Building and equipment
The studio was established in 1999, the building was built with attention to the acoustics of the studio rooms under the watchful eye of an experienced specialist. The studio adheres to analog traditions, we mix on the MCI 70’s analog desk. Recordings, depending on expectations, are recorded on a 16-track Studer recorder or in a digital domain: ProTools HD with Mytek and Digidesign converters. Both techniques can be freely combined.
We have a Petrof concert grand piano and a Hammond organ with Leslie. After years of practice, we have obtained an audio track that allows us to record sounding consistent and very analog. Great support is the excellent live room acoustics and technical skills of Krzysztof Tonn, who builds and renovates studio equipmnet.
Atmosphere
We attach great importance to the atmosphere in the studio, which is the basis of successful work. The producer of the studio is also an active artist – composer and guitarist releasing albums. This translates into great attention to the needs of recording musicians. We also have no doubt: good equipment is useful, but the sound is all about the people.
Live recording
We consider ourselves specialists in Live recording. This type of recording gives an interesting artistic challenge to capture the whole ensemble. We have a great live room with live acoustics plus two partially glazed boxes for soft-sounding instruments like double bass or vocals. We usually record to a 16 track Studer and then upload to Protools.
Recording, mix and mastering
We create mixes using a Sony MCI mixer and external devices. The mix is created practically from the moment of recording, because the sound of the whole band is built already with the selection and position of microphones. We don’t start recording until the band sounds coherent, almost like a mix. This is usually achieved without the use of eq corrections on the table and by finding the appropriate microphone positions with care for their phasing. Currently, setting a satisfactory sound, e.g. with a 4-person band, takes about half a session. Of course, a lot depends on the sound and performance of the band.
If the material is to be mixed elsewhere, the tracks are prepared so that the overall sound we heard during the recordings is quickly achieved by simply adjusting volume levels of the tracks. Of course, a careful mix requires more work. We offer mastering automatically and perform it using analog devices. It’s worth mentioning our analog, very effective look ahead limiter, which allows us to achieve high RMS values and is very flexible at the same time.. Of course, mastering can be done elsewhere.
Rooms
Live room: area 50m2, height 4m, aircondition. Analog headphone monitoring for each musician separately.
Head room: area 30m2, height 3m, aircondition
Accommodation
We have 5 beds in a separate living space. Two double bedrooms and let’s call it a tv-room with a fold-out bed. Plus a bathroom. In addition, a kitchen and a toilet downstairs (in the studio space). Food can be ordered, but musicians very often cook themselves, pampering the atmosphere during recordings 🙂