Recording studios come in all shapes, sizes, and configurations. What works for one facility most likely won’t work for the next as the needs of every engineer is uniquely different from the next, just as each studio is uniquely different from others. This is true both in how the rooms themselves were designed and built as well as the equipment needed to fill those spaces. Although designed as a personal project studio and meant for mixing outside projects including my own location recordings, the level of gear in the studio equals what you’ll find in professional studios around the world. Currently there are three main rooms consisting of a DRUM ROOM, an ISOLATION ROOM, and of course the CONTROL ROOM.
There are technically two schools of thought when it comes to recording drums. The first one is really more of a myth in that you need to have a large, open-space to let the drums ring out and sustain. While that does make for an impressive space, the reality is that it also can create other issues for recording drums. What if you want a tight, ambient kick sound or maybe you want a totally dead snare? This leads to the other school of thought which is having a smaller, more controlled environment allowing the ability to control the acoustics within the room. This was more of the approach that I used in designing my drum room allowing for a small enough space that is acoustically-controlled to let the drings ring out some, but controlled enough for a tight sound allowing me to adjust the acoustics and ambience later via software. Recording in this kind of space absolutely does not hinder the tone or sound in any way possible, in fact it actually enhances the creativity by (again) allowing me to alter the acoustics, space, and tone later via Pro Tools TDM plugins.
The key to any great drum recording is to first have a great drummer, but aside from that you need a great kit that is setup and tuned specifically for recording. ALWAYS setup and ready to record is a 4-piece Premiere Signia kit in maple, plus a Ludwig maple snare drum. Configured with 10”, 12” and 14” toms plus a 20” kick drum---these highly sought-after drums sound great for recording any style of music. To compliment the drums, Sabian “AA” cymbals are available for your use including a 14” Regular Hi Hat, a 20” Medium Heavy Ride with (2) Medium Thin Crashes---a 16” and a 17”. While these cymbals are of professional quality, I do understand that each cymbal has their own sound so again---you’re welcome (and encouraged!) to bring your own collection for recording.
At the heart of any recording studio is the control room, this is where all of the magic happens after the tracks have been laid down. While acoustics are VERY important for mixing, just as important is how engaging the environment is---or the “relaxation factor”. Fortunately in the design, neither were sacrificed making the control room ideal for mixing and an inviting, comforting room to do it in.
Based around an Apple 8-core Mac Pro computer with a Digidesign Pro Tools HD3 Accel installed, this is the same digital audio workstation you’d expect to find in the finest studios around the world. The Digidesign Control24 mixing surface provides hands-on control of the Pro Tools environment with a full compliment of knobs, buttons, switches and faders. A full compliment of TDM plugins are included, over $35,000 worth including:
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EVERYTHING from Digidesign including: ReVibe, Reverb One, Smack!, Reel Tape Suite, Eleven TDM, TL Space, Classic Compressors, Aphex 250 TDM, Pultec Bundle and many more.
With so many TDM plugins for mixing, my concept on tracking is “just get great sounding raw tracks first, process later”. This thinking has led me to the choice of microphone pre-amplifiers that currently are the Focusrite ISA828 and an ISA428, a Presonus ADL600, and an Apogee Ensemble. The choice is almost endless when it comes to microphones including a pair of Earthworks TC30’s, Royer SF24, BLUE Mouse, Mojave MA-200 and MA201fet, AKG C451’s and C214, Shure KSM141’s, Audix DP5 kit, and many others.
The Isolation Room is just on the other side of the control room. Both the Iso and Drum Rooms are tied to the Control Room with video rather than glass panes in the wall. This was done to improve isolation in a smaller space, but also for the vibe and feel within the control room. Small enough for vocals but large for a singer/songwriter on acoustic guitar. Even large guitar amps can be loaded into the comfy little space.
