Recording Studio
A DIY community recording space in Portland, 2017 to 2020: tracking, mixing and production for local artists, in rehearsal rooms built out into studios.
- Status
- Case study
- Stack
- Audio · Recording · Mixing · Production · Ableton Live
At a glance
- Outcome: A DIY recording space for Portland artists. Tracked over 100 songs for 30 to 40 local artists at low cost, and taught them to record themselves. Over 300 songs counting own material.
- Status: Ran from 2017 to 2020 across two locations.
- Role: Recording engineer. Worked out of own space and as a low-cost engineer for a Portland label.
- Stack & libraries: Ableton Live, Universal Audio interfaces, Neumann and Audio-Technica microphones.
From 2017 to 2020 I ran a DIY recording space in Portland across two locations. I built rehearsal rooms out into studios, sometimes adding a sound-isolated booth. I recorded, mixed and produced more than 100 songs for 30 to 40 local artists at low cost. Counting my own music, the total is over 300. For part of that time I also worked as a low-cost engineer for a Portland label.
Sessions were recorded in Ableton Live with Universal Audio interfaces and Neumann and Audio-Technica microphones, then mixed and produced. I also taught artists to run their own sessions. I offered the same to local youth music programs, with free or low-cost recording and sound engineering. A small, repeatable setup in rooms where bands already practiced kept costs low enough for local artists and simple enough for them to learn.