TEC Award-Nominated Philharmonic Studios Delivers One-Of-A-Kind Experience

Upon entering Philharmonic Studios, one can clearly see that every detail, no matter how small, has been meticulously considered. Owner and Chief Recording Engineer Greg Miner has gone to great lengths to bring a world-class studio to Vernon Hills, Illinois, and he's accomplished just that. But the journey to completing this TEC Award-nominated facility dates farther back than its 2022 opening.

"It took about eight years to get to where we're sitting right now. I spent four years downtown trying to find a spot, and after running into a lot of red tape, I decided to move the project out of the city," says Greg. "My experience told me that dealing with retrofits can be very costly. Few buildings can handle all the different weight distribution requirements and things necessary for a truly professional caliber studio, so doing a build from the ground up became the best option."

Having cut his teeth as an engineer in the Windy City and traveling the world in touring bands, Greg gained firsthand knowledge of recording studios. He was quick to note what worked for him and what didn't. He loved professionally designed spaces with good acoustics, excellent isolation, and impressive monitoring systems but was often left feeling cold about the lack of sunlight and proximity to nature.

A ground-up build in Vernon Hills allowed Greg to see through the mission statement he was forming in his head. He envisioned a multi-room facility on par with the world's leading studios that would also encompass the natural beauty of the surrounding property.

"I visited Blackbird, Manifold Recording in North Carolina, and Skywalker Sound, and those three facilities were my key inspirations," Greg states. "I wanted to combine the technical sophistication of those studios with a serene outdoor environment, plenty of natural light, and large open spaces."

Greg began to assemble a dream team of specialists to accomplish his vision, including studio designer Russ Berger Design Group and architecture firm Melichar Architects. To address Philharmonic's equipment requirements, operating system integration, and installation, the studio owner collaborated closely with Vintage King Audio Consultant James Good and Technician Frank Verschuuren.

Philharmonic features a state-of-the-art setup that allows all three studios to seamlessly pass audio to each other and turn practically any space in the building into a tracking station. It all starts in Studio A, an impeccably clean, classic control room featuring a 40-channel API 2448 console paired with 64 channels of BURL Audio converters, as well as an AVID MTRX, Lavry Savitr AD-24-200 Gold AD, and Lavry Quintessence D/A. This room is also host to a treasure trove of outboard gear, including a Chandler Limited Curve Bender, Chandler Limited Zener Limiter, Neve 33609/N, API 2500, Pultec MEQM-5, Tube-Tech CL 1B, and so much more.

"Everyone that's heard this particular system, and I call this room a system because all the gear works together symbiotically, has been impressed," Greg says. "James and Frank designed all of these systems, picked out the gear, supplemented in the gear I already had, and were a great asset to this project."

Surrounding Studio A's control room are three isolation booths and a spacious live room. Open sight lines among all the booths and live room make the space optimal for large ensembles, and Philharmonic's unique E-Coustic system only adds to the appeal. This technology utilizes a series of microphones to capture audio and pump it back in via monitors placed in the ceiling to change the reverb qualities of the space. A bone-dry bass drum can instantly transform into a cavernous kick by pushing a single button.

With the emergence of immersive audio, Greg was keen on outfitting Philharmonic with a Dolby Atmos-certified room. Studio B has garnered this distinction by being equipped with an ATC Loudspeakers 7.1.4 monitoring system, including three SCM110As, four SCM100As, four SCM45As, and two JL Audio 13.5" 3000W subwoofers. The room's centerpiece is an Avid S6 control surface and AVID MTRX converter system. This room (and others at the studio) allows for Philharmonic to offer pivotal online services to clients, including stereo and Atmos mixing and mastering.

"I'm a big believer in the format. It's a once-in-a-generation change," Greg says of immersive audio. "We're finally freed from the constraints of two-dimensionality. We can present a more complete picture of what stereo could have been, or we can do something even more daring and have things flying around, panning in all directions."

The final workspace at Philharmonic is Studio C, a flexible modern production suite that rivals the main control room at most other facilities. Studio C is perfect for working independently or in tandem with Studio A and Studio B. The room features a Solid State Logic AWS 924 Delta console, an Apogee Symphony MK II converter system, and outboard gear like the Chandler Limited RS-124, BAE Audio 1028, and Retro Instruments 2a3.

To accompany these consoles and outboard gear, Greg worked with James Good to create an extremely well-diverse microphone locker. Philharmonic's mic lineup features the AEA R88, Coles 4038, Neumann U 67, Telefunken C12, Royer Labs SF 24, Soyuz 023 Bomblet, Telefunken ELA M 251E, and countless others. The studio also boasts an impressive selection of DPA Microphones, including two DPA 4011As, eight DPA 4099s, five DPA 4006As, five DPA 4015As, and four DPA 4041-SPs, for recording immersive audio projects and more.

Creating a world-class facility from nothing hasn't been easy, but Greg has enjoyed every step of the challenge. It's clear how important bringing a multi-room studio of this magnitude to the Chicago area is to the lifelong music lover when he speaks on the subject.

"When I was looking at what was going on in this area, I felt like there was an opportunity to build a facility of this type and fill a void that existed here," Greg states. "We know we have what it takes to become a national and international destination. We have everything to offer in terms of gear, instruments, and client service experience. We have a world-class environment waiting just 20 minutes away from O'Hare."

If you’re interested in building out a studio or a specific piece of gear mentioned in this blog, we're here to help! Contact a Vintage King Audio Consultant via email or by phone at 866.644.0160.