Underground Spaces for Sonic Experimentations: The Bunker Los Angeles

Hidden between the Los Angeles River and the much larger Glendale neighborhood, Atwater Village is a bustling little community in Northeast Los Angeles. It’s so vibrant, in fact, that the area has become somewhat of a hotbed for engineers and musicians looking to build out studios.

“You can literally throw a rock to a bunch of studios from right here,” says Jason Schimmel, standing in the alley behind The Bunker Los Angeles. 

Jason first came to Atwater Village in 2012. The guitarist/composer was looking to create a space where he could continue the genre-defying work he started with Estradasphere and Secret Chiefs 3, in addition to recording for his film/television scoring projects.

While there might be other studios in the area, the Bunker Los Angeles stands out as something completely unique. The floor-to-ceiling synthesizer set-up features a plethora of museum-worthy pieces and is only matched by the studio’s vintage Trident console and collection of outboard gear. Two treated live rooms offer Jason and visiting artists the perfect amount of space to record and capture sounds.

Vintage King recently sat down with Jason to talk about the creation of his workspace and the gear he has picked up along the way. Let’s head down into the Bunker to learn more.

When did you start the studio and what kind of shape was this building in when you moved in?

I started the studio back in 2012. The building was in good shape, but definitely needed a lot of work to bring it to the condition that it is in today. It was also being used as a recording studio, with two producers working in separate areas. My friend was one of the producers working in an area upstairs in the building. The other producer was working downstairs, which is now the control room. When my friend let me know they would be moving out of the space, I jumped at the opportunity. The building had so much potential and is in a great location. 

Has the set-up of the building been the same since you’ve been here? Have you had any dramatic redesigns over the years?

I’ve done a few major construction projects throughout the 11 years I’ve been established here. When I first moved in, I had a contractor come in to completely soundproof and acoustically design the main tracking room. I built a room within a room, which was constructed to optimize the acoustics. I also had a friend who specializes in building studios come in and create custom sound treatments. He really had a great artistic eye when it came to designing them, and I think it really added a lot to the look of the tracking room. 

I also did another construction upgrade about six years ago to enclose a section of the studio into a second tracking room and iso room. I connected all three rooms with soundproof glass sliding doors and windows, and also wired the upstairs with a camera system hardwired to a television in the control room.

Did you have a specific approach to making the studio stand out to potential clients or was the focus just on bringing in your favorite gear?

One of my passions is live recording with utilization of analog equipment. My goal was to build a studio for those interested in recording with a wide variety of vintage and modern analog gear, while also integrating computers and digital recording methods. I really wanted this studio to be accessible to all kinds of projects and artists, in that you are stepping into a boutique studio with great equipment options but without the costly overhead of going into some of the larger studios in town. 

The centerpiece of the studio is an early ‘80s Trident 80b console. I love this console because it imparts a warm yet punchy sound, providing a lot of depth to mixes and recordings. I have also built up a very extensive collection of analog synths and drum machines over the years as well, which appeal to many of the clients here at the Bunker. A couple of the standouts include ARP Odyssey, Minimoog Model D, Roland Jupiter-6, Oberheim OB-8, and LinnDrum.

Aside from some digital essentials, the gear seems analog-centric. What about the analog approach makes you prefer it for recording, mixing, and mastering?

I have always preferred the sound and character that analog gear imparts to recordings. My favorite albums are mostly from the pre-digital era, but the modern conveniences of recording digitally can be very effective and helpful for editing and arranging. Overall, I have found a place and time for both digital and analog gear, and try to be purposeful with their selection to allow for a great sound, while also ensuring that I am able to provide clients with a finished product quickly if needed.

Let’s talk the actual setup of the studio. Give us an overview of the space and how it is all connected.

The building was originally constructed to produce and store racing fuel for cars in the early 1950s. The control room is actually underground and it could not be more soundproofed, surrounded in layers of cinder blocks. 

The second floor consists of an iso room, a smaller tracking room, and a larger tracking room. The upstairs recording rooms are hardwired with cameras, connected to a television downstairs to allow composers and producers to visualize the setup in real-time. The second floor also has a soundproof glass window and sliding door to allow musicians to view each other through the rooms. 

The first floor can be used as an additional tracking room. It also has overflow equipment and an area for clients to relax or enjoy some coffee or food. The entire floor plan is highly unique given its history and has been very conducive to bands, solo artists, and film score recording. 

You have an outstanding collection of outboard gear, including Neves, 1176s, 2500s, dbx 160s. What are some favorites that get used on every session you work on and why?

Neves definitely get used on every session. There’s nothing quite like the sound of those preamps. They add such a rich and warm quality to any microphone, and their EQ is so smooth. The 1176s are also in constant rotation, I find that they are the perfect compressor for so many applications. Their versatility really makes almost any instrument sound better. 

The dbx 160s are my go-to for many drum and bass sessions; you just can’t beat the sound of those classic 70s compressors. I also gravitate heavily towards my API 2500 and my SSL G Series Compressor, mostly for mix bus and parallel bus duties.

Same can be said for your reverb, delay, and effects section. It’s nice to see so many physical reverb units in one rack! Give me two of your favorites from the effects racks, one that you prefer for subtle touches and one that you use to push sounds to outer space. Talk a bit about what you like about both.

Reverb units have always been one of my favorite pieces of hardware. I haven’t found a plug-in that compares to what a hardware reverb unit does. One of my favorites is the Lexicon 480L, it’s such a full-sounding reverb with incredible detail and character. Just adding a touch of the 480L on vocals or drums really transforms the sound. There’s a reason why they’ve been used on so many famous records for decades. 

Another favorite of mine is the Eventide H3000 D/SE. This unit really pushes a track into that intangible otherworldly sonic space. In my opinion, Eventide has always been the leader in the multi-effects department. This mid-80s unit has so many great presets, including massive reverbs, flangers, and delays.

I certainly don’t want to pin down the studio to be one specific thing, but I don’t think it's a secret that y’all work with some heavy and experimental artists, including your own projects. What about these kinds of projects makes you love working on them?

Since I was a kid I’ve always gravitated towards experimental music. There’s just something about this style that operates in a more unpredictable fashion that has always intrigued me. I get a lot of inspiration from working with artists, bands, and composers that are pushing the boundaries and blurring the lines between sound and composition. 

Although the studio truly does record all kinds of projects, I enjoy the artistry and thought process of capturing and processing instruments that experimental compositions often require. I also record the albums for my experimental band Red Fiction in the studio. Recording music for my own projects was how I got my start as a recording engineer years ago. 

With the prior question in mind, what are some ways that engineers in 2023 can push in the studio to get more experimental sounds?

Thinking outside the box when it comes to microphone placement is a useful technique to achieve new types of sounds. Don’t be afraid to process and commit to a track with drastic compression, EQ, and effects. 

Utilizing the mixing console, which I find does not get utilized as often as might be helpful, can allow you to come up with unique and creative sounds. By using mults, busses, and aux sends it is possible to take the same track in so many different directions.

I also do a lot of reamping of sounds to further distort them, which adds a greater depth and dimension to the track. Really, you can’t go wrong with just experimenting with your setups and trying out different pieces of equipment that you might not have thought to use. You really can never get too creative with this stuff. 

What’s one particular project you’ve worked on at the studio that encapsulates what the Bunker is all about?

It’s hard to pick just one project that I’ve worked on recently, but some highlights come to mind. Albums for Dead Cross, Health, Ghostemane, Bow Wow Wow, and Secret Chiefs 3, along with the film scores for “The Joker” and “The Elephant Whisperers” were some recent projects that really encapsulate the wide range of sessions we do here at the Bunker Studio LA.

This interview was originally featured in PLAYBACK Magazine—subscribe today to read more exclusive content!

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