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How We Work

This section explains what we can do and why it might matter for your project.

Your Session, Your Approach

We can work two ways, and you choose:

Clean Capture (Our Default) We record your performance through high-quality preamps directly to the DAW with no processing baked in. This preserves maximum flexibility for mixing later. You hear a great sound while tracking, but all the final decisions about compression, EQ, and tone happen after the performance is captured.

This works well for:

  • Remote clients sending files back and forth
  • Projects where mixing happens at a different time or place
  • Artists who want to hear options before committing

Commit Through Hardware We route your signal through analog compressors and other outboard gear on the way in. The sound you hear is the sound that gets recorded. This can change how you perform—some vocalists and guitarists respond to hearing compression in their headphones.

This works well for:

  • Artists who know the sound they want
  • Sessions where the performance needs to respond to the final sound
  • Projects going for a specific vintage or analog character

Switching between these approaches takes about 30 seconds. We can start one way and change mid-session if it's not working.

Full Band Live Tracking

What it is: Recording drums, bass, guitars, and vocals all playing together in the same take.

What it enables: You capture the energy and interaction of a live performance. The band responds to each other in real time. This is how most classic rock and metal records were made.

How we set it up:

  • Full band in the Live Room with isolation for the vocalist
  • Everyone gets their own headphone mix via personal mixers
  • Video link to the control room so you can see the engineer at all times
  • Click track to the drummer if needed

We typically capture clean, but we can route drums or vocals through outboard if you want that committed sound.

Overdub Sessions

What it is: Recording one instrument or voice at a time, layering on top of existing tracks.

What it enables: Focused attention on each performance. Multiple takes and easy comping. Perfect for vocals, guitar solos, and precision work.

How we set it up:

  • Overdub Room has direct window sightline to the control room
  • Simple headphone feed with your cue mix
  • Talkback for easy communication between takes

This is where vocal production happens—tuning, comping, and stacking if needed.

Tone Shaping (Reamping)

What it is: Taking a clean DI recording of guitar or bass and playing it back through amplifiers to capture the amp tone after the fact.

What it enables:

  • You can try different amps without re-performing
  • Remote artists can send DI files and we create amp tones here
  • You can A/B compare amp/cab/mic combinations quickly

How we set it up:

  • Your DI track plays from the DAW into our amp collection
  • We can switch between 7 amp heads instantly using our Kahayan switcher
  • Multiple cabinet and microphone options for each amp
  • We capture the results back into the DAW

Why it matters: You can focus on your performance when tracking, then dial tone without time pressure. Or you can record at home and send us the DI for professional amp tones.

Blind Tone Selection

What it is: We set up multiple amp/cab/mic combinations labeled A, B, C, D, E and you pick your favorite without knowing which gear is which.

What it enables: You choose based on sound alone, not reputation or expectation. Some artists are surprised by what they actually prefer when they can't see the amp.

Why it matters: Eliminates bias. You might think you need a 5150 but actually prefer the Soldano for your riff. This is the only way to know for sure.

Hybrid Mixing with Outboard

What it is: Using analog hardware (compressors, EQ, summing) during the mix process, not just during tracking.

What it enables:

  • Run your drum bus through our Serpent bus compressor for glue
  • Process vocals through the LA-2A for leveling
  • Add analog character at the mix stage

How we set it up:

  • DAW sends audio out to hardware, hardware returns to DAW
  • You can A/B processed vs. unprocessed instantly
  • Print the results when you're happy

This is the "hybrid" approach—digital flexibility with analog character where it counts.

Remote Collaboration

What it is: You send us files, we work on them here, and send results back.

What it enables:

  • You don't have to be in Brooklyn
  • Session musicians can add parts to your project
  • Re-amping and mixing can happen on your schedule

How it works:

  1. You send stems, DIs, or session files
  2. We add what's needed (drums, bass, guitar tones, mixing)
  3. We send back finished files or stems for your approval
  4. Revisions as needed

File delivery typically within 2-3 business days depending on scope.

Video Capture

What it is: Multi-camera recording of your session for content creation.

What it enables:

  • Behind-the-scenes footage for social media
  • Full session documentation
  • Music video elements shot during real takes

What we deliver:

  • Raw footage (all angles, unedited)
  • Highlights reel (60-90 seconds)
  • Behind-the-scenes edit (3-5 minutes)
  • Social cuts (vertical clips for Instagram/TikTok)

This is available as a standard add-on. Many artists find session content outperforms traditional promo.

Not sure which approach fits your project? Let's talk through it.