Counting Nirvana, the Dave Mathews Band and legendary producers Butch Vig and John Goodmanson as part of its rich history, Robert Lang Studios is a cornerstone of Seattle’s music scene.
Maintaining its role, the studio recently played a part in The Foo Fighters’ new album Sonic Highways, ‘a love letter to the history of American music’, which was recorded in eight cities and features songs about a ‘local legend’ from each. The project was one of the first to use the studio’s new fully-restored SSL 4000 E Series console.
‘While working on the album, Dave, Butch [who worked with Grohl on Nirvana’s Nevermind] and I decided to use 24-track analogue recording driven by the legendary SSL 4000 E Series console,’ says Lang. ‘Prior to Dave’s arrival, we’d just opened up a sound stage room, which made us fortunate enough to work with the band on the HBO miniseries Sonic Highways. This was all done in our large live studio room that can be serviced by either the E Series or the Duality control rooms.’
Airing in October, the docu-series focuses on the making of the album and the stories behind the songs, making Robert Lang Studios an ideal location for one of the shoots. Also home to Scott McKinley’s Seattle Music TV (SMTV) programmes, the sound stage is driven by the E Series, twin Studer A827 24-track and two-inch tape machines or the Duality that takes on both analogue and digital recording and mixing. A recent addition to Robert Lang Studios, the Duality has opened up new business horizons as Lang and the local Shoreline Community College develop plans to collaborate in teaching the latest generation of engineers.
‘The Duality room is a game changer for our studio complex,’ Lang says. ‘I’ve been doing a student education programme here for several years and we added the Duality to not only serve commercial clients in the North West area, but also to attract more students in the school’s advanced courses. There are plans to add Duality to the curriculum for students in the Music Tech Department’s Continuing Education programme, providing them the opportunity to work some of the industry’s top gear. Both Shoreline Community College and the City of Shoreline have approached us to solidify partnerships that will bolster the entertainment industry in the greater Seattle area.’
A key element of Duality for high-end music production is the hybrid workflow design that bridges the gap between analogue and DAW workflows. ‘The flexibility of Duality is amazing,’ Lang says. ‘You have the digital audio workstation control that seamlessly correlates with the analogue side. Being able to have that connection between analogue and digital, with a Pro Tools control set-up on the console, and the ability for artists and producers to bring a hard drive in and almost instantly start mixing is unique. The VHD mic pres are also very powerful to create a wide pallet of sonic colours. With SSL in our studio, we look forward to a bright future as a leader in music production and education in the Northwest.’
Lang is presently in the process of creating a student centre as the next expansion of the studio complex, as well as building a second studio/musical getaway called Studio Litibu, just around the bend from Punta de Mita in Nayarit, Mexico.
More: www.solidstatelogic.com
