Can someone recommend a decent Studio for Jazz quintet in the Tri-state area?

[Lamebirdy]

Hey all,
Looking for some recommendations for descent studios in the NY(NYC and westchester)/NJ/CT area for doing a 5 piece Jazz album. The place would need to have a good piano, and space to track Piano, Drums, Congas, Sax, and Upright Bass all live. Our budget is small so I'm looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of $500-$1000 for a 10-12 hour block. I'd engineer, so the place would have to be open to freelancers. I'd prefer a Neve console and a bunch of nice old ribbon mics but I am of course open to other options, as the room and piano are the top priority. Thanks for all your help in advance guys, I certainly appreciate it.

[mitgong]

Bennett in Englewood NJ.

[lectric]

Tri-state area??? Ask Phineas and Ferb.

[paterno]

I'd check out Flux in the East Village.

John

[Yerba]

Oktaven audiO : Recording Studio for Classical, Jazz, and Acoustic Musicians

Not sure about rates or if they're open to freelance engineers, but his equipment is pretty stellar for this sort of thing.

9' Steinway D, great mic collection, etc...give it a try.

[bongo]

There would be me. But I think it's in the wrong try-state area.

[LAstudio]

Originally Posted by mitgong

Bennett in Englewood NJ.

+1 Very accomodating on the rates and just what you're looking for.

[PaulOcchialini]

Originally Posted by mitgong

Bennett in Englewood NJ.

Mic locker not so good

[PaulOcchialini]

Originally Posted by paterno

I'd check out Flux in the East Village.

John

Weird piano sounds

[bongo]

Originally Posted by mitgong

Bennett in Englewood NJ.

I just got an email from someone looking for a job who was working there. He said they closed at the beginning at this month.

[PaulOcchialini]

Originally Posted by bongo

I just got an email from someone looking for a job who was working there. He said they closed at the beginning at this month.

Wow, a buddy of mine just engineered a record there, he was under the impression they were doing well. I wonder what happened.

[Sqye]

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Have you checked out Paul here? Millbrook, NY. Beautiful location!

Millbrook Sound Studios - residential multi-room facility with vintage gear

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[TomD]

You can't go wrong with the Clubhouse.....great room, great vintage gear, great vintage Steinway, lots of great mikes, lots of iso if you want it.....I've made some great jazz recordings there.

Clubhouse

[jonathan jetter]

Acme in Mamaroneck if you want a brighter piano. (pretty sure it's a B, but an unusually bright B.....i like it, FWIW). small Neve Melbourne broadcast console and a couple more 1066's in a rack.

Oktaven in Yonkers if you want a 9' Steinway D

not sure what the situation is at the Carriage House in Stamford, but that might be worth looking at. SSL console but a bunch of nice outboard preamps.

[DJamesGoody]

You'd be remiss not to check out Clubhouse. Neve, Steinway, fantastic jazz room. And Paul has a TON of ribbons. A TON!!

It's also worth looking at Dreamland. Beautiful API desk.

[analogjeff]

ironically or serendipitously, i got online tonight to ask a very similar question... we need to find a high quality studio in new jersey, near nyc, with a good room, good mics and pres, and a nice grand piano... we only need about a half day to track a couple of things with a four piece of piano, bass, guitar and violin...

we were planning on booking bennett, but they did JUST close... ack!!
we know and love the clubhouse, but it's too far away from where we need to be for this particular thing...

Any other ideas out there???

Thanks a lot!

[Fletcher]

Originally Posted by jonathan jetter

Acme in Mamaroneck if you want a brighter piano. (pretty sure it's a B, but an unusually bright B.....i like it, FWIW). small Neve Melbourne broadcast console and a couple more 1066's in a rack

Last time I worked at Acme they had an 8068... I was there with Blondie Chaplin w/Anton Fig on drums... great studio... that said, if I had the budget I would seriously investigate booking studio A at Avatar.

As always... YMMV.

Peace

[Sqye]

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I've heard great things about this studio in CT, and heard some great jazz records recorded there by friends of mine.

Carriage House Studios | Connecticut Recording Studio

EDIT: Here's the CD recorded at the Carriage House - my mistake!
Andy Parsons and Gene Lewin - with Ben Monder and Mike Holober. Phil Magnotti was the engineer.
http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/...undementia.htm
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fundementia/id16777549

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[jonathan jetter]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

Last time I worked at Acme they had an 8068... I was there with Blondie Chaplin w/Anton Fig on drums... great studio... that said, if I had the budget I would seriously investigate booking studio A at Avatar.

As always... YMMV.

Peace

hey Fletcher- Acme's downsized a little bit in that regard. sold the 8068 to the beastie boys like 7 or 8 years ago, i believe.....

still a great place to work though, and i'm a big fan of the owners. two of the best people i've met in the business. i would probably not have carved out my little niche without their guidance.

[swiftsounds]

Originally Posted by analogjeff

ironically or serendipitously, i got online tonight to ask a very similar question... we need to find a high quality studio in new jersey, near nyc, with a good room, good mics and pres, and a nice grand piano... we only need about a half day to track a couple of things with a four piece of piano, bass, guitar and violin...

we were planning on booking bennett, but they did JUST close... ack!!
we know and love the clubhouse, but it's too far away from where we need to be for this particular thing...

Any other ideas out there???

Thanks a lot!

Charlestown Road Studio run by Paul Wickliffe (former owner of Skyline in NYC) Skyline Productions - Charlestown Rd. Studio

It's in Hampton, New Jersey about an hour by car from Manhattan. He specializes in jazz.

Also second Sqye's suggestion of Carriage House in Stamford. I played on a session there once. Cool place and Johnny the owner is great. I remember liking the sound of the drum room.

[Lamebirdy]

These are all great suggestions and I've contacted many of them so far, some of these rooms unfortunately are either too high or on the high end for the budget we have. Anyone know of some good rooms with piano maybe in the brooklyn area? Ideally we don't want to spend more than 800 for the day for the room, i know its a small budget but I have to work with what I've been given.
Thanks again, keep the suggestions coming.

[LAstudio]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

Last time I worked at Acme they had an 8068... I was there with Blondie Chaplin w/Anton Fig on drums... great studio... that said, if I had the budget I would seriously investigate booking studio A at Avatar.

As always... YMMV.

Peace

You could probably get away with Studio C at Avatar... bigger than it might seem...

[thedoner]

Originally Posted by Lamebirdy

These are all great suggestions and I've contacted many of them so far, some of these rooms unfortunately are either too high or on the high end for the budget we have. Anyone know of some good rooms with piano maybe in the brooklyn area? Ideally we don't want to spend more than 800 for the day for the room, i know its a small budget but I have to work with what I've been given.
Thanks again, keep the suggestions coming.

The Barbershop in Hopatcong, NJ

An hour from the city.
Great live space
Really nice Yamaha C7
3 OD booths (1 big enough for drums)
72ch. SSL 9000K
Sick mic locker
Tons of nice pre's

$800/day??? Doubtful, but $1000 should get you in.

Also check out Spin Studios in Long Island City
Great live room
Really nice Yamaha C7
3 OD booths
72 CH (I think) SSL 4000G
Decent mics & outboard
$800/day might just do it...Worth investigating

Good luck!
-G

[Lamebirdy]

Originally Posted by thedoner

The Barbershop in Hopatcong, NJ

An hour from the city.
Great live space
Really nice Yamaha C7
3 OD booths (1 big enough for drums)
72ch. SSL 9000K
Sick mic locker
Tons of nice pre's

$800/day??? Doubtful, but $1000 should get you in.

Also check out Spin Studios in Long Island City
Great live room
Really nice Yamaha C7
3 OD booths
72 CH (I think) SSL 4000G
Decent mics & outboard
$800/day might just do it...Worth investigating

Good luck!
-G

Man I love the design of The Barbershop, its what i've wanted to do for years, maybe with a different board, but its just a beautifully designed place. So far though Carriage House looks to be my front runner, its a good room at a reasonable price, not the neve I wanted for the project but I am an SSL guy, so at least its a board I'm very familiar with. Any other places I should check out, this project won't happen for a few months time so I do have time to really research and find the perfect studio.

[Fletcher]

Originally Posted by jonathan jetter

hey Fletcher- Acme's downsized a little bit in that regard. sold the 8068 to the beastie boys like 7 or 8 years ago, i believe.....

Still - I'm sure the recording room still sounds great... and thanx for reminding me I don't get out as much as I probably should...

[Drumsound]

Originally Posted by Lamebirdy

These are all great suggestions and I've contacted many of them so far, some of these rooms unfortunately are either too high or on the high end for the budget we have. Anyone know of some good rooms with piano maybe in the brooklyn area? Ideally we don't want to spend more than 800 for the day for the room, i know its a small budget but I have to work with what I've been given.
Thanks again, keep the suggestions coming.

The Bunker in Brooklyn has a super great vibe. They have a modded Auditronics that was Joel Hamelton's, and a good bit of Neve outboard. They installed a Stienway a few months ago.

The Bunker Studio : Recording Studio

[RKelly]

Water Music in Hoboken is around $500 a day I believe Water Music Recording Studios Hoboken NJ

There's also Kaleidoscope which has an API but is a nice room around the same cost. Nova Studios on Staten Island is in the same range NOVA ENTERTAINMENT GROUP | THE STUDIO but you'd have to rent in a piano, absolutely beautiful place though, I've done a few records out there.

[Sqye]

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Another idea - if you want a UNIQUE recording space - and unique gear, as well!

The New Studio

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[jonathan jetter]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

Still - I'm sure the recording room still sounds great...

absolutely. rooms that are more expensive to build, have more outboard, or look prettier? sure. rooms where it's quicker and easier to make music sound like music? not too many, in my experience. (though i admittedly do not have experience with "A-list" rooms like Sear, Avatar, etc etc.)