Founded in 1995 and located in Waterford, Connecticut, Power Station New England recreates the original New York City facility – including the acoustics – which was designed and built in 1976. Power Station was one of the most awarded recording studios in history, thanks to an acoustical design that contributed to hundreds of Gold and Platinum records. The studio was renamed Avatar in 1996.
At its centre is an historic Neve 8068 MkII and an SSL 4064G+ console as part of a massive expansion set for a fall grand reopening. At the center of the 2017 rebirth is the main recording space with signature 35-foot dome, plus four isolation spaces and the historic control room A, which now features the vintage Neve. An entirely new Studio B mix room features the SSL.
Console legend Ed Evans was on-hand for the commissioning of the Neve 8068, which was originally installed at Electric Lady Studio in NYC in 1979, and most recently at Pachyderm Studios in Minnesota. The console played a role in historic recordings by such artists as John Lennon, AC/DC, Van Halen, and Nirvana.
‘I was quite careful to not change the character of the original 8068, since it is one of my favourite designs by Neve,’ Evans says. ‘My goal was to add functionality to make it more compatible with the way people work today.’
Studio B – known as the Mix Room – features the SSL 4064 G+, which previously resided at Royaltone Studios in Los Angeles, later renamed Kung Fu Gardens by owner Linda Perry.
‘I believe the 4000 G+ series of SSL consoles to be the best mixing desk the company ever produced – or any other company, for that matter,’ says mix engineer Bob Clearmountain.
Additional equipment incorporated into the 2017 reopening of Power Station New England is a prized collection of gear supplied through Vintage King Audio. Highlights include Pro Tools 56-channel HD-X; 56 Channels of Avid HD I/O; API 3124, Mercury m72, Chandler TG-2, and Shadow Hills mic pre’s; two EL-8x Distressors; Retro STA Level; SPL Transient Designer; and microphones: Bock 251, two Coles 4038s, two Flea m49s, Neumann m269c, and two Royer 121 Ribbons.
