The studio
Four rooms, one engineer per session, and a cutting lathe at the end of the corridor. Open Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 20:00 (sample).
Four rooms in an old print works
The live room was the press hall: a high ceiling, a wooden floor and walls we lined ourselves. Everything else opens off it, so the band can see each other and the engineer.
Every session comes with an engineer. Bring your instruments; the drum kit, the upright piano, the amps and the microphones are here.
9 x 7 m, 4.8 m ceiling
The whole band playing at once: drums, upright piano, amps behind screens, room for six.
2.5 x 2 m
Vocals and quiet instruments, with a window onto the control room and the live room.
6 x 5 m
A 24-channel analogue console, a 16-track two-inch tape machine and a computer system side by side.
4 x 3 m
Our lathe: lacquers for the pressing plant and one-off records cut while you wait.
Sessions and rates
A session is drawn as the record it makes: a day makes a 7-inch, three days a 10-inch, ten days a 12-inch. White labels, because nothing is out yet.
Session record
1 day
A single
Ten hours, two songs
A single
1 day, 7-inch record
From
$520
- Ten hours in the live room and control room
- Engineer for the whole day
- Two songs recorded and rough-mixed
Session record
3 days
An EP
Up to five songs
An EP
3 days, 10-inch record
From
$1,450
- Three ten-hour days
- Tracking, overdubs and mixing
- Mixes sent the week after
Session record
10 days
An album
Ten songs, mastered
An album
10 days, 12-inch record
From
$4,600
- Ten days, tracking to final mix
- Mastering for vinyl and streaming
- Lacquers cut here at half price
Mixing only, per song
$160
Mastering, per song
$60
Lacquer cut, per side
$180
Two-inch tape reel
At cost
Example prices. All sessions include the engineer and the house instruments; tape is charged at cost.
What every session includes
- An engineer from load-in to the last bounce
- Drum kit, upright piano, organ, two guitar amps and a bass amp
- Microphones, headphones and a separate mix for each player
- A kitchen, a sofa and parking for one van
- Your files the same evening, on your drive or by link
Bring with you
- Your own instruments, strings and sticks
- Lyrics printed, one copy per singer
- A reference record you love the sound of
Who records you
Two engineers share the week (sample). Both mix, both cut lacquers.
Mara Linden
Records and mixes most band sessions. Likes the live room loud and the vocals dry.
Tom Osei
Runs the cutting room and the tape machine. Mixes the quieter records and every test pressing gets past him.
Questions before booking
How far ahead should we book?
Weekdays are often free within a month; Saturdays go about two months ahead (sample). Ask for dates and we hold them for seven days.
Can we record to tape?
Yes. The control room has a 16-track two-inch tape machine. Tape is charged at cost and the reel is yours to keep.
Do you take a deposit?
A deposit of one day’s rate holds the booking (sample terms). It is returned if you cancel at least fourteen days ahead.
Will you release our record?
Booking the studio never obliges you to us, or us to you. If we like the record we will ask; most of our releases started that way.
Book a day in the live room
Tell us what you want to make and roughly when. We reply within two working days with free dates and a quote (sample).