Musicians launch local recording studio

Photo by Gary Gould Eddie Tabit, left, and his apprentice, Ted Green, both of Richfield Township, work the mixing board at Tabit’s recording studio, The Garage. RICHFIELD TWP. — Eddie Tabit started out playing in garage bands back in the 1980s which led to some success both locally and through a pending recording contract in Nashville.

But his latest musical endeavor is taking him back to his garage roots where he’s hoping to help springboard some of the latest area talent to their own success stories.

Tabit, a 1988 graduate of Davison High School, has opened The Garage Recording Studio, 7266 E. Carpenter Rd., which he says can do everything a major recording label can do — but in a small, hometown atmosphere.

“This place is built by musicians for musicians,” he said. “Everything depends on the engineer. If you come into the studio and want to sound like Pantera, but you’ve got an engineer who likes the Rolling Stones, you’re going to have a problem achieving the sound you want.”

Tabit, who’s roots are in local rock and metal bands like Allies, St. Severe and Stepchild, has personally made the crossover to country music with his current band, The Eddie T. Band.

But he says he record any client the way they want to record, leaving his own musical tastes out of the mix.

“A lot of engineers try to mix it the way they want it,” said Tabit. “I do it the way the band wants it.”

Ted Green, Tabit’s apprentice, agrees, “We’re like Burger King ... have it your way.”

Tabit and Green worked the better part of last year setting up the recording studio in a garage behind Tabit’s home.

The studio includes stateof the-art equipment and computer programs.which includes Tascam 2488, 24 track recording, Cool Edit and Adobe Mastering with VSTs, a full play room, Final Master with OZONE 4, demo stereo imaging and vocal correction with Melodyne 3.

A lot of bands try to record their own music, especially with recording and editing software that’s available for any laptop or home computer, said Tabit. But to produce a really good demo, he said bands need a good engineer to achieve the sound that will get them noticed.

“It’s so, so important the demo be top quality,” said Tabit. “We offer a good studio at a decent price, with a quality engineer who will make bands sound the way they want to sound.”

Tabit said he has produced several local bands, including Skarrd, Corrupt Within and Drive Under — as well as his own The Eddie T. Band. For examples of music he’s recorded for Skarrd and Corrupt Within he said anyone can go their MySpace pages.

During time he spent in Los Angeles, he said he also had the opportunity to work with Desmond Child, who is regarded as one of music's most successful creative forces.

His list of successes includes Grammy awards, 70 Top 40 singles and songs that have sold more than 300 million albums worldwide with artists that include Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Ricky Martin, KISS, Kelly Clarkson, Dream Theater, Cher, Rosie Johnson and Alice Cooper.

Tabit said he also got the chance to meet and work with America Idol Judge Kara Dioguardi while in Los Angeles.

He said he thinks through his nearly 20 years of experience recording and mixing music, and his connections in both the local and national music scenes, he can help some local bands gain recognition.

“There’s a lot of talent in the area,” he said. “We can do it all — country, rap, rock, metal — we can do whatever the customers wants.”

Green said The Garage will record anything for customers, from they’re own karaoke CD to voice-overs of anything the client wants.

Rates at The Garage are $30 an hour or $500 for a five day recording sessions, six hours a session.

To help local youth bands, Tabit said he offers a student discount of 10 percent upon presentation of a valid student ID.

He’ll make that a 20 percent discount to students who are enrolled in their school band or orchestra.

Tabit said he also wants parents to be comfortable with their kids and the atmosphere at The Garage.

“There’s a gray area with studios and drugs. We want to keep kids off the street where they do stupid things,” he said. “We encourage kids to stay in school. They can still be a musician and graduate high school.

“Parents are always welcome at the studio while their kids are recording here. I encourage parents to get behind their kids and their music.”

Details: 810-625-0509.