Your ideal tracking space...

[TRW]

OK - so I'd like for you to indulge me a little...

What do you guys desire in a tracking space, that is:

1. Number of rooms?
2. Material of room contruction?
3. Sizes - H,W,D and level of isolation?
4. Visual sight lines and natural light?
5. Iso booths - yes or no?
6. Guitar cab isos?
7. Gobos - how would you want?

If you could build your perfect tracking space what would it consist of?

On top of the live spaces - what gear would you have in the control room?

Specifically:

1. Monitoring - bigs, nears & minis?
2. Console or Preamps? Please limit yourself to 16-24 channels, one or two types not a jumbled list of every kind of preamp ever made...I don't believe that many choces are essential.
3. Tape and/or DAW?
4. Converters?
5. A few essential tracking EQs and Compressors - not a big list, just those you couldn't live without.

Thanks for your time. I'd appreciate the repsonses. This is purely hypothetical at this point, but may end up a reality sometime, somewhere, on another bat channel...

Tom

[Clueless]

Originally Posted by TRW

OK - so I'd like for you to indulge me a little...

What do you guys desire in a tracking space, that is:

1. Number of rooms? => 4-6
2. Material of room contruction? => acoustics integrated with architectural design
3. Sizes - H,W,D and level of isolation? => 24 x 31 x 43, STC 90+ (20" thick walls)
4. Visual sight lines and natural light? => all spaces visually connected to CR
5. Iso booths - yes or no? => yes
6. Guitar cab isos? => yes, preferably up to 3
7. Gobos - how would you want? => yes, enough for chamber orch. recording

If you could build your perfect tracking space what would it consist of?

This:

If you want to see this studio coming out of the ground, read here.

[TRW]

Thanks Clueless,

Thats an epic tracking room you're building. Kudos to you.

STC 90+ is a good spec to aim for! Thats a lot of transmission loss. Guess those 20" thick walls will help keep the heat in too...for a more eco-friendly space?

What sort of gear would you want in there? The essentials...

Cheers T

[Clueless]

Knowing that I have an 18 month construction schedule ahead of me, I'm not stressing about gear yet. On my radar screen are (in rough order):

Console: ICON, SSL Duality, Neve Genesys, API Vision
Main monitors: Griffin G1.5 (or G1), Genelec 1039, Adam s6a MkII
Surround monitors: yes (still very undecided)
Cable: Mogami

But I am expecting that a lot will change in the next 1-2 year. George Massenberg might be right (that digital catches analog), in which case I'll sell my 8200, 8900, keep my 8034 (preamps), and go ITB. Or he might be wrong, in which case I'll keep the above, plus my Distressors, Alan Smart C-2, API 2500, etc. Honestly I believe that if you can get the sound that makes the client happy, they'll be happy. I'm thinking that 2008 will be a great year to be shopping for 2009 gear. And fun, too!

[TRW]

Awesome. So essentially, we're looking at your choices as: a big ass live room with many booths, great isolation and sight lines. Some main monitoring, possibly surround capable, GML outboard plus a few tasty comps...and maybe a console.

Cool anyone else?

I'm really after room info - so things like live room with stone wall or high ceilings...carpet or no carpet section. Live room/dead room approach? etc etc

Thanks Tom

[Drumsound]

I'd like a really large room with a bunch of booths.

At least some of the booths would be big enough for people to be in them during tracking. Specifically I'd like at least one of them to be big enough for drums and fairly controlled. I also envision a keyboard room with a B3, a nice grand, my upright piano, the Wulry and a bunch of synths and a Clavinet. There would be a large door for taking any of the instruments out to the live room easily.

The live room would be big enough for a big-band or a chamber ensemble. I'd like to be able to vary the acoustics, light simple gobos would be fine for this. They could also be used for live tracking without headphones but with some control. There would be speakers in the live room to use it as a chamber. The ceiling would be at least 15 feet and mostly treated. Wood or 12x12 linoleum tiles (like Bill Putnam used in most of his rooms) floors, but there would be several rugs at the ready.

The control room would have enough room for bunch of people to not feel crowded. I think I'd like the racks behind me while I mix at the front of the slight step up where the couches live. I'd like a space in the middle for the steps up. I'd like the sound of the room to not change much as people move around the space. There would also be a machine room to keep the noisy fans away from me. I think there would be some type of big monitors, but I have no clue what type. Possibly the Griffin because I'd most likely have Fran Manzella design the joint. Of course I'd have near fields as well. I do like my Truth Audio's and I know how they sound.

The (64 channel?) API console would be connected to a pair of JH24s or A800s with a sync system and both 24 and 16 track heads. An ATR 102 for mix down would be the end of the chain. I'd put a pair of S-Nyquist RADAR V for those times when digital was necessary. I might add a Neve sidecar or get a bunch of Aurora GTQ2s. A TC 6000 and that big Kurzwiel along with an Eventide of some sorts and a couple of PCM 41 and 42 would be in the effects section. There would be lots of compressors including a Drawmer '68 or two, 4 distressors, a GML, 1176 or MC77 pair, 2500 and many others. Some cool EQs would round out the racks.

The mic closet would have all the usual suspects except for the curious lack of SM57/58, but I'd allow an SM7 or two. All models would be at least pairs, a bunch of mics that start with U and Elam and C that need power supplies. Just about everything Beyer makes, 421, 441, the Heil stuff, EV (old and some new), a bunch of the Blue mics including Bottle with all the capsules, of and the AEA and Royer stuff too.

The storage rooms would be filled with Fender, Marshall, Gibson, Leslie, Vox, Matchless, Ampeg, Gretsch, Zildjian, Musser, Degan and many others.

The lounge would have a pinball machine, a poker table and a Wii connected the big screen with DVD surround system. The kitchen would be separate.

Dream over...

[matta]

Hey Tom,

Hope you are well my friend, sound like and interesting prospect you have going here!

Not to throw any spanners into the works but can one really amortize a NEW large commercial facility in todays market? A select few can, but most of these individuals are independently wealthy and can afford to have it be a loss leader... most can't.

More and more we are seeing many mix engineers moving towards mixing ITB box: Mike Shipley, Tchad Blake and Kevin Killen come to mind off hand and are getting acceptable and pleasing results. I'm sure, in fact I know, in many of these cases it has been for monetary reasons, it allows them to take on more work without the overheads of paying a studio for every session and they can keep more off each project... and that is even with studio rates are at an all time low at the moment.

With the advent of home recording it has meant a decline in artists/bands entering the BIG studios, at least not in the way of yesteryear where one would lock out a studio for a month or more at a time... now it is in for a day or 2 to tracks drums, possibly a few overdubs, but most of the work is done in personal/home studios.

I faced a similar dilemma myself earlier this year when I moved my home studio into a 'commercial' facility. I had to make a choice as to what I could afford to do in todays market place and found my niche in building a small, but comfortable tracking studio.

We only have 2 booths, a small vocal booth' (6m2), big enough for 2-3 singers or an upright bass player and larger 'drums booth' (16m2) large enough for a 5-6 piece kit and space for the bass player and my control room houses a few keyboards and modules.

Here is an older pic of what the space looked like just after opening (though it has undergone many changes since then)



90% of my work comes from the home studio/project studio owner who wants to come in and track drums/bass through great mics (U67, SM57's, SM7, D112, B52, MD-421's etc) and pres (Neve, API, Spectra Sonics, Quad-Eight, Telefunken, JLM, Hamptone) with some nice outboard bits(LA-2A, 1176, Compex, Gainbrains, GSSL, Auditronics etc) and I rarely see them for more than a couple of days before they move on to another 'smaller' studios. I actually encourage it, it just isn't economical for them to sit and use me as a PT editor/operator when they can get a guy 1/3 of my price with an Mbox comping/editing drums/vocals in his bedroom.

Doing this has allowed me to keep my overheads low as most of the gear I've owned for several years, many of which I've built/racked myself and my building costs were kept to a minimum. This has allowed me to only need to be busy 8 days a month to payback all my loans & expenses and within 6 months I was drawing my first salary.

In my neighborhood I have access to and freelance out of a large commercial studio with a HUGE liveroom/auditorium based on a 1950's BBC variety theater (seats 250 people) with 2 great pianos, a Bosendorfer and Steinway and 2 large tracking rooms with a decent outboard selection, 32 input AMEK Rembrandt and HD4 rig.... I can count on 1 hand how many times this year for my own projects I've needed to go in to record there and they cost 3-4 times what I charge, most clients prefer to work out of my space for budgetary reasons and caters for most of their needs.

I know many others here will not agree with me, but many will... I'm happy to provide you with gear recommendations none-the-less when I have a few more minutes to space, I just wanted to put this out there.

Cheers

Matt

[raal]

congrats clueless! wow... beautiful... the place and the scenery

the only thing i'd add that hasn't been mentioned is maybe these for main monitors: Ocean Way Audio heard them at AES. man i wish my room were bigger.

and barefoots for nearfields.

Originally Posted by TRW

[*]Console or Preamps? Please limit yourself to 16-24 channels, one or two types not a jumbled list of every kind of preamp ever made...I don't believe that many choces are essential.

have several pres here but if i had to pick only two types it would be API and Neve (and maybe sneak a coupla V72s in there ).

[matta]

Right.... onto gear...

Mics first... limiting to the 24 mics for the 16-24 channels you proposed.

1 x AKG D112 (Dynamic)
1 x B52 (Dynamic)
4 x Shure SM57's (Dynamic)
2 x Shure SM58's (Dynamic)
2 x Shure SM7 or EV RE-201's (Dynamic)
4 x Sennheiser MD-421's (Dynamics
1 x Neumann U67 (Valve LDC)
2 x Neumann U87's (LDC)
2 x AKG C414's (LDC)
2 x Neumann KM184's or AKG C451 (SDC)
1 x Royer 121 (Ribbon)
2 x Coles 4038's (Ribbon)

Compressors/EQ's:

1 x Universal Audio LA-2A
2 x Universal Audio 1176
1 x SSL G4000 Buss Compressor
1 x Empirical Labs FATSO
2 x Empirical Labs Distressor's EL8X
1 x SPL Transient Design 4
1 x 10 space API 500 series rack loaded with 4 x 550A's, 4 x 550B's and 2 x 560's
1 x GML 8200
1 x Tube-Tech PE 1C

Mic Pres (24 channels):

2 x Brent Averill 1073's/1084's (Best value for money 'classic' type Neve designs)
1 x GML 2020 (2 channels)
2 x API 3124+ (8 channels of API 312's)
1 x 10 space API 500 series rack loaded with 2 x A-Designs P1's, 2 x Great River MP500-NV, 2 x Buzz Audio Elixirs & 2 x Purple Audio The Biz.
2 x Chandler Germanium Mic Pre
1 x Universal Audio 2-610 (2 Channels of Valve Mic Pre) or Telefunken V72's/V76's

RE console or not... it depends on your workflow and what you plan to offer as your recording medium. If you go with DAW set-up a control surface wouldn't go a miss and can share from my own personal experience it improves workflow and productivity, though more so with mixing.

If you go the console route you might want to go for a good value for money professional console like the Audient ACS8024. It combines a small format control surface (Command 8 or Mackie HUI) with a large format console offering great value for money EQ's and routing capabilities plus you miss the wonderful headache of restoring an older console and they are made in the UK and looks /sound beautiful.

Just a few thoughts I had over a cuppa tea.

RE rooms, line of sight is SOOOOO important, all of my rooms have line of sign with the others and I can't tell you how comfortable it makes musicians feel.

Cheers

Matt

[Fletcher]

Originally Posted by TRW

What do you guys desire in a tracking space, that is:

1. Number of rooms?
2. Material of room contruction?
3. Sizes - H,W,D and level of isolation?
4. Visual sight lines and natural light?
5. Iso booths - yes or no?
6. Guitar cab isos?
7. Gobos - how would you want?

If you could build your perfect tracking space what would it consist of?

1. 4; 3 small, 1 huge
2. Each booth would have a different character... big room would be brick walls, wood and steel beam ceiling with diffusion and absorbtion, floors would be wood with a ton of area 'throw rugs' available
3. Huge room 43x45x16... iso rooms less than that... NC-25 would be more than fine.
4. Sight lines? Definitely!!! Natural light? Defintely NOT!!
5. Yes
6. No
7. 10 or so should do it

On top of the live spaces - what gear would you have in the control room?

Specifically:

1. Monitoring - bigs, nears & minis?
2. Console or Preamps? Please limit yourself to 16-24 channels, one or two types not a jumbled list of every kind of preamp ever made...I don't believe that many choces are essential.
3. Tape and/or DAW?
4. Converters?
5. A few essential tracking EQs and Compressors - not a big list, just those you couldn't live without.

1. I have "bigs" "nears" and a "mono mini"
2. Console & pre-amps... if I had my way about it the desk would be an A-Range... pre's would be from Hardy, NPNG, Chandler, Crane Song LTD. Martech Fearn, Great River and a few others I'm forgetting
3. Both tape and DAW
4. iZ / Apogee... and a few Lynx for extra stuff
5. MC-77's plural, EQ-NV's, Portico 5033's, 1968, Quartet II (x2), Germanium Comps and Tone controls... and a bunch of other stuff I can't think of at the moment.

[jwl]

I've always wondered what it would be like to have a large tracking room, with booths off to the side that have large doors going into them.... the idea being that you could open or close the door depending on how much room sound you want.

I often find that bands play better together when they don't have to use headphones, and they can just hear one another.

With a setup like this you could put amps in the booths, but leave the doors open so that people could still hear each other.

Arrangement would be critical; you'd have to set it up such that you could get room mics "looking" at all the instruments directly, yet there were walls between the amps/drums to still provide some isolation.

Kind of a best of both worlds approach. I imagine there are studios like this, but if I was gonna build a multi-room facility from scratch, that's how I'd do it....

Of course it would have a killer control room as well....

[whitepapagold]

I always love on the aesthetic side a little mojo- this room always felt SO 70s and the drum booth on the right, though absolutely TERRIBLE sonically, had a huge disco ball.... I never used the booth but I always loved how it felt in the room. Hard to forget the 70s with that color scheme and layout...

Now all the iso booths are gone and the room has gone or is going video....

I say a great vibe is fundamental. A personal touch. Visual theme.

Of course sonics first... But I hate to say I still want to recreate that drum booth someday, captains wheel and all- maybe in a house...

[Greg Curtis]

Originally Posted by TRW

OK - so I'd like for you to indulge me a little...

What do you guys desire in a tracking space, that is:

1. Number of rooms?
2. Material of room contruction?
3. Sizes - H,W,D and level of isolation?
4. Visual sight lines and natural light?
5. Iso booths - yes or no?
6. Guitar cab isos?
7. Gobos - how would you want?

If you could build your perfect tracking space what would it consist of?

On top of the live spaces - what gear would you have in the control room?

Specifically:

1. Monitoring - bigs, nears & minis?
2. Console or Preamps? Please limit yourself to 16-24 channels, one or two types not a jumbled list of every kind of preamp ever made...I don't believe that many choces are essential.
3. Tape and/or DAW?
4. Converters?
5. A few essential tracking EQs and Compressors - not a big list, just those you couldn't live without.

Thanks for your time. I'd appreciate the repsonses. This is purely hypothetical at this point, but may end up a reality sometime, somewhere, on another bat channel...

Tom

1. A large 4,000 sq ft live room with 40' ceiling height, 2 large 300 sq ft isos, 1 small iso.

2. Wood and cement

3. NC 10

4. Yes

5. Yes, see above

6. No

7. Yes, about 20 of various sizes

8. No soffits, 3 Wilson Maxx LCR, 6 Genelec 1032 for surrounds. Large array of smalls.

9. 100 channel Neve 88RS

10. 4 Studer 827, 2 ProTools HD7 systems, 48 input.

11. Apogee

12. 4 LA2A, 4 1176, 4 Dbx 160, 2 TC 6000, 4 Lexicon 960L

mics:

7 M50 (3 DECCA, 4 Rooms)
3 C12
2 251
5 M49
4 U47
6 U67
6 U87
8 Schoeps pairs
4 C12a
4 414TLII
6 R121
6 451
6 KM 84


.

[TRW]

Originally Posted by Drumsound

I'd like a really large room with a bunch of booths.

At least some of the booths would be big enough for people to be in them during tracking. Specifically I'd like at least one of them to be big enough for drums and fairly controlled. I also envision a keyboard room with a B3, a nice grand, my upright piano, the Wulry and a bunch of synths and a Clavinet. There would be a large door for taking any of the instruments out to the live room easily.

Absolutely! Thanks for your reply - and you also bring up an interesting point about backline - how important is it to have a cool collection of vintage synths/kets and amps? Is a good backline more important than some 'flavour of the month' XYZ preamp?

Originally Posted by Drumsound

The live room would be big enough for a big-band or a chamber ensemble. I'd like to be able to vary the acoustics, light simple gobos would be fine for this. They could also be used for live tracking without headphones but with some control. There would be speakers in the live room to use it as a chamber. The ceiling would be at least 15 feet and mostly treated. Wood or 12x12 linoleum tiles (like Bill Putnam used in most of his rooms) floors, but there would be several rugs at the ready.

Vintage vibe! Like it - in the last place we 'nearly' put together we were planning on soffit mounting some playback speakers to facilitate live room as chamber too...

Originally Posted by Drumsound

The control room would have enough room for bunch of people to not feel crowded. I think I'd like the racks behind me while I mix at the front of the slight step up where the couches live. I'd like a space in the middle for the steps up. I'd like the sound of the room to not change much as people move around the space.

Again, absolutely essential is off-axis frequency response...monitor choice would echo that too.

I also like the raised rear 'mezzanine' apprach, but would prefer the racks to the side/front - more in line with a mastering room, negating the use of an LFC.

Originally Posted by Drumsound

The (64 channel?) API console would be connected to a pair of JH24s or A800s with a sync system and both 24 and 16 track heads. An ATR 102 for mix down would be the end of the chain. I'd put a pair of S-Nyquist RADAR V for those times when digital was necessary. I might add a Neve sidecar or get a bunch of Aurora GTQ2s. A TC 6000 and that big Kurzwiel along with an Eventide of some sorts and a couple of PCM 41 and 42 would be in the effects section. There would be lots of compressors including a Drawmer '68 or two, 4 distressors, a GML, 1176 or MC77 pair, 2500 and many others. Some cool EQs would round out the racks.

I know this is dream land for the minute - but is a 64-ch API 'essential' in a tracking facility? I'm down with your choice of outboard though - a few good verbs/time based boxes and a couple of versatile compressors.

Originally Posted by Drumsound

The mic closet would have all the usual suspects except for the curious lack of SM57/58, but I'd allow an SM7 or two. All models would be at least pairs, a bunch of mics that start with U and Elam and C that need power supplies. Just about everything Beyer makes, 421, 441, the Heil stuff, EV (old and some new), a bunch of the Blue mics including Bottle with all the capsules, of and the AEA and Royer stuff too.

The storage rooms would be filled with Fender, Marshall, Gibson, Leslie, Vox, Matchless, Ampeg, Gretsch, Zildjian, Musser, Degan and many others.

Again, I think backline and mic collection are more important in a tracking facility...
Thanks for your thoughts...

T

[TRW]

Originally Posted by matta

Hope you are well my friend, sound like and interesting prospect you have going here!

Heya Matt! I'm good thanks - you? Had a few days off work so started thinking bout studios again...merely hypothetical at this point...BTW thanks for the info on the 500 series EQ - looking good.

Originally Posted by matta

Not to throw any spanners into the works but can one really amortize a NEW large commercial facility in todays market? A select few can, but most of these individuals are independently wealthy and can afford to have it be a loss leader... most can't.

All good points - which is why the last place didn't pan out - not a good area, no car parking, too much refit needed and a knackered 6048E/G! LOL I agree with you....

However, myself and a few colleagues feel there is more of a market for a tracking facility and by that I mean rooms not gear. Most guys I know have spaces like you or smaller - and have to travel to London to find a really 'great' drum room or a place big enough to record strings/ensembles....

I think with the right approach a tracking facility that offers a drop in control room approach -almost 'bring your own gear' track and go home kind of thing...in which case GREAT mics, rooms and backline including grand piano are the neccessities as opposed to the obscene list of outboard gear we had for the last place!

Originally Posted by matta

More and more we are seeing many mix engineers moving towards mixing ITB box: Mike Shipley, Tchad Blake and Kevin Killen come to mind off hand and are getting acceptable and pleasing results. I'm sure, in fact I know, in many of these cases it has been for monetary reasons, it allows them to take on more work without the overheads of paying a studio for every session and they can keep more off each project... and that is even with studio rates are at an all time low at the moment.

Absolutely - any plan we have is to tie the studio with local universities as an out sources recording space to obtain bottom line income...I was just curious about peoples thoughts concerning a really GOOD tracking space - one that you would pay to use...without massive stacks of gear I think good rooms could be rented at an affordable rate, especially as its 'DIY' engineering with an assistant to help integrate into the space.

Originally Posted by matta

With the advent of home recording it has meant a decline in artists/bands entering the BIG studios, at least not in the way of yesteryear where one would lock out a studio for a month or more at a time... now it is in for a day or 2 to tracks drums, possibly a few overdubs, but most of the work is done in personal/home studios.

Precisely my point, two days of tracking, down-time with up and coming producer/engineers, block booked education slots for 25 weeks a year, radio sessions for the local stations that can't cope with live bands but would like to support local live music. Rehearsal space for larger acts...voice-over and dubbing...string work with the local orchestras and television and internet based session musicians like e-session.com etc....

Originally Posted by matta

I faced a similar dilemma myself earlier this year when I moved my home studio into a 'commercial' facility. I had to make a choice as to what I could afford to do in todays market place and found my niche in building a small, but comfortable tracking studio.

Cool glad to hear you are doing well...

I saw your pics before - looks great!

Originally Posted by matta

90% of my work comes from the home studio/project studio owner who wants to come in and track drums/bass through great mics (U67, SM57's, SM7, D112, B52, MD-421's etc) and pres (Neve, API, Spectra Sonics, Quad-Eight, Telefunken, JLM, Hamptone) with some nice outboard bits(LA-2A, 1176, Compex, Gainbrains, GSSL, Auditronics etc) and I rarely see them for more than a couple of days before they move on to another 'smaller' studios. I actually encourage it, it just isn't economical for them to sit and use me as a PT editor/operator when they can get a guy 1/3 of my price with an Mbox comping/editing drums/vocals in his bedroom.

Exactly right...

Originally Posted by matta

Doing this has allowed me to keep my overheads low as most of the gear I've owned for several years, many of which I've built/racked myself and my building costs were kept to a minimum. This has allowed me to only need to be busy 8 days a month to payback all my loans & expenses and within 6 months I was drawing my first salary.

Good job on eight days a month - our first business plan required two-days a week of full studio bookings to break even...moving to 3-4 days with education.

I'm curious as to how much people think would be a fair daily rate for a large space akin to what you have suggested here...GREAT rooms with a modest but high quality front-end to PT for 'drive-in' tracking?

Thanks again for both of your replies Matt...hows that DI/Reamp coming BTW?

Cheers T

[TRW]

Originally Posted by raal

have several pres here but if i had to pick only two types it would be API and Neve (and maybe sneak a coupla V72s in there ).

Cool - I think thats about the meat and potatoes of it - classics that are well known...

Which incidently brings me onto Matts next post...

[TRW]

Originally Posted by matta

Right.... onto gear...

Alright lets do it!

Originally Posted by matta

Mics first... limiting to the 24 mics for the 16-24 channels you proposed.

1 x AKG D112 (Dynamic)
1 x B52 (Dynamic)
4 x Shure SM57's (Dynamic)
2 x Shure SM58's (Dynamic)
2 x Shure SM7 or EV RE-201's (Dynamic)
4 x Sennheiser MD-421's (Dynamics
1 x Neumann U67 (Valve LDC)
2 x Neumann U87's (LDC)
2 x AKG C414's (LDC)
2 x Neumann KM184's or AKG C451 (SDC)
1 x Royer 121 (Ribbon)
2 x Coles 4038's (Ribbon)

Thats a fair mic list...nothing too outrageous just well-proven choices.

Here's what we had down last time I looked...some we already have, most hypothetical new purchases:

2 x Horch RM2J or similar...Wunder GT maybe
2 x Royer R121
2 x Coles 4038
1 x Josephson e22S
2 x Beyer M160
1 x Beyer M130
2 x Beyer M88
2 x Schoeps CMC6 with Cardioid and Omni Capsules
2 x DPA 4006 or Josephson C617-SET
2 x Microtech-Geffel UMT71s
2 x Microtech-Geffel M930s
1 x Shure SM7B
1 x Audix D6
1 x Heil PR40
1 x Heil PR30
2 x Subkicks
1 x Soundfield A-Format (the little new one...)
Plus various battered old dynamics like e609s, SM57s and 58s etc

Its so easy to build up crazy lists of mics - I love 'em!

Originally Posted by matta

Compressors/EQ's:
1 x Universal Audio LA-2A
2 x Universal Audio 1176
1 x SSL G4000 Buss Compressor
1 x Empirical Labs FATSO
2 x Empirical Labs Distressor's EL8X
1 x SPL Transient Design 4
1 x 10 space API 500 series rack loaded with 4 x 550A's, 4 x 550B's and 2 x 560's
1 x GML 8200
1 x Tube-Tech PE 1C

Surprised by the lack of DIY gear there! Which incidently brings me to my next point - what are your thoughts on DIY pieces in a commercial facility - is it a case of "I don't know that, who makes it? Oh, I'm not using it...got any REAL Neve"...?

I'd say for a tracking space you could do away with some of those EQs if you had to, but again not a crazy list...I lust after a GML 8900 myself.

Originally Posted by matta

Mic Pres (24 channels):

2 x Brent Averill 1073's/1084's (Best value for money 'classic' type Neve designs)
1 x GML 2020 (2 channels)
2 x API 3124+ (8 channels of API 312's)
1 x 10 space API 500 series rack loaded with 2 x A-Designs P1's, 2 x Great River MP500-NV, 2 x Buzz Audio Elixirs & 2 x Purple Audio The Biz.
2 x Chandler Germanium Mic Pre
1 x Universal Audio 2-610 (2 Channels of Valve Mic Pre) or Telefunken V72's/V76's

Again - no DIY gear? LOL Lots of flavours - I suppose you find that personally better? or is that a request from clients?

I'm leaning towards the following:

16 channels of meat and potatoes pre - transformer based, Neve-like...
8 channels of amazing clean, likely Forssell JMP-1 based.
2 channels of filth, likely the Chandler Germanium, although curious about the new Thermionic Culture Rooster...

Originally Posted by matta

RE console or not... it depends on your workflow and what you plan to offer as your recording medium. If you go with DAW set-up a control surface wouldn't go a miss and can share from my own personal experience it improves workflow and productivity, though more so with mixing.

Personally, love a console for tracking and setting headphones mixes, but could live with a control surface in PT only (copy to sends is the best feature...)

Originally Posted by matta

If you go the console route you might want to go for a good value for money professional console like the Audient ACS8024. It combines a small format control surface (Command 8 or Mackie HUI) with a large format console offering great value for money EQ's and routing capabilities plus you miss the wonderful headache of restoring an older console and they are made in the UK and looks /sound beautiful.

Yeah a good friend works for Audient and we have one at work...its pretty good. Well-made and quiet. Not sure I'm a big fan of the preamps and they could do with a pad...seems like a great deal of chunk to drop for a tracking room just to do foldback.

In the last place (which we didn't get) we looked long and hard at a 48ch ASP to replace the old E. Makes sense in a mixing room, they really have great routing for silly cheap...I mean we tried a Duality...but could live with an ASP...at almost 1/10th the cost. LOL

Originally Posted by matta

Just a few thoughts I had over a cuppa tea.

Thanks again mate.

T

[TRW]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

1. 4; 3 small, 1 huge
2. Each booth would have a different character... big room would be brick walls, wood and steel beam ceiling with diffusion and absorbtion, floors would be wood with a ton of area 'throw rugs' available
3. Huge room 43x45x16... iso rooms less than that... NC-25 would be more than fine.
4. Sight lines? Definitely!!! Natural light? Defintely NOT!!
5. Yes
6. No
7. 10 or so should do it

Thanks Fletcher...the huge room, is certainly that! LOL NC-25 achievable, NC-10 a little more expensive!

Whats up with natural light, you vampire you?

Originally Posted by Fletcher

1. I have "bigs" "nears" and a "mono mini"
2. Console & pre-amps... if I had my way about it the desk would be an A-Range... pre's would be from Hardy, NPNG, Chandler, Crane Song LTD. Martech Fearn, Great River and a few others I'm forgetting
3. Both tape and DAW
4. iZ / Apogee... and a few Lynx for extra stuff
5. MC-77's plural, EQ-NV's, Portico 5033's, 1968, Quartet II (x2), Germanium Comps and Tone controls... and a bunch of other stuff I can't think of at the moment.

I suppose a Daking plus some of your outboard would suffice?
My thinking is freelancers would be able to integrate their choice bits of travelling outboard very easily, so we'd not need an insanely huge collection...above the norm bits and pieces.

-T