Southern California Rock and Roll Guitar Player Craig Parker Adams
HISTORY

The studio was originally built sometime in the 1920's or so and was originally built by The Pacific Electric Company - it is considered to be one of the oldest sound studios in existence for film in the world) A few decades later it was then taken over by the one and only Liberace. Sometime in the 1970's the great Bruce Scott (co creator of time code) took over and it became Scott Sound (a Film & Television audio production center). When Bruce moved on in the early 1980's it changed over to an anonymous individual and then finally made it's way in to the hands of it's current owner a local property tycoon.


THE WAY IT WAS

Looking west on Santa Monica Blvd. just east of Gower (1922) - Studio is on the left beyond the first big tree - The National Film Corp fence is on the right - note - these first 4 photos are courtesy of Jill Scott

Looking west on Santa Monica Blvd. just east of Gower (1922) - Studio is on the left beyond the first big tree - The National Film Corp fence is on the right - note - these first 4 photos are courtesy of Jill Scott

Looking west on Santa Monica Blvd. just east of Gower (1927) - Studio is on the left by the first big tree

Looking west on Santa Monica Blvd. just east of Gower (1927) - Studio is on the left by the first big tree

Bruce Scott

Bruce Scott

Bruce Scott continued

Bruce Scott continued

I couldn't resist.

I couldn't resist.

THE LAYOUT

I mainly use a combination of 3 different rooms to record in depending on the project. Each room sonically is VERY different from one another.

1. ACOUSTICALLY DESIGNED " FOLEY " TRACKING ROOM
          ( I call it 1973 )

20' L X 13 1/2' W with an angled ceiling that grades from 13' to 16'

there are 5 different sections to the floor to combat vibration transfer as well as six built in 5' wide floor to ceiling round surfaced pillar like diffusers. These are a HUGE part of the room's overall sonics. They make it easy for an electric live band to track with an amazing degree of separation all while being right up close to each other.

( that means if someone makes a mistake, it typically sonically doesn't blow it for everyone else )
 

2. THE LOUNGE ( YES THE LOUNGE )

16' W x 12' L with 9' ceiling 

several years back when I was changing out the carpet I came across the old original tile underneath the padding. It took about 2 seconds to realize what I had. Keep in mind that the room wasn't constructed to be a lounge, I just use it for that. The ceiling is all OG acoustical dotted hole material that you see in all the old time studios. The space also has some cool features, such as it drifts into the area where the stairs lead up to the raised control room and then on up to the second floor. That corridor has a ceiling height of 16' as well which provides for some cool opportunities for adventurers.

When tracking LIVE I primarily use this room for anything that requires separation from the drums. Such as uprights, strings, acoustic guitar, leslie, acoustic piano, vocals etc... 

please - take a moment to scroll on down & HEAR a few samples of "said" lounge's acoustics:


3. THE HALL ( YES THE HALL )

10' L  X 3 1/2' W with 9' ceiling

this hall also has the same OG acoustical dotted hole ceiling tile as well as some additional acoustical treatments.

In my quest to find a way to be able to TRACK live vocals with the band while maintaining sonic separation AS WELL AS visual contact my journey led to this. I looked in to getting a vocal booth but an obstacle like that would throw off the acoustic precision in the tracking room. SO, lucky me when a glass company moved in on the block. They came in, took out my hall door, cut out a nice big center piece, added some heavy grade glass / air trap / more glass / air trap / even more glass / & now magically I have a vocal booth or another space for additional separation.

This technique I learned as a kid from the great David Lee Roth, it's called " Get To Da Best Wit Wha Choo Got! " 


4. CONTROL ROOM

11' L X 10 1/2' W with 7' ceiling
 (sorry Shaq!)

It is the original control room with 4 1/2' X 3' ( viewable - it's actually bigger ) window looking out to the tracking room. The floor is carpet and the walls and ceiling are an acoustic fiber material treatment of great mystery. Original perhaps or added many many years ago , either way , best left UNsolved.

( I hope you like mustard gold color )



THE WAY IT IS

WINSLOW CT. -  My friend Beau named the studio after a piece of music I wrote. He didn't know what it meant. It's named after the street I grew up on , it means home.

WINSLOW CT. - My friend Beau named the studio after a piece of music I wrote. He didn't know what it meant. It's named after the street I grew up on , it means home.

TRACKING ROOM

TRACKING ROOM

TRACKING ROOM

TRACKING ROOM

TRACKING ROOM

TRACKING ROOM

Foley

Foley

this is me , photo by, Maria Ramirez - Adams

this is me , photo by, Maria Ramirez - Adams

LOUNGE

LOUNGE

LOUNGE

LOUNGE

LOUNGE

LOUNGE

LOUNGE

LOUNGE

LOUNGE

LOUNGE

HALL

HALL

DAVE ALVIN & GREG LEISZ on the hunt, photo credit ( Dave's friend )

DAVE ALVIN & GREG LEISZ on the hunt, photo credit ( Dave's friend )

HALL

HALL

CARLOS GUITARLOS , whoa! photo by, the great GARY LEONARD

CARLOS GUITARLOS , whoa! photo by, the great GARY LEONARD

HALL

HALL

HALL / BOOTH

HALL / BOOTH

HALL

HALL

CONTROL ROOM - the current set up no longer faces this direction

CONTROL ROOM - the current set up no longer faces this direction

I rented Christopher Guest & his film company the place for a scene for his film "Best In Show". I'm actually running everything right off camera while they did their thing

I rented Christopher Guest & his film company the place for a scene for his film "Best In Show". I'm actually running everything right off camera while they did their thing

CONTROL ROOM

CONTROL ROOM

SET UP - again , it's facing a different direction than this photo depicts

SET UP - again , it's facing a different direction than this photo depicts

SET UP

SET UP

SET UP

SET UP

SET UP

SET UP

SET UP

SET UP

THE GEAR

 Keep it simple, stupid! That is what you will find here folks. If your an artist ( in my book ) your first concern would be vibe or energy. Next up is sonic quality and precision.

Sorry to say I got rid of my 3M M56 2" 16 track with the custom M79 meter bridge years ago to modernize, but don't fret , my warm set up will get you straight to the heart of the matter. 

1. Front End ( 16 - pre amps - 4 completely different flavors )

2 Universal Audio LA610's
2 Brent Averill 1073's
11 Brent Averill 312A's
1 Avalon 737 sp

Mogami gold sputtered cable through out

2. Converters  ( super important - analog to digital & digital to analog )

1 16 channel  Apogee AD - 16X
1 16 channel  Apogee DA - 16X

3. Computer 

Mac Pro Intel Dual Core 2.66ghrtz 16gig ram
30" Apple Cinema Display
 
ProTools 9 HDII 
tons of pluggins -  ua , waves , mel , alti , brainworx , & on & on

4. Speakers
Yamaha NS10'S
Yamaha YST215SW Sub Woofer
Yamaha P2500S Power Amp

5. ALESIS ML 9600 HIGH RESOLUTION MASTERLINK HARD DISK RECORDER
(i know what your thinking but their actually pretty great)


FRONT END - CONVERTERS

my M56 , oh how you are missed

my M56 , oh how you are missed

 FOR MICROPHONES I GET IT DONE WITH:

2 - EV 668'S
2 - EV RE15'S
2 - SENNHEISER 421'S
2 - COLES 4038'S
2 - AKG 414 XLII'S
1 - VINTAGE SILVER AKG 414
1 - NEUMANN U87
1 - AKG D112
1 - SURE BETA 52
4 - SURE SM57'S
1 - SURE SM58

CONTACT

 323-462-1446
WINSLOWCT@GMAIL.COM

SOUND SAMPLE OF THE LOUNGE TILE

CARLOS GUITARLOS HANDSOME WOLF

  Track Title  
HIGH STEPPIN' DANCER clip [0:23] 
This is Carlos Guitarlos & his band live in the studio , listen to his guitar bouncing off the old tile in the lounge. He's playing a Jr. with a P90 straight into a Deluxe. You can here his picking bleeding in to the vocal mic.
 
THAT'S ALRIGHT BY ME [0:33] 
same set up same session - listen to the variance
 
THE CHITLIN' SONG [0:27] 
same but - different