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Frequently Asked Questions
What materials do I need to provide for RMCC to record my piece?
All we require is a score in a readable format. That being said, the more you can provide the more quickly and easily we can complete your recording. We accept the following:
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.PDF, .JPEG, .MUSX, .MID, .LSN, .XML, .MXL, .SMPX, .BAKX
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Word documents in almost all formats including email of notes.
How long does the process take?
This depends on the length, number of parts, and number of auxiliary instruments. To guide you on what to expect, here's our average timeline for SATB (no divisi, less than 5 minutes) a cappella:
Workshop Choir: 4-5 weeks
Small Choir: 6-8 weeks
Large Choir: 8-12 weeks
Please note that added auxiliary instruments, longer than 5 minutes, and divisi will cause extended timeframes. High volume of orders could also increase our delivery times. We will let you know upon your order the estimated time it will take to deliver your recording.
How can I be sure what to select during checkout?
You can start here. By filling out this form we hope to guide you through the process of getting your piece recorded. We will email you telling you exactly what to select during the checkout process and what you can expect.
If you are ready to go and know exactly what you want, click here to submit your piece and click here to choose your choir and checkout so we can get started recording!
How much control do I have with tempos, dynamics, and other interpretive factors of my piece?
This is completely up to you. We are choral musicians with decades of experience. If you would like to trust us with your work to interpret as we like, much like you would with a 'real' performance, we treat every piece we get with seriousness and sincerity and will do everything we can to give it a performance that compliments the piece to its fullest.
We welcome you to be as specific as you would like with notations on the score or in a separate document with tempos or other interpretive elements. We welcome a pre-made MIDI file where you have carefully provided all tempos and we will match it exactly if you like. This is completely up to you!
Can I request which choral artists sing my piece?
Yes! If you have a preference for any individual artists to perform your work, every effort possible will be made to use them. We will let you know if they are unable to work on your specific project.
All of our artists are carefully selected and experienced professionals. You can read about each individual on the Our Artists page.
I've heard virtual choirs before and often they sound artificial to me. What does RMCC do differently?
We agree! The trend of virtual choirs has a been an excellent resource for people to sing together in times when meeting in person hasn't been possible. However, we have also noticed that using technology has resulted in a bit of an overcorrection of actual performances.
We strive for an authentic and natural sound. Since we are all professional musicians, we primarily edit our recordings only for balances. This creates a more "live choir" sound. Listen to the samples on our services page or on our YouTube channel to hear what our final recordings typically sound like.
What if I am not satisfied with some aspects of the recording?
For the most control of the final product, we welcome you to submit a MIDI file representing all your preferred tempos and artistic interpretations. We know MIDI files can be limiting so we welcome a marked score and/or a document with all necessary explanations. We are also able to have a conversation over the phone with you if you prefer. We strive to make recordings that sound natural and live; if you are looking for a perfect robotic performance, that is not what we offer. Please refer to the examples on our services page to hear what you might be able to expect.
Just like when a choir is performing your work, there is a certain limit to the composer's control. Therefore, we cannot be reasonably expected to offer anything you failed to mention in a conversation or through other means. In order to keep your costs down, we cannot offer demo performances open to feedback and edits. Please be careful to mark or mention important things you don't want us to miss! We commit to fixing any errors that were our fault.
If after hearing your recording you want to make revisions to the score and have us redo sections or even spots, you must plan on the cost of the entire recording.
Our recordings undergo a meticulous review by experienced choral conductors. While we ensure rectification of any overlooked errors, subjective preferences such as balance or effects alterations requested after delivery will not be considered.
After my recording, I made some changes to my score. Can I get it re-recorded?
We do not offer complimentary edits if you have changed your score after hearing a recording. For even small changes we will charge for a full studio session.
We do our best to review your score and ask if we have any questions or observe anything that might be an error. However we cannot be expected to edit your score and if there are any errors in the score if we didn't notice them before a recording session, we will sing the music as written and it is the burden of the composer to pay for a full session change anything from the submitted score.
What ranges am I limited to with the RMCC singers?
The Rocky Mountain Chamber Choir Virtual Singers are carefully selected artists who not only have beautiful voices and massive choral experience, but very wide ranges. Many of us can sing at least two choir parts without difficulty.
That being said, when selecting what choir would best suit your work it is important to consider ranges and color. For example, though our tenors can sing very low, their color in their low ranges will not be as bright or flexible as a bass, and though our altos can sing very high as well, they can never be an equivalent for our wonderful coloratura sopranos!
For our Large Choir option, we will use our singers as much as possible, having them sing as many parts as they are able and compliments your piece for the most full sound possible.
My piece is 5 minutes and 10 seconds long. Will I be charged for a full extra minute?
This is generally determined on a case-by-case basis. As a rule, we will charge by the minute. This means any piece exceeding 4'59" will be charged the 5-minute rate. However, we are flexible and understanding. We generally allow a 10-second buffer as the added few seconds are often due to a fermata at the end. Please inquire about your specific piece so we can tell you exactly what to expect if your work is right on a cusp.
Can I get my tracks delivered with parts separated so I can make rehearsal tracks from my recording?
This is not currently a service we offer.