Skyhouse is a place for artists to make the best record of their musical vision.
Is the best vocal recording the one with the highest possible fidelity, recorded with the best mic, in the best room, and the best outboard gear? Or is it the performance that makes people cry?
The answer is yes.
If you have made recordings that sound clean and “professional” but still fail to transport your audience to the emotional place you want them to be, or that capture the right vibe but sound cheap and sonically trashy, Skyhouse is a place to overcome those limitations. We remove the veils and obstacles that get in the way of the direct soul-to-soul communication that happens with a great record.
Skyhouse is a studio for making serious, professional recordings. We specialize in working with self-funded independent artists on tight budgets, but we do not offer “demos” or cut-rate, compromised recordings.
We help each artist create a record that is sonically ready for a Hollywood movie soundtrack: one that can hang with the top 40 on current radio, and with the top 40 classic albums of all time, without embarrassment or compromise.
We have a world-class selection of vintage and modern instruments for all styles and genres: drums and cymbals, killer amps, guitars and basses, real pianos and classic keyboards, synthesizers, and much more. Everything is set up so we can work fast and keep the inspiration flowing, without a hint of sonic compromise.
Track drums, vocals or our classic instruments through our Antelope Audio converters and 40x16 British-made console, with a single USB cable to your own computer.
We also mix, master and edit, either with you in the room or unattended. Unattended projects are quoted per project: email or call for a quote.
If Skyhouse sounds like the kind of place you would like to make music, let’s set up your free initial consultation and talk about how we can help you make your best record ever.
A few records made here. Give them a listen.
Dan McCormick is the owner/producer/engineer at Skyhouse. Dan has been working professionally in audio since he was in high school, and has had the opportunity to work with artists as diverse as Fugazi, John Lee Hooker, the New Pornographers, and countless others. In 2017, after the dissolution of a studio co-op that he was a part of, Dan struck out on his own, to create the kind of artist-focused studio he always wanted to work out of.
Skyhouse is designed to be friendly and easy to use for outside engineers, including home recordists, DIY artists and producers. Bring your laptop and take over the whole studio with a single USB cable.
You get 32 channels of world-class converters, dozens of channels of high-end preamps, EQ and outboard, and 16 busses of sends for headphone mixes and outboard, across multiple rooms and acoustical environments, all snaked, routed and ready to record. That one USB port even gives you total MIDI connectivity with classic synthesizers and hardware reverbs and delays.
Want a world-class control room for a final check of your mixes? A best-of-the-best signal chain for vocals in an acoustically treated space? An actual Steinway grand, a vintage Gretsch kit in a great room with the best mics, or your synth bass through a real Prophet or Juno into a classic compressor? Skyhouse is the home studio you wish you could afford, that you can afford.
Patchbays are sane and sensible, color-coded and clearly labeled, and all gear is tested and maintained rigorously, so outside engineers get acclimated quickly. You always have an assistant who knows the patching, routing and setup inside and out, so you never have to trust your sound and your project to a stranger.
We welcome hybrid workflows. Bring your own DAW and use Skyhouse as an extension of your home studio.
Call or email to talk about your project and goals. It’s free.
A 50% deposit holds your sessions, with an agreed start time, end time and rate.
3-hour sessions with a house engineer, separated by 1-hour breaks.
Punch-ins and file transfers at the end. Mixing, mastering and editing are available attended or unattended.
Almost nobody is, unless you have made a lot of records. In our experience, just booking open-ended “by the hour” time is not a good way to make music. Having to fork over another $80 or whatever when you have almost got the perfect take, but are 5 minutes over and still need a couple more passes… that’s just not ideal for making art.
We typically recommend 3-hour sessions, separated by one-hour breaks. We have found that, for most performers, 3 hours is a comfortable amount of time to get settled in, have a cuppa and discuss the goals, take a bio-break, dial in levels and a headphone mix, and then perform for about 90 minutes or so, and still leave time for wrap-up, punch-ins, and file transfers. That’s also about the time that we have found that burnout starts to set in, for any individual performer. Even world-class singers or musicians have a hard time maintaining peak energy for hours on end.
An hour break between sessions allows some flexibility in start, end, setup, and breakdown times. That way, even if someone gets stuck in traffic, has trouble finding parking, or needs time to warm up or acclimate to the studio, or needs a bio-break… we still have a comfortable block of uninterrupted time, where 100% of the focus is on your talent and your project. The breaks also give everyone a chance to decompress and take a breath.
It is always faster and cheaper to do it right than to cut corners. Working fast is ideal, to keep the inspiration flowing and to prevent boredom and burnout, and that means putting in the prep to get everything ready to go. If you have preferred ways of working or need unconventional hours, let’s talk!
All information below is for general informational purposes. Your rate and access are not guaranteed until a deposit is accepted.
Skyhouse is not available to book by the hour. All sessions must have an agreed-upon start time, end time, and block rate for the session. Multi-day lockouts with 24/7 access must be arranged in advance.
In general, studio days are booked in 3-hour sessions, separated by 1-hour buffers. Typical studio days are booked as:
| Morning session | 10am–1pm |
|---|---|
| Afternoon session | 2pm–5pm |
| Evening session | 6pm–9pm |
| First 3-hour session | $300 |
|---|---|
| Each additional consecutive 3-hour session | $200 |
| Full-day lockoutThree sessions | $700 |
| Each successive full-day lockout | $600 |
These are typical rates. A house engineer is included for ordinary-hours sessions. Overnight or extended sessions need to be negotiated separately.
50% deposit to book time, 50% due at the session. Cash, card, or Venmo. Sorry, checks are not accepted.
Cancellations require 48 hours’ notice.
Unattended mixing, mastering, and editing rates are quoted per project. Attended rates are the same as above. Email or call 617-903-0844 for a quote.
Yes. Email or call 617-903-0844 and we’ll talk about your project and how we can help you make your best record ever.
Typical rates are $300 for the first 3-hour session and $200 for each additional consecutive 3-hour session. A full-day lockout is typically $700, and $600 for each successive full day. A house engineer is included for ordinary-hours sessions.
No. Sessions have an agreed-upon start time, end time and block rate. We typically recommend 3-hour sessions separated by one-hour breaks.
A 50% deposit books your time, and the other 50% is due at the session. We accept cash, card or Venmo, but not checks. Your rate and access are not guaranteed until a deposit is accepted.
We ask for at least 48 hours’ notice to cancel.
Yes. Skyhouse is designed for outside engineers and DIY producers. Bring your laptop and take over the whole studio with a single USB cable, and bring your own DAW if you like. You always have an assistant who knows the patching, routing and setup.
Yes. Unattended rates are quoted per project, and attended rates are the same as for tracking sessions. Email or call for a quote.
We don’t offer “demos” or cut-rate, compromised recordings. We specialize in serious, professional records for self-funded independent artists on tight budgets.
Our inventory changes often, so the gear list is a snapshot. If there is a specific piece you want for your session, whether it’s listed or not, let us know.
The building has wheel-in ADA-compliant elevator access and ADA-compliant restrooms.
Skyhouse is at 1458 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02169. MBTA bus routes 215, 225, 230, 236 and 238 stop out front, or it’s a 7-minute walk from the Quincy Center Red Line station. Parking is easy: the Kilroy Square Garage is $1/hour, and on-street parking is free.
Our inventory changes faster than we update our website, and we have a constant rotation of tuners, tuneups, and technicians servicing things. The following list is a snapshot, and is subject to change. If there is a specific piece of gear that you are interested in for your session (whether it’s listed or not), please let us know!
Highlights: Classic mics by Neumann/AKG/Sennheiser/Shure, preamps by Neve/API/Midas, Steinway grand, Hammond with Leslie, classic guitars and amps by Gibson/Fender/Marshall/Vox/Jackson/Ernie Ball, and much much more.
Tons of quality guitar pedals, cables, stands, accessory headphone mixers, DI boxes, tuners, picks, strings, drum heads and sticks, adapters, batteries, plus a fully equipped tech room to take care of setup and repair needs on the spot.
MBTA bus routes 215, 225, 230, 236 and 238 all stop out front. Or it’s a 7-minute walk from the Quincy Center Red Line station.
Easy parking at the Kilroy Square Garage for $1/hour, or free on-street parking.
Tell us about your project and we’ll talk about how to make your best record. We usually reply within a day.
