www.psneurope.com


March 2013 l 17 UNITED KINGDOM Studio


Phil Wardgarners reaction to victory for a studio with no crackle – and plenty of pop


THE SIGNIFICANCE of Snap!’s victory in last month’s MPG Awards – Studio of the Year, no less, sponsored by this very title – is not lost on those industry professionals who value the traditional elements of recording in an age of all-in-the- box convenience. Sporting the eye-catching


USP of a reconditioned Neve 5316 console from 1972, SNAP! sets out its stall as a bastion of organic techniques, rich in signal processing and vintage vibe from names such as Focusrite, API, Altec, Pultec and Decca. This, of course, is dovetailed into Prism ADA8 converters and Pro Tools HD3, but there are Otari 2-inch 24- and 16-track analogue tape machines in there too, plus Ampex ATR102 1/2-inch 2-track. Snap! is owned by Funky


Junk’s Mark Thompson and managed by Marco Pasquariello, who accepts the award as justification for a bold combination of styles in the current climate, executed with all the attention to detail that a major studio from London’s ‘golden age’ would insist on applying. “Snap! represents an


experiment in combining the best in vintage and modern equipment,” he says, “to offer the ‘state-of-yesterday’s-art’ together with the best current technology. We believed that the result would offer a unique mix and provide a home for adventurous musical and production talent at an affordable price. But to succeed we had to make sure that every aspect of the studio was designed without compromise, from the balanced mains to


Snap!’s main control room featuring a reconditioned vintage Neve console


variacs lighting control, from the instruments and backline to the exceptional acoustics of the live room.” This year’s award decision


was reached by a new process: a combination of online voting by the wider community via the PSNEurope website, plus a vote by Music Producers Guild Full Members. Tony Platt of the MPG


Awards committee said: “We are delighted with the new process for choosing the MPG Studio of the Year winner in collaboration with PSNEurope. The level of entries was unprecedented and the four studios that made up the shortlist represented a perfect balance of the excellent variety of top professional facilities we are so lucky to enjoy in the UK. “By asking the studios to


present a profile of themselves


to enable voters to evaluate their strong points, we feel that the result reflected the wider qualities, creative and technical, that go to make a studio special and relevant in today’s difficult business climate. “On this basis Snap! has been shown to be a popular and worthy winner.” Pasquariello acknowledges the


recognition of his peers with a forgiveable glow of pride, but is also keen to convey the example that Snap! can provide to the wider music industry as financial criteria threaten to dominate so many aspects of production. “That we succeeded is shown


by the talent and enthusiasm of our growing body of clients,” he continues, “reinforced by the flattering awards we’ve received from the outset – Audio Pro International New Studio in


For the latest studio news www.psneurope.com/studio


MPG award snaps into place


Event host Lauren Laverne looks on as Marco


Pasquariello accepts the


MPG award at last month’s London bash


SOUNDBITES


A new music service, Chartburst, designed to connect unsigned musicians with record label talent scouts, has launched. Musicians and bands are invited to load up their original material to Chartburst for free (for a trial period), after which visitors to the site vote for their favourite tracks. The most popular acts are compiled into a number of genre- specific charts, and twice a month, talent scouts will review these charts with the aim of finding something worthy of further development.


www.chartburst.com


Unity Audiohas been named as the exclusive UK distributor of Antelope Audio’s 32-channel A-D/D-A converter and audio master clock in a 1U rack box. The world first device supports both MADI and USB interfaces, clocked by Antelope’s 64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking (AFC) technology.


2011, the year we opened, followed by a nomination for MPG Studio of the Year in 2012 and the prestigious MPG award itself this year. When we planned the studio, such accolades were the last thing we anticipated, but our success has a deeper significance. “In an increasingly corporate, money-driven music business, Snap! proves that a small, independent venture can succeed by virtue of the skills of those involved and their belief and passion rather than money and marketing muscle. And hopefully that lesson will be taken to heart by a new generation of musicians and music entrepreneurs who dare to dream and value their talent over and above the quick fix of TV talent shows and corporate exposure. “Maybe that sounds


pretentious or maybe it rings a chord but, either way, Snap! will remain committed to offering those who care about their craft the opportunity to enjoy one of the best recording facilities in the UK at a price that helps them stretch their talents to the limit.”n www.snapstudios.co.uk


www.antelopeaudio.com www.unityaudio.co.uk


The first Cadac LIVE1 sold in the US has been installed in songwriter Chet Delcampo’s private recording studio. Delcampo says the low noise circuitry and competitive price point are what persuaded him to choose the LIVE1, supplied by newly appointed American distributor LIFT Distribution: “The quality factor was my main interest,” said Delcampo. “I’m finding for my studio it works well.” www.cadac-sound.com


Following the success of last year’s public presentations in Abbey Road Studio Two, the studio has announced even more talks to take place in 2013. The events will feature favourite lectures from the last series, and include new content such as film score sync demonstrations, vintage four-track mixing console and tape machine demonstrations, and demos of the studio’s famous echo chamber. Once again Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan will be giving a series of talks. Dates and ticket information is available at the website below.


www.seetickets.com/tour/ abbey-road-studios


Photo: Ben Meadows


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