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The Peninsula’s Recording Studios - Laying Down

Tracks for the Locals.

When you look I the yellow pages under “recording studios” in Port Townsend, the number listed seems hardly right for an area that has so many people pursuing musical bliss. It makes you wonder, “Where is everyone recording these fine CD’s you see in the locals rack in Quimper Sound or Budget Records & Tapes”.

The goal of this column is to demystify some of the choices out there for musicians. As in any “Come as you are” community, the Olympic Peninsula probably has a dozen places that consider themselves a “Studio” that we don’t know about. The advent of inexpensive digital recording has opened the floodgates. In 1995, there was only one real recording studio. Now, there are many who all feature multi-track recording and capabilities that only mucho $$ could buy you 10 years ago.

Some of the studios in the area include:

Synergy Sound – The oldest studio in Port Townsend, Synergy has pumped out around 50 albums since 1992. The studio features a 32 channel Mackie board and is a full Digital Performer studio, allowing for good editing. Owner Neville Pearsall has created a great facility at Fort Wordon that has that “bunker feel” and plenty of space to spread out.  Neville excels at blues and folk projects, with Del Rey recording there as of late.  Synergy Sound can be reached at 360-379-8928

Crush A/V – Located in Port Townsend, Crush A/V is producing bands on 16 tracks with Digital Performer, and a collection of new tube mic’s. The studio is also going through some construction and expansion with the addition of an additional drum tracking room, and maybe even a pinball machine to chill out a bit during long sessions.  Crush A/V’s strongpoint is in it’s musician friendly vibe, with Dominick Smith from Golden Sun Revolver in the engineer’s chair, and recent projects that include several Stig releases and projects from Shelly’s Wrist and the Solvents.  Check out their web site at www.crushav.com or call 360-379-8203

Toolshed Sound Lab – Crossroads Music owner George Rezendes has been a center point of the musical scene in Port Townsend since his store opened in the mid 90’s as a performer, engineer, and all around cheerleader for local musicians.  A work in progress, Toolshed, has produced some great recordings.  His studio is a digital rig with great tube pre amps for a warm sound, a Mackie board, a nice sounding tracking room, and a great rack of processing and effects. George and his studio’s strongest asset is in his talents as a multi-talented engineer and musician, and the extensive resources he has at his disposal in the way of instruments and studio musicians for projects. Visit George’s site for more info at http://www.windrhythms.com/active/crossroads-music/subweb/georgerezendes or call him at 360 385-1471

Cartwheel Studios – Cartwheel is actually two rooms with Peter Lack and a partner working together to become one of the fastest growing studios in the area. Featuring Pro Tools, Midi capabilities, and a seasoned staff to get your tracks down.  Projects of late include local funk kings, Lucius Clay and the latest release from the Geldings (Smash says see the review in this issue).  Peter says that the studio features different rooms for tracking and mixing/mastering, and he has been working more with electronic/dance music to showcase his Pro Tools capabilities.  With the only Pro Tools rig in Port Townsend available for hire, Cartwheel is indeed a serious solution at an affordable price.  Contact them at 360-379-1483

The Studio at Strait Music – Local retailer Strait Music now offers digital 24-track recording and production services to Peninsula area musicians. Their web site at www.olypen.com/music features a studio sampler CD that you can get to hear some of the results they are getting. You can also download their very helpful “Getting ready for the Studio” tip sheet.

Meatlocker Recording – Located in Silverdale, Meatlocker is worth mentioning in that they have done several Port Townsend projects including pre-production for the Waiting for the Sun CD, and recording with Silvia Heins and her “Opratica” project.  The studio just went through a major redesign, and is a full-featured 24-track digital recording studio located within the Gordon Sound facility. Check out their web site for more information at www.meatlockerrecording.com or call Duffy at 360-509-5614.

A word about pricing – Studios have a lot of lei-way as far as what they charge. Most are around the $30 an hour range, but price depends on the length of the project and other factors.  Shop around is what we suggest.

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