So I'm Moving My Studio Into A Movie Theater This Weekend...

[ezraz]

Aw yeah, busy times! I have a low-end theory studio that's been crammed into a 3-office suite for a few years and I needed a change of pace, so I went ahead and rented a 12000 sqft former movie house to do some location recording with my experimental rock band.

I probably should have posted weeks ago and had a nice thread full of advisors but ya know, I lurk, I plan, then I do it. But yet here I am last second re-reading this subforum grabbing tips. Here's what I am taking, in a nutshell:

-- PT8LE through the Digi002R expanded to 18 inputs with the bellringer
-- Running on Core 2 Duo MBP with 8gb RAM, no expensive plug-ins
-- a few ART tube preamps
-- 5-6 good vintage-y compressors from Aphex, Ashly, ART, TC
-- 2 AT2020's, 2 other cheap condensors, 6 assorted dynamics, SM48ish
-- 2 headphone distro amps and every cord I own
-- powered Fostex nearfields and my trusty old consumer Fishers

Acoustically, we have this amazing sounding but crazy-live room with a massive slap off the back wall, and since the seats have been removed and the ceiling is a bit of a dome, it's like a cannon in the center of the room where everything collides. There's no balcony but there are 2 side boxes overlooking the stage.

We also have use of the theater's curtains, and the screen is still up. I also just picked up 10 moving blankets and plan on using them slung over stands or on walls. That's it for acoustic treamtment, so it should be a challenge avoiding the slapback and the mud.

The stage is shallow but has enough room for a drum kit and a vocal setup, and the 2 VIP boxes are awesome so here's my loose plan going in:

A-- drums on stage behind the curtain, botnick 3 way mic style. when overdubbing drums gonna use my 4-channel gate to stagger mics farther back in the huge room so the gates open based on drummers dynamics.

B-- scratch vocals in VIP box stage right looking out over room, lead vocal overdubs on stage using the natural hall reverb

C-- guitar stack and 2 mics in a closet backstage, guitarist standing on stage with drummer

D-- keyboards/gadgetmon on floor in front of stage (running direct)

E-- control room in VIP box stage left, looking out over whole band.

Then put 1 headphone distro with vocalist and the other on stage for drummer, guitarist, and keys.

Everyone is tracking into PT at once. In the big room drums from stage are bleeding into vox and maybe some guitar into drum mics. But after initial jam of 10-20 takes then we can overdub individually

OK, gonna wrap up the initial post, ask ??s or make suggestions, please. We are also gonna use the managers office to set up a zoom and some mics for a side-idea setup, and putting the hospitality lounge in the projection booth, should be fun!

Finally if you are gonna be in Cleveland this weekend email me and stop in! We love sluts.

[philper]

Originally Posted by ezraz

Aw yeah, busy times! I have a low-end theory studio that's been crammed into a 3-office suite for a few years and I needed a change of pace, so I went ahead and rented a 12000 sqft former movie house to do some location recording with my experimental rock band.

I probably should have posted weeks ago and had a nice thread full of advisors but ya know, I lurk, I plan, then I do it. But yet here I am last second re-reading this subforum grabbing tips. Here's what I am taking, in a nutshell:

-- PT8LE through the Digi002R expanded to 18 inputs with the bellringer
-- Running on Core 2 Duo MBP with 8gb RAM, no expensive plug-ins
-- a few ART tube preamps
-- 5-6 good vintage-y compressors from Aphex, Ashly, ART, TC
-- 2 AT2020's, 2 other cheap condensors, 6 assorted dynamics, SM48ish
-- 2 headphone distro amps and every cord I own
-- powered Fostex nearfields and my trusty old consumer Fishers

Acoustically, we have this amazing sounding but crazy-live room with a massive slap off the back wall, and since the seats have been removed and the ceiling is a bit of a dome, it's like a cannon in the center of the room where everything collides. There's no balcony but there are 2 side boxes overlooking the stage.

We also have use of the theater's curtains, and the screen is still up. I also just picked up 10 moving blankets and plan on using them slung over stands or on walls. That's it for acoustic treamtment, so it should be a challenge avoiding the slapback and the mud.

The stage is shallow but has enough room for a drum kit and a vocal setup, and the 2 VIP boxes are awesome so here's my loose plan going in:

A-- drums on stage behind the curtain, botnick 3 way mic style. when overdubbing drums gonna use my 4-channel gate to stagger mics farther back in the huge room so the gates open based on drummers dynamics.

B-- scratch vocals in VIP box stage right looking out over room, lead vocal overdubs on stage using the natural hall reverb

C-- guitar stack and 2 mics in a closet backstage, guitarist standing on stage with drummer

D-- keyboards/gadgetmon on floor in front of stage (running direct)

E-- control room in VIP box stage left, looking out over whole band.

Then put 1 headphone distro with vocalist and the other on stage for drummer, guitarist, and keys.

Everyone is tracking into PT at once. In the big room drums from stage are bleeding into vox and maybe some guitar into drum mics. But after initial jam of 10-20 takes then we can overdub individually

OK, gonna wrap up the initial post, ask ??s or make suggestions, please. We are also gonna use the managers office to set up a zoom and some mics for a side-idea setup, and putting the hospitality lounge in the projection booth, should be fun!

Finally if you are gonna be in Cleveland this weekend email me and stop in! We love sluts.

With all that and a few brewskis for afterwords I'd say you were set for more fun than should be legal. Have a great session. My only suggestion--go with the weird vibe of the place in everything, don't try to turn it into a regular studio or a regular session.

phil p

[radeng]

Put a mic up in the "dome" for some crazy room tone.

Recording studios in old theaters and churches are cool. Have fun!

[ezraz]

Originally Posted by radeng

Put a mic up in the "dome" for some crazy room tone.

Recording studios in old theaters and churches are cool. Have fun!

Any crazy ideas on how to get up there and mount something? It's about 30 feet up and all I have so far are outdoor house ladders but nothing to lean them against so no good. I'm gonna go on a scavenger hunt first thing.

Yes should be fun.... I will post a few pics soon. THis forum software kinda hates me. I'm gonna check my iphone app.

[ezraz]

Originally Posted by philper

With all that and a few brewskis for afterwords I'd say you were set for more fun than should be legal. Have a great session. My only suggestion--go with the weird vibe of the place in everything, don't try to turn it into a regular studio or a regular session.

phil p

oh yes celebratory brewskis shall be consumed.

thx for that tip, i've been thinking about it all day. it's trippin me out, i'm not even sure on my budget and timeframe i can transform the place at all. i just hope i can sound check and mic place and level set myself into a nice spot and let the surroundings take over. this band is best when improvising and showing off and zoning out so i'm thinking some magic can happen if i get the gear out of the way.

[ezraz]

another thing we are gonna play with -- the curtains. open and closed, even opening or closing during songs, what i call the very analog envelope automation.

[oldeanalogueguy]

Originally Posted by ezraz

Aw yeah, busy times! I have a low-end theory studio that's been crammed into a 3-office suite for a few years and I needed a change of pace, so I went ahead and rented a 12000 sqft former movie house to do some location recording with my experimental rock band.

I probably should have posted weeks ago and had a nice thread full of advisors but ya know, I lurk, I plan, then I do it. But yet here I am last second re-reading this subforum grabbing tips. Here's what I am taking, in a nutshell:

-- PT8LE through the Digi002R expanded to 18 inputs with the bellringer
-- Running on Core 2 Duo MBP with 8gb RAM, no expensive plug-ins
-- a few ART tube preamps
-- 5-6 good vintage-y compressors from Aphex, Ashly, ART, TC
-- 2 AT2020's, 2 other cheap condensors, 6 assorted dynamics, SM48ish
-- 2 headphone distro amps and every cord I own
-- powered Fostex nearfields and my trusty old consumer Fishers

Acoustically, we have this amazing sounding but crazy-live room with a massive slap off the back wall, and since the seats have been removed and the ceiling is a bit of a dome, it's like a cannon in the center of the room where everything collides. There's no balcony but there are 2 side boxes overlooking the stage.

We also have use of the theater's curtains, and the screen is still up. I also just picked up 10 moving blankets and plan on using them slung over stands or on walls. That's it for acoustic treamtment, so it should be a challenge avoiding the slapback and the mud.

The stage is shallow but has enough room for a drum kit and a vocal setup, and the 2 VIP boxes are awesome so here's my loose plan going in:

A-- drums on stage behind the curtain, botnick 3 way mic style. when overdubbing drums gonna use my 4-channel gate to stagger mics farther back in the huge room so the gates open based on drummers dynamics.

B-- scratch vocals in VIP box stage right looking out over room, lead vocal overdubs on stage using the natural hall reverb

C-- guitar stack and 2 mics in a closet backstage, guitarist standing on stage with drummer

D-- keyboards/gadgetmon on floor in front of stage (running direct)

E-- control room in VIP box stage left, looking out over whole band.

Then put 1 headphone distro with vocalist and the other on stage for drummer, guitarist, and keys.

Everyone is tracking into PT at once. In the big room drums from stage are bleeding into vox and maybe some guitar into drum mics. But after initial jam of 10-20 takes then we can overdub individually

OK, gonna wrap up the initial post, ask ??s or make suggestions, please. We are also gonna use the managers office to set up a zoom and some mics for a side-idea setup, and putting the hospitality lounge in the projection booth, should be fun!

Finally if you are gonna be in Cleveland this weekend email me and stop in! We love sluts.

good luck

i would not have tried to use that space

let us know how it worked out

[ezraz]

ok, it's over! sure enough i am sore. sure enough it sounded amazing in there. sure enough it didn't go as smoothly as i had hoped. but sure enough, some magic happened.

poll result-- the 2nd option. we have 1 song just about done, 2 songs half-done, and a few more ideas and jam sessions captured. i had about 8-10 mics up total using every cable i own (or that we could beg/borrow).

had the drums center stage with 4 mics (vintage shure under snare pointing at the wires, AT2020 2 feet in front of kick a foot from the floor, and then 2 side mics about 2.5 feet out at cymbal height pointing at the snare). this is my modified botnick style that adds the under snare mic for more pop.

i set up a little vocal booth in the VIP box stage right and using mic placement didn't get too much drums in the vocal mix. used a nice old sennheiser dynamic for vox instead of my usual condenser in hopes of less bleed. seemed to work.

had the guitarist put his stacks in the green room area sidestage and run his pedalboard on stage next to the drummer. this wasn't perfect but we really weren't trying to track guitars, just guide the drummer and vocalist along. we did track guitar for 1 song by running an out from his fender amp to a solid-state speaker stack in another room. we then miced each one and closed the doors.

my keys and gadget rig was on the floor in front of the stage, running direct out of my submixer. this was used for scratch bass lines and writing more than recording.

up in the VIP box stage left was my recording rig and desk (actually a wobbly work table!).

here's a pic to give you an idea of the space:

[ray_subsonic]

God !!! That is an AMAZING Auditorium !!! All White .. Did you ever feel that you were in a "Heaven" Scene ??

[Bibster]

Originally Posted by ray_subsonic

God !!! That is an AMAZING Auditorium !!! All White .. Did you ever feel that you were in a "Heaven" Scene ??

Ray, you had too much Monty Python I presume...

[hbphotoav]

Originally Posted by Bibster

Ray, you had too much Monty Python I presume...

Can there be such a thing as "too much Monty Python"...?

To bring it back on-topic... I loved the sound of the old-school AKG the soloist was using. Ethereal, but meaty...

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by ray_subsonic

God !!! That is an AMAZING Auditorium !!! All White .. Did you ever feel that you were in a "Heaven" Scene ??

I was thinking Woody Allen's Sleeper.

Suddenly, I want to eat steak, chocolate cake, and finish it with a ciggy!

[ezraz]

Originally Posted by ray_subsonic

God !!! That is an AMAZING Auditorium !!! All White .. Did you ever feel that you were in a "Heaven" Scene ??

It was pretty amazing, what a space! It was built in 1927 as a vaudeville and movie theater, complete with pipe organ that retracted into the basement under the stage. The organ was pulled out sometime before it closed as a movie theater in 1991. I myself went to see many movies there in the 80's so it was surreal having run of the place.

It of course was not white and pink when it was an open theater. i wish i had a picture of it at it's heyday but i don't (and seemingly neither does the landlord, sadly). some guy bought it in the 90's and attempted to turn it into a car showcase to show off his collection of classic cars, hence the weird white paint scheme and the seats being removed.

I'm in the process of talking the owners into using their grant money to restore it into a community music center and production space. If any of you slutz want to help in this noble cause please hit me up!