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Jody Boyd, the founder and owner of 9WG Studios, spent the early part of his career working in the confines of studios owned by other people. Learning the ropes in control rooms and post-production houses, he quickly theorized what he would do when putting together his own space. “I realized that I needed to be a jack of all trades to survive in this environment,” Boyd says.

The basis for Boyd’s love of recording dates back to his days as a promising musician at Virgina Commonwealth University and The Eastman School of Music. After graduating, Boyd took turns playing percussion in orchestras and drumming in rock bands, while amassing studio experience as a session musician. This led to some dabbling with a four track and microphones in his basement.

Moving onward from the basement, Boyd nabbed his first job in a post-house working on music for TV, radio and long-form documentaries. After a few years in that position, he advanced to working on mixing sound for America’s Most Wanted, in addition to doing sound design.

“After a year or so of doing that, I realized that it was time to start my own place, so I did,” Boyd says of making the decision to go out on his own. “I was really lucky to land some regular corporate clients, which allowed me to build up my arsenal of gear, as well as polishing my skills as a composer, mixer and sound designer.”

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Finding a home for 9WG Studios in a space owned by a photographer friend, Jody teamed with his wife/studio manager Marna Bales and Melanie Cox of SprangTV to start building out his new space. With the hope of creating an all-in-one company that worked collaboratively and separately (depending on the project), the owners of 9WG began to formulate a studio layout that would work for several different types of editorial and production work.

As building began on the space, Boyd developed a relationship with Jeff Leibovich at Vintage King, while searching out new gear for 9WG. Looking for a centerpiece for the production area, Leibovich and Boyd decided on the API Legacy Console, as the desk was capable of creating quality recordings extremely quickly.

“Clients want it cheap, great and finished yesterday. The API gets it sounding great on the way in and the mix time is shorter because of what you already captured,” Boyd says of his desk. “I couldn't be happier. Throw up the faders with a little of the magic API EQ and compression and you are quickly on your way to making the client smile.”

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The same reasoning goes for the two Avid S6s that Boyd also purchased from Vintage King. While he once relied on a beloved Avid Icon, Jody felt the need for a beefier desk to speed up his turnaround. “The S6 is basically [the Icon] on steroids with many new functions and features that make it quick and easy to get the job done,” Boyd states. “It sits on a rolling rack next to the API. Hybrid systems are awesome!”

With varied clients that range from corporate giants like Walmart and Capital One to recording artists including Carbon Leaf and Natalie Stovall, 9WG's constant need to create quality work and have a quick turnaround time is essential. Thanks to their dedication and love of gear, Jody and his team have made this type versatility their bread and butter.

"One day I am composing music for a spot, the next may be sound design and mixing for a long form project. The next day it could be an indie band making a record," Boyd says. "I just keep learning as I go and Vintage King Audio keeps on selling me great gear!"

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