Owned by drummer, producer and entrepreneur Nick Gross, Los Angeles’ Noise Nest production complex has undergone significant expansion over the past 12 months and now boasts five recording studios all equipped with PMC monitoring.

The recently opened Studio A has seen PMC’s flagship QB1-A in-wall main monitors installed, while the remaining four studios use a mix of PMC IB1S-A, twotwo.6 and twotwo.8 monitors for close-field duties. ‘Choosing a PMC QB1 system for Studio A was a no brainer because they are simply amazing,’ Gross says. ‘They sound clean and rounded, even at very high volumes. They reproduce the audio in such a pure way that you get to hear exactly what you are recording with no compromises.

‘I was introduced to PMC speakers by my friend and mentor, Dr Luke,’ he continues. ‘He has an even bigger QB1 set up in his studio and when I heard them, I was literally blown away. I also loved the aesthetic of them – they look incredibly cool, and for someone like me who is a very visual person, this was an important consideration.’

Located in Hollywood’s media district, Noise Nest began ten years ago as a songwriting and recording space for Gross’ own projects but quickly gained a reputation for being a highly creative space to work – soon other artists were booking in, attracted by its vibe, which is the antithesis of corporate.

As Gross’ business grew, it became apparent that more space was needed, and when the building next door became available he was quick to take the lease. Over the next three years, that building was transformed into a three-studio complex with lounges, kitchens, basketball courts, parking and other amenities. His existing building was also revamped and two new studios were built, bringing the total to five.

Gross, who still records and performs with a variety of bands, now uses the complex as a base for Gross Labs, his entertainment, media and investment company. Launched in 2018, Gross Labs encompasses Big Noise Music Group, a record label and music publishing company that he set up with Vagrant Records’ co-founders Jon Cohen and John ‘Feldy’ Feldmann; Noise Nest Animation; eSports organisation Team Rogue, and an education platform called Find Your Grind.

‘Noise Nest is now a multipurpose, multiuse content factory,’ Gross says. ‘While music remains at the core of what we do, we also create content for many of the other projects we are involved in, and we host a lot of our internal publishing and label clients who get to use the space for free.

‘We wanted to capture the feel of old recording studios but at the same time marry that with all the advantages of modern digital equipment,’ he explains. ‘Our main consoles include a split analogue API 1608 in Studio A and an SSL Nucleus in Studio B. We also have a Slate Raven system and some really good analogue outboard equipment that includes classic pieces from Neve and SSL.’

As well as acting as a base for the 20 acts signed to Big Noise Music Group, Noise Nest also attracts external work from the likes of Warner Bros and Monster Energy. Recent clients include Da Baby, Post Malone, Wale, Saweetie, The Used, and ASAP Rocky.

‘Artists like it here because it’s a fun place to work and the atmosphere is very creative,’ Gross says. ‘It’s taken a long time to get the place to this level but we are really thrilled with what we have achieved – and rightly proud of it.’

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