Wanted to introduce myself to the community. My name is Nick Vivid, I'm a rock n roll frontman for The Nuclears, a Brooklyn NY 5-piece. I also run a record label called MegaPlatinum, which has been in existence since 2007. I've worked with thousands of bands (producing / engineering), and am going to use this blog section to post my experiences in the studio and on the road.
So, here's the first one. This is a look at the new studio I built this summer.
When I first met The Nuclears, I was working sound at a club in Brooklyn called The Trash Bar. They blew me away and within 3 weeks I had them recording a few tracks at my studio. I wanted to see if I could work with these guys. They had a loft space together in Bushwick, Brooklyn. They were young and hungry. They wanted to do this. I had a bit more experience I brought to the table, and helped them out with management stuff and whatnot. At one point they were doing a weekly residency at a little dive bar in their neighborhood. This residency had no end in sight, and it was the perfect opportunity to try new things. Turns out one of those things was trying me out as the new frontman. They were my favorite band and I said yes immediately. Within a month I was a full member. I also moved in with them. We solidified the drummer position and in December we were in a 24 track studio making our debut album. The recording was partially funded by generous donations from fans and friends on kickstarter. We raised $2500.
One of the "perks" of the $50 pledge level was to get an exclusive bonus disc with covers, demos, and outtakes. We were going to record that bonus disc ourselves. With all the previous year's transitions in my life, I lost a lot of studio gear, and all I had at the time was a little mackie mixer and this 8 track reel to reel deck. I also had a few microphones and other stuff, but it was very primitive. After the session was done and it was time to mix, I said to myself "This could sound better". I also realized how much I missed owning a real studio and making my own records. So I said, "That's it. We're gonna make our own albums from here on. I'm building the studio I always wanted."
It had tons of pros to it. A small investment to have full creative freedom to do whatever we wanted in the studio whenever we wanted. Plus I picked up an international distro deal for the label, and again would have the ability to produce and put out other band's records.
Knowing what you want is 9/10's of the battle.
I wanted a 70's sounding analog studio capable of putting out great sounding rock and roll records. I wanted everything I made to sound like it came out then as those were my favorite albums. I already had the 8 track reel to reel, and i built everything else around that.
I researched boards and found an 80's Yamaha rm2408 recording console that didn't have a lot of hype on the gear boards (i.e. i could find it cheap), and i could modify it. I could swap out opamps and create a better mic pre sound, and it could do the things I wanted. The EQ section was great, and the pres could be modded. I found one in rochester NY for $500, rented a car, and picked it up.
Next was the mixdown machine. I had a tascam, but didn't like it. I got an otari, and it was cool but it had been through the mill at a radio station and i couldn't get it back in shape. Then I found the goldmine. A Revox a77 from the early 70's.
Next, it was time to upgrade the speakers. I took my time to find something similar to the Yamaha ns10's but always hated the sound of those things. A canadian company called Yorkville had a version that was similar, but sounded better. That and a good power amp (I scored an old adcom), and I was in business. Literally the whole thing cost around $2000 to build. And I love it. The band loves it, and other bands who have come here to record love it too.
When building a studio, know what you want - know the sound you want, do your research. It helps to have technical background (I used to work at my dad's TV repair shop and had a lot of background with soldering !!) . Don't be afraid to open things up to see how they work. Use gear forums to your advantage. And don't let anyone tell you you can't do it or that you need to have a $20,000 studio to work in to make good records. The 8 track i used made Boston's first album and that thing has sold millions. The board has made gold records, and the mixdown machine was loved by the dudes at Motown and Trident. It's all about what you want.
Oh yeah, one more thing, and people ask this alot. Since this studio is in a band's loft how do we deal with noise complaints from the neighbors? Luckily we have 2 band rehearsal rooms in the building. I bought a 200 foot snake and run it down there for tracking sessions. Since I'm the frontman for the Nuclears, I don't have to be there for the backing tracks. So I engineer them up in our 2nd floor loft and record the guys in a rehearsal room. It's a pretty sweet setup.
Now we just gotta figure out this touring thing. :)
Rock n Roll everyone
Nick
