Guillaume Schouker reports from a newly-redesigned state-of-the-art French facility
FOUNDED IN 2006 and formerly based in Suresnes, Studio Apollo has moved to a new location in Courbevoie, on the western outskirts of Paris, close to the banks of the Seine. Studio Apollo’s owner and
recording engineer Volodia has opted for a high-end recording studio that is smaller than his previous site. He reveals: “I had too much unused space at the Suresnes site and was looking for premises where the surface area would be more in keeping with the reality of today’s recording and mixing sessions.” After some searching, engineer Thierry Lebon’s
complex, Studio Merjithur, which closed in October 2011, proved the best option. “I had no preconceived idea,” says Volodia, “and, when I first visited the former Studio Merjithur, I loved the space and the ambiance.” The entire studio room has
been redesigned; the old drum booth has been demolished, creating a more flexible recording area. At the same time, the studio entrance and bar space were renovated to create a clear and bright atmosphere. Studio Apollo’s new control
room features a 24-channel Solid State Logic Duality
The drum booth has been removed to make the studio space more flexible
console as the centrepiece, plus Pro Tools HD5 Accel (64-in/ 64-out analogue) version 10 and a Logic Pro 9 system. Monitoring is through Tannoy Super Red 12 units, ADAMS3As, Genelec
1031As, Yamaha NS10s and Dynaudio BM6As. Wall- mounted on the right side of the mixing board is a good collection of outboard equipment including Lexicon
480L version 4.1, a TC M6000 with mastering option, Grace Design M802R 8 mic inputs, Chandler LTD1 preamp EQ 1073 type and a Neve 33114 compressor. Volodia considers his facility
“a hybrid recording and mixing studio very well equipped with microphones and outboards”. When asked about the main assets of Studio Apollo, he mentions, “good accessibility, a live room that sounds good and allows live sessions due to its T-shaped design, plus the possibility to use an adjoining editing room”.
Since its opening, Studio
Apollo has handled projects for artists including Anggun, Jali, Tiffany Ciely, Amel Bent and Louisy Joseph. “We can’t talk about an industry nowadays,” concludes Volodia, “but a craft industry. We are a bunch of independent craftsmen and craftswomen with his or her own specialisation.”n www.studio-apollo.com
The extensive collection of outboard kit includes TC, Lexicon and Neve gear