Vintage King Blog

When you imagine building your dream studio you probably fantasize about buying a recording console, some killer compressors and maybe even a tape machine. But truth be told, the first thing any aspiring studio owner should spend their money on is acoustic treatment.

Proper acoustic treatment is what separates a "home-studio" from a professional facility. Unfortunately, most rooms are not designed with ideal acoustics in mind, so those of us trying to convert existing spaces into studios struggle with outside noise interference, excessive bass frequencies and room nodes.

Vicoustic is a company that specializes in innovative acoustic solutions. They offer products and services to help you create the most efficient studio space for the most affordable price, everything from building and construction to custom designs. Continue reading →

Ryan Freeland is a five-time Grammy-winning engineer known for his work with Bonnie Raitt, Ray LaMontagne, Hugh Laurie, Aimee Mann and many more. In 2008, he opened Stampede Origin Studio in Los Angeles, a custom-built facility featuring a large control room, 15-foot ceiling drum room, three isolation booths and an impressive list of outboard gear and vintage microphones.

Recently, Ryan was able to take a break from his busy schedule to chat with us for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about his prized Neumann M49s, his go-to vocal compressors and his top 12 favorite albums of all time. Continue reading →

The Neve 1073 is without a doubt one of the most beloved mic pre/EQs in the history of the recording industry. Since its birth in 1970, when Rupert Neve outfitted his A88 console with the first version of the module, engineers and producers have been transfixed by the grit and bite it can deliver to tracks.

While the 1073 has seen many different variations, versions, and replicas, none have made more of an impact than the Neve 1073LB. This 500 Series-sized version of the 1073 offers the magic of the original's sound via a 100% discrete audio path and the same design as the classic circuit. Imagine getting the all analog sound of a Neve 1073 for under $1000. It's a reality with the 1073LB. Continue reading →

At the conclusion of the recent Summer NAMM Show, we held our own bash to celebrate at Vintage King Nashville. Our fourth annual Gear & Beer Summit featured an afternoon packed with cold beer, tasty eats, great gear and wonderful conversation with our panel of world-class engineers and producers.

Even if you missed the event, we were on hand to capture all the hubbub, including full videos of each panel discussion and interviews with some of the pro audio brands who attended. Continue on below to check out videos and photos from the entire day and we'll see you in 2019! Continue reading →

In late 2017, FLEA Microphones released their version of the classic U47 FET microphone dubbed the 47 SuperFET. FLEA has taken much effort to match the sound characteristics of the tube U47, while offering the benefits of a FET circuit such as a higher signal to noise ratio.

With the release of the 47 SuperFET, FLEA has created a microphone that does a great job of matching the sound of its classic predecessor. While it might not sound exactly the same, the mic will allow engineers on a tighter budget to bring the U47 FET sound to their studio for $2,195, a fraction of the cost of the vintage version. Continue reading →

Look, I don’t want to be the one to break it to you, but your studio could be lying to you.

Picture this: You’re up late one night working on a new track. It sounds great, like really, really great. You’re super excited and you can’t wait to share it with others. But as soon as you play it in your car, at a friends house or anywhere other than your studio, it sounds like complete trash.

Sound familiar? It’s a cold hard fact for everyone who hasn't worked on their studio's acoustic treatment. The good news is there’s a solution to your problem and we can help! Continue reading →

While Mark Loughman claims to have come to America with just a bag of CDs and his guitar on his back, it's apparent from talking to him that he also brought something else. It was an insatiable hunger to put his stamp on the music industry, one that eventually led him to form BAE Audio.

In the time since he took an internship, learned how to solder his first piece of gear and started his own company, Loughman has brought BAE Audio to great acclaim. The brand's take on the classic 1073 module (BAE 1073, BAE 1073MPL, 1073DMP) and countless other pieces of analog gear have propelled them to the top of the pro audio industry and made them a staple in studios all over the world. Continue reading →

Since 1992, the Commercial Music program at Sacramento City College has grown to offer students in-depth training on analog and digital gear. While the program advanced over the years, the studio had not. When Kirt Shearer came on-board as the program's Director in 2016, he saw that there was a need for an immediate renovation.

"I'm not going to lie, necessity," Shearer says of the reason for a studio upgrade. "We had an Otari 54 from 1992 that was just at the end of its life. Plus, the overall facility just had not quite kept pace with trends and technology, so it was very much time for an upgrade." Continue reading →

Some people think the keys to a killer vocal sound are kept in high-end studios, surrounded by vintage gear. While many great records got cut that way, that’s not exactly how it works anymore.

You can achieve a great vocal sound on a laptop, as long as you understand how all the moving parts work together. There’s no big secret. It’s just EQ, dynamics, and effects. Oh, and a killer performance of course. Continue reading →

Tucker Martine has been producing, recording, and mixing artists like REM, My Morning Jacket, and Modest Mouse for over two decades. He currently owns and operates Flora Recording & Playback in Portland, Oregon.

We recently sat down with Tucker and chatted for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about his favorite EQs, his approach to producing, and his idea for a killer new guitar pedal. Continue reading →