CASE STUDY:
Ben’s Studio, previously the private recording studio of Ben Folds now available as a commercial recording studio in Nashville, TN, worked with Vintage King Audio’s Jeff Leibovich on the acquisition and installation of a vintage API 3288 recording console.

Studio manager Sharon Corbitt-House and chief engineer Leslie Richter contacted Leibovich while looking to replace the Neotek Elite Console Ben’s Studio was operating on. After careful deliberation, the team decided on the API 3288 that Vintage King acquired in the fall of 2010. The console itself is rich in history, allegedly the desk that Fleetwood Mac mixed the Grammy Award winning Rumours on, and a confirmed part of music history as part of Conway Studios and Electric Lady.

“Sharon and Leslie were so easy to work with throughout the whole deal,” says Leibovich. “They asked the right questions ahead of time so that there weren’t many surprises once they took delivery. They of course realized they were diving into the world of Vintage API, which is very “Rock and Roll” in my opinion.

LINKS: API 3288 Vintage Recording Console

CASE STUDY:
When Paul Cavanaugh and Scott Kennerly started looking to add outboard gear to an existing home studio, they turned to pro audio forums like Gearslutz and Tape Op for the most trusted and recommended source for gear. Vintage King Audio was at the top of that list and Cavanaugh and Kennerly quickly began working with Jeff Leibovich. It was right around this time that the partners also realized they were outgrowing their home studio so they set out to expand the Lost Ark’s location and gear list.

The space was built around an SSL Matrix and Pro Tools HD rig from Vintage King Audio. To supplement the board, Leibovich sent The Lost Ark his personal “wish list” of gear, suggesting a number of boutique options, such as the Retro Instruments STA-Level, 176 Limiting Amplifier and 2A3 EQ, which they purchased. Cavanaugh and Kennerly recently used the Retro Instruments gear on a session for local alt-country artist John Meeks with Jimmy La Valle of Album Leaf and Matt Resovich from The Black Heart Procession for Meeks’ latest project, a country duets record with singer/songwriter Joanie Mendenhall.

“We’ve been really impressed with how all of the Retro Instruments gear keeps the natural vibe of the tracks but add their own magic,” says Cavanaugh. “And the SSL Matrix’s ability to move quickly from Pro Tools to the analog world and back again has been a big plus as well.”

When asked why The Lost Ark, a project studio available to local artists at no cost, turned to Vintage King Audio, Cavanaugh stated, “Everyone knows that it’s a price sensitive world out there, but it was important for The Lost Ark to have a relationship with a trusted source – a company that would be straight with us and stand by what they sell.” He continues, “Vintage King has been that and Jeff is great to work with – he cares about what we’re trying to do and he doesn’t just sell the gear, he knows the gear.”

LINKS: SSL Matrix, Pro Tools HD, Retro Instruments STA-Level, 2A3 and 176

Case Study:
Back in 2003, Mike Bridavsky started Russian Recording as a fairly small-scale operation housed in an A-frame style cabin in the woods of Brown County, Indiana. Five down the line, however, he decided that although the acoustics of the unique building were “very cool and gave a great overall sound”, he needed a bigger space that was closer to downtown Bloomington. He knew that along with this expansion would come a lot of new equipment, and luckily Mike knew exactly who to turn to.

“I needed a company that would reply to my emails, get me the best deal for my money, and provide excellent service even after the equipment was installed,” he says. “I was totally happy with my experience ordering from Vintage King and working with Jeff [Leibovich] from the get go. The equipment selection is great, the website is very functional and easy to use, and the customer service is flawless.”

Mike’s old set up was based around a Speck M72 – a console that had no mic preamps and a very basic EQ. To supplement this he ended up purchasing a rare 1972 Speck Alpha Series II 24x16x2 mixing console which was, as he says, a big step up for the studio. In order to optimize this new piece of gear, Mike then decided to sell most of his old outboard gear and invest in some more high-end compression to complement the new board.

“I couldn’t be happier with my purchases,” Mike gushes. “The Manley ELOP is a brilliant device that gets used on literally every session. I love it for tracking bass and guitars. The UBK Fatso also turned out to be a great addition to the studio – the high frequency compression is perfect for taming bright or harsh guitars and the “Glue” compressor setting gets used very often as a parallel compressor. But my favorite purchase,” he continues, “is definitely the matched pair of Coles 4038 microphones. I had used these many times in other studios and had been wanting a pair of my of my own for years. They’re the best sounding overheads I have used, hands down.”

With recording artists such as Good Luck, Release the Sunbird, and comedian Tig Notaro taking advantage of – and being very pleased with - Russian Recording’s amped up facilities, Mike says that new upgrades are constantly on the horizon for the studio. “Every time I make an upgrade, I promise myself that it will be my last… But it never is! I will absolutely go with Vintage King for my next upgrade – I really like working with Jeff because, well, to put it bluntly, he is a cool dude and I don’t cringe every time I have to call him with a question or place an order. I never feel pressured to buy anything more than what I ask for. He’s easy to get a hold of, very knowledgeable, and most importantly, neither condescending nor a kiss-ass.” Well said, Mike.

For more information on Russian Recording,visit www.russianrecording.com