineers available in London/UK, but good producers/musicians, on the other hand, are far harder to find (specially ones, like me, that can provide you with so many different services under one "single umbrella") - and that is what I have to offer you, my talent/skills, creativity, musicianship and knowledge.

If I have a requirement for a better (and more professional) mix I will either use other studios that are specialised in this specific area, or bring in to my studio professional engineers that I use from time to time.

I generally charge either by song or by the hour or a daily rate, whichever suits you best - for prices, please send me an email with your detailed requirements, so that I can give you a firm quote. Below are just some of the things I will need to know, please bear in mind that the more you can tell me, the easier and speedier will be to give you a quote:

A) Which package would you prefer: Demos, "Posh" demos, or Master.
B) Do you require me to record all the vocals for you, supplying you with a experienced session singer?
C) Do you require me to mix the song for you, or rather do it yourself and have the WAV files instead?

2 Click here to email me your requirements:

Notes: A) Because of my experience/skills as a musician, and the fact that my studio is not really suited for having musicians recording here for long periods, I tend to play all the instruments necessary on all the work I do. This has so far has not being a problem, since the level of my playing is indeed very high, in fact, probably my biggest selling point. But if you do require recording our own playing, this can be arranged.

B) Session singers can be provided at request. The vocal session fees for a 4-hour session will vary from singer to singer, but they are far less than the standard Musician Union's rates. This fee can either be paid directly to the singer at the end of the session (if the client is present at the session), or added to the total agreed price of the song. You, as the client, will chose whomever you feel to be more adequate for your music and budget.

I have a few selected session singers available, that I use from time to time, if you are not a singer and do require one. Some of the session singers' voices can be heard on the Audio Clip section. Needless to say, by all means you can also bring your own singer, if you have one, or sing it yourself, if you so wish.

3) Master quality production require the songs to be taken to another studio (or bring a sound engineer in), where a more professional and better sound quality mix can be achieved. The same can be done to the "Posh" demos (but an extra fee for me to attend to this session would be charged, should this be required, but this is normally all done by post, where my attendance is not needed, and therefore, at no extra cost, apart from postage and package).

The costs for the mixing and mastering will also vary (depending on which studio is used, their hourly rates, and how many hours is spent on mixing/mastering), again, this is indeed a very subjective matter, but your requirements/budget will dictate this. Like I have said, it all really depends on what you are using this for, what you're your requirements are and of course, what you can afford, that simple!

3 - DEMOS x MASTERS:

The main difference between a demo and a master will be the time allocated to record the backing track, the vocals and BV's, as well as how long it's spent mixing the song - in a nutshell, the total time you are able to spend working on one song. There's no magic wand here, the more time and money you are able to invest on a project, the better results you are likely to get. And of course, you might want it "mastered" (in the true sense of the word), so that it can be released. I can help you with that as well, please just let me know what your requirements (and budget) are. How much this will cost, will have to be discussed in more detail, as your requirements will be different and your budget will inevitably dictate how much extra work can be done.

The difference between having a posh demo and perhaps a production you could possibly release and/or sell yourself is not huge. It will require more time mixing it, and a slight different approach when recording and fine-tuning the song. Again, that will depend on your requirements. I can cater for both.

The two most important things for you to understand are, firstly, a good production will help your song stand out and it should make all the difference. Secondly, a commercial production could cost anything from £2.500.00 to £25/50 grand per track. The difference is that the record company is putting all that money upfront for you (but that will come from your earnings anyway) and in our situation here, most likely, it will be you, footing the costs initially. Please do bear that in mind. I am actually extremely cheap, for what you are getting in return!

If you are genuinely serious about your music and your career, then you have to make all the investments necessary, and the production/recording of your song(s) is just one item. It is a very expensive business (just check out below how much money I have invested in studio equipment), but if you believe in yourself and in your work, what is the alternative?

These days most A&Rs/record labels won't even touch or consider listening to material that is not of a very high standard. A lot is expected from the production and arrangements, all in all, they expect and want everything handled on a plate, that simple. This of course puts a lot of pressure on you having to spend more time and money working on your songs. So a good production these days is indeed paramount!

One other very serious factor to consider is that, no one does anything for free. If you see people advertising/offering that, believe me, they are going to get what they want (and what you did not pay for), 10 times over! When you pay for a service, there's a professional bond and you are in charge, you make the decisions.

4 - TURN-AROUND/CONTRACT:

The rates, turnaround etc, will depend on what services you require and what level of finished product you require, e.g. demo, posh demo or ready to release, etc, and of course, availability (of the session singer, sound engineer (if needed) and of course, my own). So, again this is something that we could discuss in more detail over the telephone/email or in person.

I work on a "first come first served basis", that is the only way I can be fair to all my clients. So, I will start your songs as soon as I have finished all previous jobs. You will be notified how long this will take at the time we discuss your new song, sign a song contract (please refer to paragraph below) and pay the agreed fee (in advance).

Please note that unfortunately, I cannot, at present, engage myself in collaborations (or percentage cuts), as this is what I do for a living and quite simply there aren't enough hours in a day to cater for that.

There's no magic formula when producing and arranging a song. It takes a lot of time, dedication and effort, fine-tuning it and obviously, lots of talent and skills. You hear a lot of these so-called producers (it seems everybody likes to call themselves producers these days), turning songs in a day, maximum, a couple of days. I have heard some of these "productions", I am sorry, but generally speaking, they are mostly very poor indeed (or in quite a few cases, the music's arrangement/production is very minimalist, to say the least!).

All they are doing is compromising the arrangements and mixing of the track in any way possible and imaginable (unless, of course, as I said above, the song has very minimal requirements, a drumloop and a bass line, sounds familiar?). That is something I never do. Why? Quite simply, because I love what I do and take my time doing it, and am proud of all the work I have ever done. For them, you are just a number, for me, it could be the one song that breaks for you (and hopefully for me too).

5 - CONTRACT:

I always sign a small contract with my clients for every song I produce for them. This contract is very simple indeed, it estates what you are paying, what you are getting for in return, as well as points out some things you must observe, such as cancellation notices, and that as a producer, I do get 2 points (percent) for my production and arrangements, if the work I do for you is to be used totally or partially, in a commercial release as it is and/or in a new production, remix of this track.

This "points business" is a normal procedure observed in the music industry, so that producers can charge less on their initial feels, and then recoup some of that when the tracks are released commercially. These points are not in any way related to your royalties of the song; you still have 100% control over the song and what you do with it. The producer's points actually come from a different "pie" altogether. It can vary from 1 point up to 7 points or whatever is agreed. That is all there is to our contract, and it is there just to give you and I, piece of mind.

If, God forbid, in this hypothetical new production or remix of the song I did for you, NONE of the production and arrangements I have done for your song is used at all, then the record label/publishing company does not have to pay me any points for my production, since they have not used it all. All I get paid then will have been the fees you have initially paid me. Very sad were this to happen, but that is the law, nothing I can do about that. I am afraid this can be a very ugly business, and sometimes business will dictate whether this happens or not, so the actual producers work quality can be totally irrelevant, if they want to promote someone in-house, that is just how the industry works!!

6 - MY BACKGROUND (for more information, please refer to the Biography section):

I have been a musician for over 30 years, having started as a percussionist, progressed to drums, then acoustic (nylon and steel) and electric guitar, and then later on, bass guitar and Chapman Stick (a 10-stringed bass guitar instrument) and keyboards. I have studied and have taught music theory and harmony for number of years. I find that it helps a great deal having a solid background, especially when you are producing and arranging music.

A lot of the music produced today lacks, in my opinion, musicality and musicianship. Technology has enabled most people (myself included!) to be able to record whole albums from the commodity of their homes/studios. That is fantastic and would have been unthinkable only 5/10 years ago. But this cannot be at the expense of lowering the quality of music. Commercial music does not equal poor music, at least not in my book.

My goal, as a producer/musician, is to deliver quality music. My productions will stand on their own right, even without any vocals (just the backing tracks). It is almost as if the arrangements were telling you a story; the arrangements are meant to be interesting, have light and shade, and be meaningful and memorable. But you don't have to be a musician to be able to appreciate that, your ears will tell the difference. How many songs today would you say have any meaning after removing the vocals and backing vocals? Not many. I have to say that I find this very sad indeed. Today's music is, by and large, very repetitive, uninspiring and dull.

So therefore, a good production today means a lot and could make the difference between placing your song or not, and getting you that elusive record deal or not. These A&R's do receive a stupid amount of (mostly unsolicited) CDs/tapes every week, so your music package must be noticed. My challenge is to provide my clients with good quality productions that will help them achieve their goals, making their songs stand out.

7 - STUDIO ATMOSPHERE and MENTALITY:

There are many factors to consider when choosing a producer. And finding the right one to work with you is always going to be a hard task. This is why I always try and talk as much as I can with the potential client, clearing all of his/her doubts and giving sound advice. I care about my clients and their work. I always strive to give them excellent value for their hard earned money (not that my services cost that much, because they don't). I also try and pass my experience and knowledge to help them further their careers and learn a bit more about the music aspect of their song writing. It is never just about business and money! Above all, I love and care about what I do, and that shows in all of my productions.

I work primarily, but not necessarily, from home, in my own recording studio. This enables me to give you more of an informal and relaxed atmosphere. I work full-time as a producer, programmer, arranger, and musician, producing and recording singers/songwriters. That means I am always available to speak to you (as opposed to having to deal with answer machines) and can give you 110% of my attention.

8 - MUSIC STYLES COVERED AND INFLUENCES:

I have been influenced by so many styles of music, my main criteria being, that it has to be good music. As a musician, I have a rock background (anything from Hard Rock to Progressive Rock, Jazz-Rock and Fusion), as this is how I started. But since those days, I have been influenced by so many other styles of music, from New Wave and Techno Pop to Country, Ballads, Funk, World music and New age. But since most of my clients ask for Pop, Soul, R&B, Garage and Dance/Techno/Trance music, I have developed that side as well. If you are a good musician and has a solid formation, then it is just a matter of adapting to and understanding and "feeling" these other forms of music.

I am not a hardcore R&B/House kind of guy, but on the other hand, I feel, with my different background and good knowledge of music and high level of musicianship, I am able to give the music I produce, originality and freshness, regardless of its style. I am tired of the sameness of the current music scene. I believe many people will agree with me.

Depending on the requirements of the song, I can give you exciting guitar playing (acoustic and electric, slide, finger picking) that will transform your music, from the so-called Spanish guitar playing, so trendy these days, to blinding rock solos, funk rhythms, to intricate arpeggios. I am also a bass player (all styles) and again, that can add to your song more of a live feel to it. But, if Synth bass is what you want, no problem, I even own a Voyager Mini Moog Synthesiser (among many others)!

Being Latin (I am originally from Brazil), means I can provide you with very strong, solid and interesting drums/percussion rhythms, as well as drumloops (if that is what is required). I also can do intricate orchestral and brass arrangements for your songs.

I live in Hersden (only about 15 minutes drive from Canterbury/Kent/UK), but if you live far or in another country, we should be able to work something out. When there's a will there's a way!

I have had quite a few clients from Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland and all over England, Scotland and Ireland. Many of these people I unfortunately have never had the pleasure to meet up, so distance has never been a problem. Some of these clients have done in excess of 18 tracks with me so far! So that is what this website is here for, to bridge this gap of distance, and with the advent of the Internet, nothing is impossible these days!

9 - STUDIO EQUIPMENT (for full list, please refer to the Equipment List section):

Although I am updating and improving the equipment in my studio all the time, I must say that equipment alone does not make anyone a (good) producer, nor does it guarantee good quality productions/mixes.

This is achieved by a series of different factors, talent and skills, good ears, time spent on mixing, mastering of the demo/finished product, but yes, good equipment does help, but only if you do know how to use it. That sounds obvious, but you would be surprised some of the comments I often hear people make. In other words, don't let the sheer size of equipment/studio and looks fool you. I think they say that the proof is in the pudding!!

Well, I have covered the most frequent questions people usually ask me. But please feel free to drop me a line or give me a telephone call at any time, should you have any additional questions. I fully understand that with music being such a very subjective matter, and one very close to our hearts, you are bound to have very specifics requirements, which I will be more than happy to listen to, and hopefully, be able to cater for too!!

Hope to hear from you soon!!

Ricky Seraphico