Recording Studio

At a young age, Jesus Martinez began learning the art of the requinto (a unique tenor guitar with Latin roots) under his father’s tuteledge. This passing of the torch moment would inspire a love for the music of his familial homeland and lead Jesus to study at the Berklee College of Music. After attending Berklee, Jesus became a founding member of Tres Souls, a group that embraces the sounds of 1940s bolero music. While plotting out an EP release, the budding engineer and producer decided to start his own studio and Decibel Studios was born. Continue reading →

For nearly 20 years, Trinnov Audio has been helping studios, post-production facilities and even cinemas optimize their sonic performance. How are they achieving this? By offering powerful room calibration and correction systems that ensure your monitors and room are offering an accurate representation of your audio output. In this Buyer's Guide, we'll take a closer look at how Trinnov Audio’s versatile hardware and innovative software can help improve your workflow. No matter whether you're working out of a large-scale commercial facility or a home studio, there is a solution from Trinnov that will fit your needs and keep your clients happy with your work. Continue reading →

When it comes to studio gear, engineers love experimenting with all kinds of microphones, mic pres, compressors, EQs and whatnot. The more flavors, the better. In terms of studio monitors, pro audio manufacturers strive to keep their designs sounding authentic as possible. This leads us to a common inquiry, “Why do I see so many pictures of studios with multiple sets of monitors? Doesn’t the engineer just pick the right set of monitors that works for them and do their thing?” Well, yes and no… First and foremost, yes, you do want to pick the right set of monitors that works for you. In a sense, speakers are a compass. We choose a set of speakers that we enjoy listening to and we learn them. How does our favorite music sound on them? How does the track you worked on last week sound? Last month? Last year? How do they sound when you turn them up vs. listening to them at a lower level? They become a window to how we hear what we’re working on vs. the rest of the world. Everyone has different opinions and preferences, but at the end of the day, you are the one that is going to spend countless hours in front of the speakers, so you want to pick something that you enjoy working on. Continue reading →

Based out of Des Moines, Iowa, Golden Bear Records is a recording studio and record label run by Bryan and Sarah Vanderpool. The duo found acclaim with their folk-pop band, The Well Pennies, before moving to the Midwest from Los Angeles to start Golden Bear. We recently sat down with Bryan to talk a bit about Golden Bear for our new Studio Spotlight series. Continue reading below to find out about the history of the studio, his experience in the industry and the gear he relies on for every session. Continue reading →

For over two decades, artists from around the globe have been flocking to Maximus Music to find the key to that Southern sound. Owner and founder Ira Parker has propelled the Queen City studio to success and brought in an incredible array of talent including Anthony Hamilton, G-Eazy, Rick Ross, Jadakiss and many more. We recently sat down with Ira for our new Studio Spotlight series to talk about Maximus Music in more detail. Continue below to find out how Ira started the studio, hear his favorite stories about artists working in the room, and discover some of his go-to gear that he picked up from Vintage King Audio Consultant Anthony Erwin. Continue reading →

Since so many of us are cooped up inside, Focusrite Pro thought this was the perfect time to do a livestream. During the At Home, At Home event this past Thursday, the brand showcased its expansive range of gear and gave working engineers the floor to talk about how they use it in their studios. Producer and engineer Garth Richardson (Red Hot Chilli Peppers / Rage Against The Machine) talked specifically about how he transitioned into a home studio set-up with a RedNet-powered rig. There was also a panel discussion featuring world-class mix engineers Rob Burrell and Steve Genewick discussing how they are mixing for Dolby Atmos in their home studio spaces. Continue reading →

2020 has been an unpredictable year, to say the least, but you know what hasn't changed? The fact that you can still rely on a handy piece of IRS tax code to save on gear before the end of the year. That's right, we're here to talk about Section 179. When planning out the scope of your studio for 2021, studio owners can take advantage of Section 179 to make large purchases before the end of December and deduct the price of their new gear from their 2020 gross income. You may be thinking, "I got into studios to avoid hard math," but Section 179 really isn't as complicated as you may think. In fact, it's actually quite simple and the savings can have a drastic effect on your bottom line. Let's dive into talking about Section 179. Continue reading →

Mad Muse Studios is a brand new world-class recording studio in Los Angeles. Owned by In Flight Music Group, Mad Muse combines a welcoming open floor plan with an incredible acoustic response, several racks full of vintage outboard gear, and a custom SSL G+ Series console purchased through Vintage King. Formerly known as In Flight Music Studios, Mad Muse recently moved to a new location and rebranded during the COVID-19 crisis to help bring focus to their recording services and create separation between its ownership group, which offers a wide range of entertainment services. We recently had the chance to chat with Matt Salazar (CEO), Zulma Tercero (COO), and Lucas Flood (CMO) of In Flight Music Group about what it was like building a new studio from the ground up. Read on to learn about their impressive collection of vintage gear and what it’s like working in a non-traditional studio with an open floor plan. Continue reading →

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 →