Recording Studio

Clean power is essential to any recording or mixing studio. It can be the difference between professional-sounding records and noisy tracks riddled with hums, buzzes and other complications. But for those who just want to make music, learning the basics of power can seem complicated and overwhelming. So we reached out to electrical guru Arthur Kelm to answer some of your questions. Arthur Kelm is CEO of Ground One AV Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in power and grounding for professional recording facilities and high-end home installations. Arthur has overseen the electrical and grounding design for some of the world’s most iconic recording studios, including Capitol Records Studios, Warner/Chappell Music, and Sonoma Mountain Studio. Continue reading →

Some audio engineers swear by the sound of analog circuitry. Others can’t live without the lightning-fast workflow of their favorite DAW. As hybrid studios continue to rise in popularity, more and more engineers are looking for ways to seamlessly integrate their favorite analog signal processors into the digital domain. That’s exactly where Darren Nakonechny found himself before he decided to build his own solution. The PATCH System from Flock Audio is an all-analog audio patch bay routing system that gives you complete control over analog signal processors via an intuitive software interface. Continue reading →

Preston Cochran and Scottie Prudhoe first bonded as middle schoolers over The Beatles, Flaming Lips, and Wilco. The Jeff Tweedy-led outfit was of particular interest to the young DIY musicians from Virginia, and they began setting up a "Loft"-like studio in the Cochran family home. While Preston and Scottie started on cheap mixers, they soon elevated their game with a Shadow Hills Industries Quad Gama purchased from Ryan McGuire at Vintage King Audio. Eventually, after thousands of hours and trial-by-fire experimentation, they developed an appreciation for using high-quality analog gear on the front-end during tracking. This ethos would only grow stronger as the duo decided to make their way to Nashville after college and stake a claim in the studio scene.   Continue reading →

Another year is almost in the books, and if you're considering adding to your studio at the end of 2019, Vintage King Audio can help save you money. Thanks to a helpful piece of IRS tax code, studio owners making large purchases before the end of December can deduct the price of their new gear from their 2019 gross income. This tax code is known as Section 179. Many assume that it's a complicated piece of literature, but it's actually really simple. Let's break it down. Continue reading →

To know Zach Fisher and Jack Ruley is to know two best friends living out their best lives. Shooting guns for sport out in Joshua Tree? Check. Playing stoner rock opuses in a band called Jurassic Witch? Oh yeah! Building one of the most awe-inspiring new recording studios in Los Angeles? Not only did they do it, but they did it with impeccable aesthetic and gear selection. Big Bad Sound originally started out in Zach's house in Silver Lake, but the size of the artists he was working with quickly outgrew his homestead. Jack quit his job to help Zach grow the studio, and the two ultimately settled on moving to a former movie prop house they found while looking for spaces. Continue reading →

ATC Loudspeakers have a long history of developing innovative monitor technology. Founded by Billy Woodman in 1974, ATC started as a custom driver manufacturer and quickly made its mark with the 12-inch PA75-314 driver, known for its class-leading performance. In 1976, they introduced their legendary SM 75-150s soft dome midrange driver, renowned for its precise imaging, extended frequency response and high-performance design. Over the next decade, as custom passive PA systems fell out of favor for smaller, all-inclusive monitoring systems, ATC began experimenting with active designs like the iconic SCM50 and SCM100 series. Continue reading →

After 17 years of professional touring, writing, recording and producing, Aaron Matthew had finally had enough of spending a fortune for a quality console desks. That’s when he decided to build the Genesis series desks, which combined form, function, and inspiration in a compact footprint. This led to the creation of DangerFox, a company focused on creating high-quality studio furniture with an affordable price tag. Aaron Matthew recently took time out of his busy schedule running the day-to-day at DangerFox to chat with us about what makes his studio desks so special, where he got the inspiration for their innovative design, and what he has planned for the future of the company. Continue reading →

The phrase "If these walls could talk," gets thrown around a lot, but if the surroundings at Gold-Diggers spoke up, we'd be all ears. Whether the location served as Ed Wood's movie set, Slayer's practice space or the home to LA's finest exotic dancers, something interesting has always been going down at 5632 Santa Monica Blvd. That continues to remain true today, as recording studio owner Dave Trumfio recently took over the space and has built out an extremely unique complex. The facilities at Gold-Diggers now include state-of-the-art recording facilities with nine studios and large sound stage, a bar/live music venue, and rock star-worthy hotel. Continue reading →