Miloco Gear Pro Audio Showcase Wrap Up

For anyone who wasn’t able to come to the Miloco Gear Pro Audio showcase last week, make sure you get your tickets for the next one! It was a lot of fun having so many different people, brands and products in one place being so supportive of each other’s work, really something special to be a part of.

First of all, thanks to everyone that did come down, it was great to see you all – old faces and new – as well as a huge thank you to everyone who brought in toys for us to play with and shoot out, and I have to say I was super impressed with a lot of what is being concocted by you. From bit crushing pedals to silky compression, it was all on display.

Congratulations too to the lucky few attendees who walked away a little heavier after winning some new equipment courtesy of Quested, Adam, Focal, Warm, SSL and Audient!

Following on from the success of our bus compressor and microphones shoot outs at the previous event, we decided to take it a step further. This time around we hosted shoot outs of classic and modern pre-amps – hosted by the wizard that is Dax Liniere, and a compressor shoot out featuring kit from all eras of recorded music – hosted by myself.

I’m not often blown away by equipment, but some of the toys we had in the building on the night did just that, the Lisson Grove AR1 is pure magic in a box, but if you’re after something that does the job without asking for a credit, then definitely try out a Manley ELOP! Special shout out to The Pool’s ADL 1500, which stood up against many of the classics.

Dax, I’m waiting for your vote on who edged ahead in mic pre shoot out! Aren’t we all?

Gear shoot outs and general nerdery aside, making my way through the Miloco HQ corridors there was something to grab my attention in every corner, and I’m not just speaking about the delicious beverages – we had voodoo masters Trinov showing off their incredible room adjustment/treatment machine, Quested, Adam, Focal & old friends Augspurger making everyone dance with their new sound blasting machines, Sony with their new hotly awaited C100, and countless other toys form Eventide, Audient, Focusrite and many many others.

It was a real candy store for anyone even vaguely interested in recorded music and tech.

One of my favourites of the night were the new Quested Q212 Free Standing monitors, they sound incredible, and for those who like it LOUD, they had the power to make The Pool studio shake.

Speaking of speakers, Oisin Lunny hosted a great shoot out of sub £2k monitors from The Red Room, in the running were Unity Audio, Focal, Adam and PMC. These things sound a lot better than the price would indicate, best you hear them for yourselves to believe them I’d say!

But I’d be mad if I forgot one of the local favourites who brought along their magic little mixing machine, the AWS 948, by none other than Solid State Logic. And yes, it does stand up to the consoles we all know and love and manages to take it a step further with some tasty modern features.

For anyone looking to get their hands on one, we’ll be holding one in our HQ for the next little bit, so get in touch with bookings if you’re interested bookings@miloco.co.uk

If I could write about everything going on on the night I’d need to purchase a lot more drive space, but rather than fill the internet with noise, I’ll leave you with this: get your tickets to the next event and come and experience it for yourself. It’s a blast and educational, who’d have thought?

The Miloco 5-a-side football tournament is back for 2018!

After resuscitating the infamous Miloco 5-a-side football tournament last year, we are coming back strong in 2018, bigger and better than ever!

Registration are now open for what is sure to be the fiercest and most prestigious football tournament of the year for the UK music industry. Taking place on the 19th of July, at Play Football White City in West London’s Shepherd’s Bush, this year’s competition has a lot to live up to if last year’s day is anything to go by. You can read the full match report here.

Teams can sign up for £50, with all proceeds going to charity – we’ll be back with more news on that when it’s in. As per usual there will be food, drinks, music, great company. And of course, football.

There will be the usual prizes for first, second and first, but really are those even important? We will be doling out awards for Best Team Name (the punnier the better), Best Team Kit and Best Goal Celebration.

So there you have it, get recruiting, get practising, get brainstorming and we’ll see you in July!

Welcome our first Polish Studio, Tall Pine Records

With partner studios all over the world, we are please to present our first Polish partner studio, Tall Pine Records.

Located near the city of Gdansk, Tall Pine is a purpose built studio consisting of two live rooms a a combined 100 metres squared, a control room, iso room, and lounge facilities.

The main live room has lovey 7m tall ceilings, but the curtains and moveable absorbers give it the ability to shorten the reverb time and create diffusion. The size of the room means Tall Pine can accommodate every size project, from small bands up to chamber orchestras, and can create complete separation using the smaller live room. This room is on the floor above but looks down onto the main room through large windows allowing full visibility.

Tall Pine’s control room is centred about an SSL 4048G+ console, the only one if its kind in Poland, once lived in the UK and was resorted and serviced by Peter Higgs. The control room also features a Protools HD rig, a 24 channel Studier 827, as well as a selection of classic mics, unique backline, outboard and more.

The team at Tall Pine can cater for any type of project or genre, providing the optimal conditions for clients to work in each room. Explore the full studio page and contact our bookings team for rates and bookings.

A studio you’ll want to hibernate in: Bear Creek Studio

Our studio directory in the States just keeps on growing! After adding a string of amazing locations in Nashville to our site, we are pleased to present a stunning residential recording studio on the other side of the continent, in lush Washington State, Bear Creek Studio.

Located just 30 minutes north of Seattle, Bear Creek is a rural getaway set amongst the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. The converted farm houses a state of the art recording facility, including a 1600 square foot live room aka ‘the big room’, spacious control room, another smaller live room known as ‘the wood room’, and three iso rooms.

The big rooms is home to a Steinway B 7 foot grand piano, along with plenty of instruments such as vintage Ludwig and Camco drum kits, vintage synths, keyboards, guitars, amps and more. It has enough space to record projects from small bands to a 60 piece orchestra. It can be used on its own, or in conjunction with the wood room, using the three large windows to provide excellent visibility between the two. The three iso rooms and control room are also connected to the big room via large windows.

Bear Creek’s control room is centred around a Trident TSM 32×24 console with Uptown Moving Fader Automation and Neve BCM 10 sidecar, and also features a great collection of vintage and modern outboard gear. In the main building there is also a kitchen, dining and lounge room for clients to use during sessions.

Set slightly apart on the 10 acre property is The Treehouse, a fully contained studio that sits 18 feet off the ground, and is perfect for writing or mixing, but also has enough space to set up a whole band. With 15 foot ceilings and clad in wood, it created a beautifully absorbent acoustic sound.

The on-site accommodation is divided between The Loft, The Cabin, The Treehouse and The Farmhouse, which in total sleep up to 7 guests. If all that hadn’t convinced you to pack your bags and head to Washington, the property’s ten beautiful acres feature a salmon spawning creek and pond for inspiring walks and getting in touch with nature.

Step into Forbes Street Studios

Come with us on a (virtual) trip down under and step inside one of Australia’s finest new recording facilities. Forbes Street Studios is located in the heart of Sydney on, you guessed it, Forbes Street. Housed in the same building, and with strong ties to Universal Music Australia, Forbes Street has built up quite the reputation in its short existence.

Designed by Michael Fronzek the facility is comprised of three gorgeous studios, three iso booths, one live room, one interview room and an additional recording space. Don’t forget the spacious wrap around terrace bathed in sunlight with comfortable furniture to lounge in.

Studio 1 is Forbes Street’s flagship control room, home to an SSL AWS 924 console, Australia’s only pair of Barefoot MiniMain12s, and two pairs of near field monitors Genelec 8040B and Yamaha NS-10M Studio.

Studio 2, and the attached Vocal Booth 2, is the perfect room for writing, overdubs and mixing. Precision monitoring is supplied by Adams A77X and Yamaha NS-10M Studio speakers.

One of Forbes Street’s most unique spaces is the interview room, overlooking busy William Street this space was specifically constructed for the purpose of capturing interviews and podcasts, which can be done in house via DAW, or remotely via Audio-over-IP. Many touring artists from next door Universal have most the most of this room for media activities.

Studio 3 is the multi-purpose media hub, housing video editing software (Avid), DAW solutions (Pro Tools, Logic & Ableton) and image editing software (Adobe). If three functions wasn’t enough the room can also be used as an affordable writing and overdub studio.

Accessible through an isolation booth is the main recording space. A large live room perfect for tracking all manner of projects, the space has also been used for film shoots, showcase performances and small functions. With excellent visibility between Studio 1 and Vocal Booth 1 the room afford a tonne of natural light and decked out in modern furnishings with a retro twist for a comfortable and inspiring recording environment.

For larger projects, clients can make use of the entire studio with all studio spaces being interconnected and cross-patchable for large whole-studio projects.

In addition to excellent recording spaces, the studio is home to quite the list of gear from all the leading names’ Sony, Neumann, Ludwig, Gibson, Roland and more.

In between sessions clients are in the middle of one of the most vibrant areas of Sydney, just minutes walk from Sydney harbour, Hyde Park, the CBD, Botanic Gardens and bustling Kings Cross. Opened in 2016, Forbes Street has seen the likes of Lorde, Tove Lo, Niall Horan and many more walk through its doors.

This studio is no Dark Horse

Keeping in with the Nashville theme, we have welcomed yet another Tennessee studio to our directory, with the incredible Dark Horse Recording Studio. Dark Horse is a luxury residential studio set in the lush countryside just outside of Nashville that marries vintage analog gear with top of the line modern digital equipment.

This studio provides undoubtedly one of the most creative and inspiring environments to write and record in. This place is like a fairytale hideaway crossed with a recording studio crossed with a luxury forest lodge. The 4 studio complex is set on a multi-acre plot of scenic farmland

The studio is centred around The Lodge Studio, a lovely and light room with a 33 foot cathedral ceiling, with tall windows and stunning views to the surrounding countryside. The Lodge is home to a 40 channel Trident series 80 desk, accompanied by the Martinsound ACX 24 console, perfect for mix sessions and the most demanding tracking sessions.

The Barefoot Studio is the most flexible of all the spaces (hence the name ‘Barefoot’), with no bolted down equipment allowing the room to be configured in numerous ways. The Barefoot room can be used in isolation, or as an extension of The Lodge for larger sessions.

As a residential studio, Dark Horse fully caters to all clients with spacious on-site accommodation in the main building, with an additional space well on its way! The main building is also home to a fully equipped living room and numerous other areas outside to unwind and relax after a day of recording.

Dark Horse caters to all manner of clients, from the world’s biggest superstars to independent artists, such as Taylor Swift, Keith urban, Keith Urban, Korn and many more.

Cook up something special at Sound Kitchen Studios

It’s not everyday you get to welcome one of the USA‘s largest studio complexes to the Miloco Studios directory – but today is one of those days! Nashville‘s Sound Kitchen Studios is one of the biggest studio in south eastern America, and we are so proud to have them on our site.

Operating since 1994, Sound Kitchen Studios is set over 20,000 square feet and home to seven studios of different shapes, sizes and specs suitable for all types of musicians and projects.

The centrepiece of Sound Kitchen is the aptly named Big Boy Studio – an enormous space with 20 foot ceilings, seven isolation boots, packed with vintage gear, and a Yamaha C-7 grand piano. The control room is home to a one of a kind API Legacy 80 Channel console, complemented by a load of outboard as well as a full-size kitchen and lounge.

Studio E is the smaller (but still definitely mid-sized!) studio, and without a doubt one of the most popular rooms in the facility. With five isolation booths, a Yamaha grand piano and a very reasonable price, the space gives you the most space and gear possible without breaking the bank. With plenty of exposed brick it’s the perfect space for large drum sounds, with great overall tone and expansive natural reverb. The control room houses a 64 channel SSL 4000 G+ console and a plethora of outboard gear to choose from. Studio E also comes with a private adjoining lounge that provides a relaxing space to unwind in between takes.

Sound Kitchen has become synonymous with music history in Nashville, playing a part in recordings by Taylor Swift, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Backstreet Boys, Rush and many more.

Sound Kitchen caters not only for musical projects, but is well equipped, and experienced, in hosting parties, team building events, studio tours, video production and much more.

Welcome the iconic Blackbird Studio

Undoubtedly one of the most prestigious recording facilities in the United States, Blackbird Studios needs almost no introduction. But we’re so thrilled that they have joined Miloco’s directory that we’re going to introduce you to them anyway.

The headline? Blackbird is an incredible top-spec multi-studio complex in USA’s beating heart of music production, Nashville, Tennessee, which began back in 2003.

Designed and launched by John and Martina McBride, Blackbird was created to offer the highest possible recording experience, fusing state of the art equipment and bleeding edge technologies.

The facility consists of eight (yes, eight) studios, each with their own distinct style and sound, being described as anything from The Four Seasons to Moulin Rouge. Is your imagination running wild yet?

On Blackbird’s Miloco Studios page you can browse through the equipment, photos and floorpan or Studios A, B, C and D.

Studio A most reflects its Beatles namesake, reminiscent of Abbey Road’s Studio 2 it is designed to evoke recording’s early days, while offering all the comforts and technology of a modern studio. It has 11 recording areas, including a control room that features a vintage Neve 8078, and was the main room from the original studio, created in the 1970’s. We’d run out of room if we tried to list all the amazing equipment, so to do that we advise you to click here.

Studios B and C are both gorgeously designed spaces that are perfect for mixing, overdubs and light tracking. Studio B is equipped with a 48 channel API Legacy Plus console, along with a small (but adjustable) live chamber and a great selection of outboard, preamps and dynamics.

Studio C, designed by George Massenburg, is characterised by its unique wooden diffuser design (pictured in the header), which comprises of 138,646 sticks of wood, all cut to a different length!! It is centred around a SSL 9000K console, with 5.1 mixing, an iso booth and a private lounge.

Studio D is another large and warm recording space featuring seven recording spaces and three amp lockers. The room is beautiful designed, lit by hanging red lanterns and clad in dark walnut floors, stone walls, panels and a Yamaha C7 grand piano. The control room houses the largest API legacy Plus ever built, with 96 channels and 192 inputs.

Over the years Blackbird has acquired quite the prestigious reputation, thanks in part to its excellent facilities, and client list that reads like a music hall of fame. Think Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, John Mayer, Dolly Parton, Beck, Kings of Leon, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Kesha, The White Stripes, Snoop Dogg, Pearl Jam, Neil Young, and many others.

Want to join their ranks? Get in touch with our bookings team to enquire about rates and sessions.

Get up to new tricks at Trixx Studios

Berlin is becoming the capital for all things creative and cool, and so it comes as no surprise that it’s where some of the best studios can be found. This week we added Trixx Studios to our repertoire of Berlin based facilities.

Located in the heart of one of Berlin’s coolest neighbourhoods, Kreuzberg, Trixx has been providing the best in vintage and modern digital recording since 1985. Owned and run by producer and engineer Klaus Knapp, Trixx is a three room studio that can fulfil the needs of every project.

Studio A is perfect for larger recording sessions in-the-box mixing which is connected to not one, but two live rooms, including a 50m2 drum room and a separate amp booth that houses a stunningly restored Bechstein Model B Grand Piano. With several acoustic screens clients are able to customise and shape the sound specific to their needs. The control room is centred around a 54 channel Tascam M700 console, and is completed by a 2″ Otari tape machine (24 tracks) and a 1/2″ Fostex E20 (two tracks).

With a comfortable love room with wooden floor and absorbent walls, as well as a spacious control room, Studio B is also a great space for both tracking and mixing. The live room, designed by acoustician Mo Stern, is connected to two small guitar amp booths allowing separation, and great visibility between with the control room. In said control room clients can find a transparent sounding Tascam M700 console, a Pro Tools HD3 Accel System, or for a more vintage sound can also record to tape.

Studio C has been set up as the production suite, set up for in-the-box productions, featuring an SSL X-Rack console, top of the line preamps, great acoustics, and a small amp booth for recording guitar overdubs.

Floating between all studios is an impressive array of instruments, backline and mics that can be used at any time. Allowing ultimate flexibility, the team can also move other gear between rooms when required.

With a long history of providing clients the best possible facilities and service, Trixx have had the pleasure of working with acts ranging from Wu Tang Clan to Fleetwood Mac, Lil’ Kim, Frank Ocean and many many more. Check out their full client list here.

Explore Trixx Studios’ full studio page here and get in touch with the Miloco bookings team to enquire and book your session.

2018 BRIT Awards Nominations

One of our favourite dates in the music industry calendar is right around the corner – the 2018 BRIT Awards!

Each year we work with hundreds of amazing British musicians, and we love seeing their talent and hard work recognised in such a spectacular fashion. We are very proud to once again have been involved in some capacity in a number of the projects nominated.

London emcee J Hus had a stellar 2017, releasing his debut album Common Sense, which had 14 of its 17 tracks mixed in our studios by our go-to urban music engineer, Jake Gordon.

J Hus has been nominated for three awards this year, including British Breakthrough Act, British Single for ‘Did You See’ and the coveted MasterCard British Album of The Year for Common Sense.

American band LCD Soundsystem already have a GRAMMY Award under their belt year for this year and are looking to take home another major music award when they go up for the Best International Group at the BRITs, competing alongside bands such as Foo Fighters, HAIM, The Killers and more.

Dreamy electro-pop trio London Grammar are nominated in this year’s Best Group category, alongside The xx, Gorillaz, Wolf Alice and Royal Blood. Hannah, Dan and Dot spent a fair bit of time with Paul Epworth and the team up at The Church working on seven of the tracks on their #1 album Truth Is A Beautiful Thing.