JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.
Stock up on studio essentials before your next session. Explore top selling gear from the best brands.
Checkout using your account
This form is protected by reCAPTCHA - the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Checkout as a new customer
Creating an account has many benefits:
Established in the early 1990s by producer and engineer Jay Baumgardner, NRG Recording Studios has been the birthplace of legendary albums by Linkin Park, Hootie & the Blowfish, No Doubt, and other major acts of the era. But that’s only part of the story—NRG’s three studios, each with their own striking visual aesthetic and sound, have served dozens of A-list artists, hosted in-studio performances, and attracted a growing pop and hip-hop clientele.
To keep up with modern tastes and provide a top-tier experience for clients, NRG recently acquired a 24-channel Neve BCM-10 Mk2 console and Ocean Way HR3.5 monitors for Studio C, as well as a massive Ocean Way HR2 monitor system for Studio B. We spoke with Chief Engineer Kyle Hoffmann about NRG’s history, the decision to become an all-Neve studio, and the process of working with Ocean Way Audio founder Alan Sides to build two powerful custom monitor systems.
What’s the history of NRG Recording Studios?
The studio was started by Jay Baumgardner, and we've been here since ‘91. Jay is pretty well-known in the nu metal scene, so that's a big part of our history, but we've obviously done a lot more than that.
Hootie and the Blowfish had one of the biggest records that's ever come out of here, and it was also one of the first that was done here. We did some Tracy Chapman in the ‘90s, as well as No Doubt, Incubus, 311, The Offspring, Beck, and Fiona Apple. The Nas and Damien Marley record was done here. We've done a bunch of movie scores, too. We're a large-format facility, so we can accommodate pretty much anyone.
All three rooms have very different visual aesthetics. What effects do those different vibes tend to have on clients, and do you have a personal favorite?
I gravitate toward Studio B, but I like them all for different reasons. A lot of people who are filming tend to go to Studio B for its aesthetic. There's a lot going on in that room, visually. We did live performances with Esperanza Spalding and Bush a few years back; I think both of those were filmed in there.
If people are coming in to film a movie, they tend to go to Studio A for the clean look, because they can make it into whatever they need to. Studio A is very clean-cut, but it still has a lot of vibe. It's a bit more modern than the others. I think of it as a blank canvas.
It's good to have that kind of variety because sometimes you don't necessarily want to sit in a Moroccan Palace. They all sound totally different, so depending on what you're recording, they're just a different vibe altogether.
Aside from the aesthetics, what else makes NRG stand out from other high-end L.A. studios?
For one thing, It's the only studio I know of that has three Neves. We sealed that deal with the new console in C. And they're all different vintages: there's the 8068 in Studio A—that one was built in ‘75, so those are all 31102 EQs. Studio B has a totally custom desk that was made a couple of years later, and now Studio C has this modern vintage reissue.
We're constantly changing and upgrading things to improve the experience for the clients. From the very beginning, Jay was right on the cutting edge of a lot of the studio technology that was happening in the ‘90s and the early aughts. Although we obviously love our history, there are a lot of studios in L.A. that are kind of just frozen in time and never upgrade their speaker systems or work on the acoustics of the room. We're always in flux here. We're always upgrading, we're always moving forward.
That's why we got the big Ocean Way systems. We used to be an all-Dynaudio house, but once we started getting a lot of modern pop and hip-hop clients over the past few years, they simply weren't loud enough and didn't have enough bass. So we changed over to a more modern monitoring system that can handle that kind of power.
How are the new Ocean Way monitor systems in Studios B and C set up?
In Studio C, we have the HR3.5s and two 18-inch subs, and we just got a third Ocean Way sub to put in here. We went through a lot of different iterations. We started out with just the monitor itself, then we started adding subwoofers and getting things louder and bigger, and then we started working on the acoustics of the room.
Ever since we put the Ocean Way system in this room, it's pushing a lot more SPL than we had originally. Because of that, there's a lot more air moving and a lot more frequencies flying around. The third sub basically acts to fill in an acoustic hole that was in this room at about 80 Hertz, so we're using it to flatten out the low end in the room.
Studio B was a little bit different. First, we brought in a pair of HR3.5s and set them up right next to the Dynaudio mains, so we had two sets of mains in that room for a little while. We tried out that configuration and decided they weren't loud enough for that room, so we went bigger and put in the HR2s.
The HR2s are pretty huge. The main cabinet has a 15-inch driver and a horn-loaded tweeter, and the tweeters are designed to cover a really wide area so the sweet spot isn't this little tiny speck in the middle. You can move around the room and it still sounds really good no matter where you're standing. And then we have supplemental 18-inch drivers on the top and bottom, plus a third on each side, so there are six total 18-inch sub drivers.
Tell me about the decision to put a third Neve desk in Studio C and how you landed on the BCM-10.
Studio C was originally built with an SSL 9000J 72-channel console, and that was Jay's main mix room where he mixed Evanescence and that kind of stuff. At the time that console was put in, I believe around 1996 or so, it was state-of-the-art. It was unbelievably expensive, but that was just the state of the business at the time. Before Pro Tools was widely used, everybody was mixing on these really big SSLs with complicated automation systems.
About five or six years ago, we got rid of that console. Everybody was mixing in the box, so we no longer had a need for a console that big—not to mention the maintenance. We switched to a Raven production desk for a while, but ultimately we decided that a smaller, vintage-style Neve would make a great centerpiece in this otherwise modern production room.
I also wanted to maintain the ability to do an analog session in here if someone wanted to run two-inch tape. I love working with analog whenever I possibly can, so that was a big thing for me.
We have 20 channels of 1073 preamps and 4 handwired 1084s in here now, so you can plug in a tape machine and do a mix or whatever you want to do. Plus, a lot of people come in with tracks that are done 100 percent in the box and they want to add a little bit of analog warmth, so now they can print stems through the console.
What was your experience working with James Good at Vintage King?
James has been super helpful with the Neve. I would not have known all the logistical details of custom-ordering a console like that. He got the ball rolling and started talking to Neve, which was pretty invaluable. He was a good point of communication throughout the build process and super helpful when we needed to add or change something.
Vintage King was our dealer for the monitors, too, but we went directly through Ocean Way to design the systems and worked with Alan Sides at the studio to demo different pieces and tune the systems to our needs.
How are the clients and staff liking the new console and monitors?
I love this console and we’ve had some great feedback from clients. It's hard to beat any Neve really, but the thing I like about this one is that it's compatible with our vintage consoles. I can drop modules in from the other desks if I want to, so I can mix and match and play around with the configuration. It's not set in stone, so that's been pretty cool.
I know our in-house engineers are loving it, too. In fact, we felt inspired to do a couple of drum sessions in the mix room after putting the console in.
Regarding the monitors, the whole point was for clients to be able to turn it up even more and still have it sound good. We have to keep up with modern trends, and current artists like to push things right to the limit. That was part of the reason why we put in these giant speakers, and people are definitely responding in a really positive way.
Any exciting projects you can talk about?
We recently had Richie Sambora in with producer Bob Rock; he's been working here a lot lately. We had Mötley Crüe in here over the last year, also with Bob, and legendary drummer Matt Sorum just paid us a visit last week. There are always lots of other big names that I can't talk about, unfortunately.
We've definitely been getting a good response with the recent upgrades, and we're just trying to keep things moving forward. I'm constantly keeping the social media up to date.
* Required Fields
exclamation-circle
