HISTORY

The studio was built early on in the 20th Century and was originally built by The Pacific Electric Company - it is considered to be one of the oldest sound studios in existence for film in the world. A few decades later it became Spectra-Sound Inc. &  then sometime in the 1970's the great Bruce Scott (co creator of time code) took over and it became Scott Sound (a Film & Television production center). When Bruce moved on in the early 1980's it changed over to an anonymous individual and then finally made it's way in to the hands of it's current owner.

 

THE LAYOUT

I mainly use a combination of 3 different rooms to record in depending on the project. Each room sonically is VERY different from one another.

1. ACOUSTICALLY DESIGNED " FOLEY " TRACKING ROOM
        

20' L X 13 1/2' W with an angled ceiling that grades from 13' to 16'

there are 5 different sections to the floor to combat vibration transfer as well as six built in 5' wide floor to ceiling round surfaced pillar like diffusers. These are a HUGE part of the room's overall sonics. They make it easy for an electric live band to track with an amazing degree of separation all while being right up close to each other.

( that means if someone makes a mistake, it typically sonically doesn't blow it for everyone else )

 

2. THE LOUNGE  )

16' W x 12' L with 9' ceiling 

several years back when I was changing out the carpet I came across the old original tile underneath the padding. It took about 2 seconds to realize what I had. Keep in mind that the room wasn't constructed to be a lounge, I just use it for that. The ceiling is all OG acoustical dotted hole material that you see in all the old time studios. The space also has some cool features, such as it drifts into the area where the stairs lead up to the raised control room and then on up to the second floor. That corridor has a ceiling height of 16' as well which provides for some cool opportunities for adventurers.

When tracking LIVE I primarily use this room for anything that requires separation from the drums. Such as uprights, strings, acoustic guitar, acoustic piano, vocals etc... 


3. THE HALL ( yes the hall )

10' L  X 3 1/2' W with 9' ceiling

this hall also has the same OG acoustical dotted hole ceiling tile as well as some additional acoustical treatments.

In my quest to find a way to be able to track live vocals with the band while maintaining sonic separation as well as visual contact my journey led to this. I looked in to getting a vocal booth but an obstacle like that would throw off the acoustic precision in the tracking room. So, lucky me when a glass company moved in on the block. They came in, took out my hall door, cut out a nice big center piece, added some heavy grade glass / air trap / more glass / air trap / even more glass / & now magically I have a vocal booth or another space for additional separation.


4. CONTROL ROOM

11' L X 10 1/2' W with 7' ceiling


It is the original control room with 4 1/2' X 3' ( viewable - it's actually bigger ) window looking out to the tracking room. The floor is carpet and the walls and ceiling are an acoustic fiber material treatment of great mystery. 


 

THE GEAR

 Keep it simple for sonic quality and precision.


1. Front End ( 18 - pre amps - 5 completely different flavors )

2 Brent Averill 1073's ( early ones )
11 Brent Averill 312A's ( Avedis first series )
1 Avalon VT 737 sp

2 Universal Audio LA610's
1 Shadow Hills Equinox ( 2 channel )

M-A-S Overstayer Model 8101

Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor

Manley Stereo Variable MU Limiter Compressor


Mogami gold sputtered cable through out

2. Converters - analog to digital & digital back to analog 


1 16 channel  Apogee AD - 16X
1 16 channel  Apogee DA - 16X

3. Computer 

Mac Pro Intel Dual Core 2.66ghrtz 16gig ram
30" Apple Cinema Display
 
ProTools 9 HDII 
many pluggins -  ua , waves , mel , alti , brainworx , & on & on

4. Speakers
Yamaha NS10'S
Yamaha YST215SW Sub Woofer
Yamaha P2500S Power Amp

 







Keyboards:

1964 Hammond C3 Organ with Leslie 122 ( straight out of an old baptist church from south central Los Angeles after 50 years of use - I am the 2nd owner & she is sweeeeeet ) 

1973 Mason & Hamlin spinet piano 

Wurlitzer A200 electric piano ( late 60's )


Yamaha 88 weighted key controller

 

MICROPHONES :

2 - EV RE15
2 - SENNHEISER 421
2 - COLES 4038 (ribbon)
2 - AKG C 414 B - XLII 
1 - AKG C 414 B - ULS
1 - NEUMANN U87
1 - AKG D112
1 - SURE BETA 52
4 - SURE SM57'S
1 - SURE SM58
Listed below are a few of the many Artists that I have been so LUCKY to have worked with: Catergorized & in no particuliar order, multiple listings means multiple capacities. ie. Artist or Session Player.