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When we first opened Night Train Studios back
in 1997, computers and software were just getting powerful enough to
accomplish digital multi-track recording. This sure beat syncing
reel-to-reel machines with a computer to do MIDI and multitracking. But the
operating systems were unstable and plugins were limited by slower CPUs.
Basically people thought I was a bit crazy (and looking back, maybe I was).
Today with
tons of cheaper RAM memory, screaming fast CPUs and harddrives, solid
operating systems, improved software and plug-ins and affordable digital
mixers – the Digital Audio Workstation is THE place to record, manipulate,
edit, mix and master music. It’s fast and pristine with infinite
possibilities at your fingertips without the need for patchbays and splicing
tape. The ability to fully automate mixes and use effect plug-ins would
have meant a room full of million-dollar equipment just a few years ago.
It’s so exciting that now the average musician can have access to the same
tools that until recently were reserved for the wealthy (or lucky) few. We
are seeing today that even big label artists are leaving the over-priced
studios and recording their albums in digital project studios like Night
Train Studios, where they can spend more time and less money creating their
music. With all the possibilities and opportunities that digital recording
and the Internet have to offer, it’s an exciting time to be making music.
Who would
have believed a few short years ago that a regular musician could record,
mix and master a song in one place, in one day, and walk out the door with a
CD (with custom graphic printed on it!) for less than it costs to rent a big
label studio for 2 hours?! This dream has become a reality for us here at
Night Train Studios and, as always, we’re sharing that dream. As we’ve done
in the past, we’re continuing to offer chances to win studio time through
our “Win
a Free Recording Session Contest”, which helps talented artists get
their music out there.
We know
that for musicians to create great music, they need to be in a relaxing,
creative environment that is comfortable and low pressure (that’s one of the
reasons why basements and garages have always been so popular). That’s why
after running Night Train Studios for a few years in the late 1990’s, we
learned what worked and what didn’t, and completely re-designed the new
Night Train Studios from the ground up. We more than doubled the size of
the studio, going from 2 isolation booths to 4 uniquely designed iso rooms.
Each isolation room features specially insulated, double pained, angled
windows that allow a band member to see not just the Control Room, but also
each other – so that bands are not visually isolated from each other.
From the
sound engineer’s point of view, the most important design change in the new
and improved Night Train Studios is the spacious Control Room. The hub of
the recording studio now centers around a super fast DAW controlled by a
raid configured Pentium 4 that ties into two 19 inch monitors. These of
course, are linked digitally and mechanically to the Tascam DM 24 digital
mixing console with unlimited tracking capabilities. What the band members
like about the control room is the two huge plush leather couches and the
touch activated blue cone lamp, not to mention the magnetic poetry for
musicians. They also enjoy stepping out into the lounge to literally lounge
in the leather recliner and third overstuffed leather couch while watching
cable TV, reading one of the many music magazines, studying up with a
hardcover book about the Beatles, or grabbing a refreshing drink from one of
the fridges.
The new and
improved Night Train Studios officially re-opened on September 1st,
2003 after an extremely successful Grand Opening Extravaganza on August 28th,
2003 to the utter delight of the music world. As we stand at the brink of
such exciting new technology, we are committed to offering great rates and
great sound engineers to go hand in hand with the fabulous new recording
studio. |
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