Golden Gate Studios, San Francisco -- Has Anyone Seen This Place?

[ltemma74]

GOLDEN GATE RECORDING STUDIO

At 3200 sq. ft., it's quite spacious for the downtown/civic center area. Decidedly old school vibe with the vintage gear to back it up. Right under my nose and I'd never heard of it until recently. The amp and guitar collection caught my attention at first but then I saw that console and the outboard and the EMT plates...

I dropped a line to the studio owner and will hopefully meet up with him soon to check the place out. Does anyone know about this spot? Has anyone been there? Seems really cool to me so naturally I'm curious as to what all ye sluts make of this place.

[bee]

Wow, that place looks amazing. I'd like to have those flickinger comps.

[TornadoTed]

NICE That Calrec console is beautiful, I want one!

[AmongstTheLiving]

Whoa.

[spicemix]

First I've heard of this one, but there are several rooms roughly like this in SF. You never hear about them, there are no credits to be found, but there is ghear. And ggghhheeeearrr. And GEAR!

Why do you think all those vintage prices have gone so crazy? It's all picked up by collectors. Commercial studios can't afford that stuff anymore...what they usually have is what's left over from their early days, or stuff collectors have parked with them.

I have no problem with people creating scarcities in the vintage market...it means there's demand for modern products which keeps that art alive, and funding for maintenance to preserve the legacy.

[Whoopysnorp]

Jeez...dude spent so much money on gear, he couldn't afford to proofread his web copy. "wired with the shorted possible signal path", "Our one of a kind equipment list is complimented by the 3200 sq ft facility"...

[oudplayer]

Never heard of the studio or of the owner 'till now...

[bluesbaz]

I did the walk through, I'm fairly sure that console is two joined together he had a second gutted "parts" console in another room. The place isint really setup for recording, in the classic sense, its the basement of a community center in San Francisco's tenderloin. I believe the only thing keeping the place from being booked every day is the lack of an HD rig. The studio is the best equipped space in town and the owner is a nice guy. This place is definitely the oh-my-god topic of discussion around town. I cant understand why he doesn't sell two pieces of gear and hook up a DAW of some kind. I really do look forward to my first session there.
-s

[Blewgrass]

My buddies band cut their demo around the corner at Hyde Street.... they got the neve and the client list....looks like Golden Gate might have him on the outboard stuff, but Hyde has the mics, the name recognition.... which we all know is pretty important...

The GG studio has major potential... Zero client list and no mention of it being a new studio begs some questions.


Hyde Street Studios – Professional recording in San Francisco, California

[tapehiss]

i just checked out that site and spurt one off in my pants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Blewgrass]

The guitar amp collection is off the hook!

[FeatheredSerpent]

Jesus Christ.

But don't you guys think it's sad that all anyone ever goes on about is analogue this and tape that and blah ****ing blah and this guy isn't getting business because he doesn't have an HD rig?

Isn't that the world gone mad?

I would kill to produce in that studio.

[themaidsroom]

beautiful
2 A827's
fantastic

[666666]

60 channels of Calrec PQ-15 modules, with GML automation...?

WOW - that's a seriously sweet set-up... really nice.

PQ-15s are awesome.

[radicalron]

Dang! - And I thought I had the best 60's Blackface Fender Amp Collection in S.F.
At least I got him beat by a mile in the Boutique Guitar Collection though.
= Looks like a cool spot!

[radicalron]

I think this simple fact that he does not have the PT-HD rig is a huge bonus. = It means the dude has EARS - and knows what sounds good - and what sound like crap in a box!

[RasCricket]

Originally Posted by FeatheredSerpent

Jesus Christ.

But don't you guys think it's sad that all anyone ever goes on about is analogue this and tape that and blah ****ing blah and this guy isn't getting business because he doesn't have an HD rig?

Isn't that the world gone mad?

I would kill to produce in that studio.

Nope. Youre not crazy. And yes, the world has gone mad in that regard.

[FeatheredSerpent]

His website is awful though, he obviously has no clue how to sell himself. I really should go to the US and do some PR

[pwn]

Wow, this place is amazing! Shit, why not bring your own HD rig?

[FeatheredSerpent]

Here's what I would do.

You've found a great band, they are dedicated, have great songs, and they've rehearsed them well, in other words, they are all ready miles ahead of 95% of the competition.

You get them in to your project studio for pre-prod.

You gather your great musicians and drive them over to that studio, where you've booked time to record through his pres, comps and eq, and get the tracks to tape.

Transfer to a couple of HD24XRs or similar. Then go back home to project studio and make your edits in your own time and not on someone else's clock.
You get the band in to make sure they are happy with what you've comped together, you finalise the song arrangements etc.
All this is itb and still on seperate tracks, no summing, no grouping, no extra conversion stages other than the one you made from tape to disk at the studio.

You jump back in the car and head back to the studio where you stream the edited tracks back out, mixing through the calrec and his orgasmic array of outboard, before committing the mix to his half inch 2 track.
You also make stem groups of the mix and record them back in to a few tracks of one of the XRs for backup/archive purposes and to make sure that you have some degree of flexibility shoudl you want to go back to adjust the mix but not have to shell out for more studio time.

And everyone goes home happy.

Who needs plug-ins in that situation?

The guy has got the entire UAD plug collection there in the flesh! Incredible.

[audiogeek]

i'm bummed that it doesn't show the live room, or the iso's...

[mrcalrec]

Hi guys,
I am the owner of the Golden Gate Recording Studio downtown San Francisco. Yes I admit, I am the biggest slut of all. This is the 4th recording studio I’ve built over the years. My first was a 4 track Tascam cassette and a 16 channel BiAmp console in the mid 70s. I acquired most on my good gear back in the day when used 1176s were $400 and Fender blackface Bassmans were sold all day at pawn shops for $100 (dam internet). Always had an ear for the good stuff and never sold anything that was important towards making great recordings.
I will try to get some good main room pics on my Mickey Mouse web site soon.

Nice to see everyone’s comments! Thanks

[ScumBum]

Nice to meet you mrcalrec , nice studio , cool that its in SF .

[drezz]

Originally Posted by mrcalrec

Hi guys,
I am the owner of the Golden Gate Recording Studio downtown San Francisco. Yes I admit, I am the biggest slut of all. This is the 4th recording studio I’ve built over the years. My first was a 4 track Tascam cassette and a 16 channel BiAmp console in the mid 70s. I acquired most on my good gear back in the day when used 1176s were $400 and Fender blackface Bassmans were sold all day at pawn shops for $100 (dam internet). Always had an ear for the good stuff and never sold anything that was important towards making great recordings.
I will try to get some good main room pics on my Mickey Mouse web site soon.

Nice to see everyone’s comments! Thanks

That's the one!!!!!

All i can say is .........WOW!!!

mrcalrec..........You have one awesome setup there!!! Absolutely fantastic............bags of vibe and gorgeous kit.........well done sir!!!
Love it!!! Need an experienced english engineer by any chance? e!!!
Would love to come and record there someday!
All the best...........