South Main Studios is a uniquely-styled digital recording and design studio, leveraging high end gear and finishings within a very easy-going and fun environment. We record using MAC workstations. Our primary recording station is an HD Accel ProTools system with a Control24 surface. The secondary and travel workstation is a Mac system using a Digi002 ProTools system. The primary system can bring in 32 channels concurrently via the 96IOs. We have 32 channels of output, as well, with 16 reserved for personal monitoring. We can bring in 4 separate MIDI devices in a single pass. The Digi002 system allows 8 new tracks audio tracks and 2 midi tracks at a time.
We utilize professional, sound dampened high-density Primacoustic absorptive panels on our floating walls and ceilings, which are specially treated with Green Glue Noiseproofing Compound. SMS has solid core doors, Mogami cabling, and a custom vocal/voiceover booth that provides broadcast-quality audio.
For greater specifications, please see below. We do not list all of our gear, mics, or studio blueprints online.
Instrument Shortlist:
~ Roland V-Drums with a TD-8 sound module system
~ MEINL Byzance dark crash, 18"
~ MEINL Byzance dark ride, 20"
~ Zildjian ZHT EFX, 16"
~ Zildjian ZHT medium thin crash, 18"
~ Nord Stage 2 hammer action weighted 88-key sampler
~ KORG 88-key weighted M3 x-panded workstation/sampler
~ KORG N264 digital music workstation
~ Vintage Yamaha FG-335 II guitar
~ "The Woodrow", The Artist series, custom banjo/lap dulcimer
~ Gemeinhardt closed-hole C flute
~ MEINL snare bongo cajon
~ Remo Mondo Designer Series Key-Tuned djembe, 27"
~ Various other small percussion instruments
ProTools Rig Shortlist:
~ Avid Pro Tools/HD 2 Accel, 2-PCIe Card System on Mac Pro
~ Digidesign Control/24 Surface Controller
~ Digidesign 96 IO Interfaces
~ Dual monitor w/remote viewing/tracking in recording room
Preamps & Processors:
~ Focusrite preamp
~ Focusrite twin trak pro preamp, 2 channel
~ Antares ATR 1-A Autotune processor
~ Behringer Ultra-Curve Pro, ultra-high performance digital audio processor
Live/Mixdown Personal Gear & Environment Shortlist:
~ Aviom A-16 II personal mix stations
~ Ultrasone S-Logic PRO 750 & Proline 650 headphones
~ Beyerdynamic DT 770 Headphones
~ Professional grade Gel Pro Comfort® mats
Any other instruments, strings, or personal instrument effects units should be provided by the artists. Artists are welcome to also bring in their own headphones, though South Main Studios does provide professional studio headphones.
Only South Main Studio engineers will mix and engineer on SMS equipment, unless visiting students and/or interns are part of the project as part of a pre-arranged training, mentoring, or engineering boot camp. On occasion, SMS-invited guest engineers may be onsite, too.
WORKING WITH A PRODUCER, STUDIO MUSICIANS, AND VOCALISTS:
SMS recommends working with honest, high-quality people on your projects for the very best results in getting your ideas and vision into reality. In addition to Tripp, our senior sound engineer who brings over 35 years of mixing and engineering expertise to your project, South Main Studios welcomes you to bring in your own producer, if you already have someone you're working with on your project. We highly recommend using the same engineer(s) and producer(s) throughout your project to insure a consistent sound from beginning to end.
If you are a solo artist, but really feel that studio musicians would enhance your project and help you with the instrumentation that you can not easily create yourself, South Main Studios can put you in touch with many different skilled studio musicians. Some of these musicians are multifaceted, in that they play many different instruments. South Main Studios can also put you in touch with local vocalists, if you need a fuller or more diverse sound on your backup vocals. You may wish to use Nicki, our own studio vocalist at South Main Studios, whose range includes both alto and mid-soprano, in addition to being very well equipped to sing both melody and harmony lines.
TAKE THE TIME TO INTERVIEW YOUR FOR-HIRE TALENT:
South Main Studios does its best to recommend reliable, trustworthy, skilled, and easy-to-work-with talent for-hire. But please keep in mind that it is you that needs to be comfortable and at ease working with these individuals, as the artist and primary visionary and owner of your project. You need to make sure that the people you are potentially hiring can and will bring your project to life in the way that you want. That is why South Main Studios strongly urges you to interview and audition all of your for-hire talent before you begin tracking your hired talent. We recommend that you contact any for-hire talent well in advance of your recording session to allow enough time for introductions, auditioning, and rehearsals. These meetings and collaboration times can be done offsite, or at South Main Studios (see Rehearsal Space, below).
FOR-HIRE RATES:
Hiring outside talent is the responsibility of the artist, and not South Main Studios. Rates for producers, studio musicians, and vocalists are in addition to, and separate from, the SMS recording, rehearsal space, or flat booking rate. For-hire talent will invoice and contract with the artist on their own. Their policies are separate from South Main Studio policies. Please see the Policies page for additional information.
REHEARSAL SPACE:
South Main Studio facilities are available for mapping sessions, auditioning, meetings with your for-hire talent or band, rehearsals prior to recording, and meetings about your promotional designs (if we are designing your promotionals). South Main Studios rates are either quoted on an hourly basis, or as part of a larger package or block rate for your project.
A South Main Studios engineer will be provided to run SMS sound equipment for your rehearsal(s) as part of your rate. An engineer may not be always necessary for mapping sessions or meetings that you may have at SMS with your producer, musicians, or vocalists. This will be determined on an individual basis, and/or as determined by your producer.
Recording will not be provided during rehearsals unless there is a prior agreement with South Main Studios at least 48 hours in advance of the session, where practice CDs and/or South Main Sticks™ may be available of the rehearsal time.