Recording Studios in New York City

PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City, formerly 244 Rehearsal Studios, has small, medium, and large rehearsal studio spaces. The small studios can accommodate two people, while the medium can accommodate five, and the large spaces can accommodate up to 50 people. Each studio features a tuned and regulated grand piano, excellent acoustics, sound conditioning, air conditioning, music stands, stools and chairs, full-length mirrors, and free WiFi. PianoPiano Studios is a second-generation family-owned company that’s been in business in New York for over 20 years. The staff prides themselves on providing quality spaces with quality instruments for teaching, practicing, and performing.

Mahler and Chopin are PianoPiano’s small studios. The 9′ X 17′ Mahler Studio and 12′ X 8′ Chopin Studio comes equipped with a baby Grand Piano, air conditioning, carpeted floors, and WiFi.

The 9’ x 17’ Mahler Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.
The 12’ x 8’ Chopin Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.

PianoPiano has five medium-sized studios, the 12’ x 14’ Verdi, Joplin, Shankar, and Parker Studios, and the 13’ x 14’ Gershawn Studio. The Verdi and Parker Studios are equipped with a full-size Grand Piano, while the Joplin and Shankar Studios are each equipped with a Steinway Model O Grand Piano. The larger Gershawn Studio is equipped with a Yamaha Grand Piano.

The 12’ x 14’ Verdi Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.
The 12’ x 14’ Parker Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.
The 12’ x 14’ Joplin Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.
The 12’ x 14’ Shankar Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.
The 13’ x 14’ Gershawn Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.

PianoPiano has five large studios, the 17’ x 18’ Bizet Studio, the 17’ x 19’ Holiday and Two Grand Piano Studios, the 17’ x 21’ Saint Georges Studio, and the 31’ x 21’ PianoPiano Theater Studio. All large studios can accomadate up to 20 people, except for the PianoPiano Theater, which can accomadate 50 guests. The Bizet, Siant Georges, and Holiday Studios come equipped with a full size Grand Piano, while the PianoPiano Theater is equipped with a semi concert Grand Piano.

The 17’ x 18’ Bizet Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.
The 17’ x 19’ Holiday Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.
The 17’ x 19’ Two Grand Pianos Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.
The 17’ x 21’ Saint Georges Studio at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.
The 31’ x 21’ PianoPiano Theater at PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios in New York City.

The DiMenna Center for Classical Music opened in 2011 and is New York City’s only acoustically optimized rehearsal and recording space dedicated to classical music. Owned and operated by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL), The DiMenna Center welcomes thousands of musicians and hundreds of ensembles each year and has hosted artists such as Jon Batiste, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, James Taylor, and Sting. Committed to serving the musical community and its Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, The DiMenna Center hosts hundreds of neighbors, families, and children each year for free community events. The center offers a wide array of rehearsal, recording, performance, events, and live stream services. There are four studios available for use by guests based on their individual needs: the Mary Flagler Cary Hall, the Norman S. Benzaquen Hall, the Control Room, and the Marianne Lockwood Green Room.

The DiMenna Center’s largest space, Cary Hall, is ideal for concerts, orchestra and chorus rehearsals, recording sessions (including film soundtracks), and theatrical projects. Located at the nexus of the Javits Center, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen, Penn Station, and Times Square in midtown-Manhattan, Cary Hall at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music is centrally located near public transportation, parking, hotels, restaurants, and shops. The max capacity at Cary Hall is 250 people and features a large column-free space, vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, theatrical rigging and lighting, active acoustic design by E-Coustic Systems, a Steinway D 9-foot grand piano, tables, orchestra chairs, music stands, and a conductor’s podium.

The Steinway D 9-foot grand piano in Mary Flagler Cary Hall at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York City.

Benzaquen Hall is ideal for chamber orchestra and chorus rehearsals and recording projects, as well as chamber music performances. Like other spaces at The DiMenna Center, Benzaquen Hall is centrally located near public transportation, parking, hotels, restaurants, and shops. Benzaquen Hall fits 85 people and features a large, column-free space, vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, a Steinway D 9-foot grand piano, tables, orchestra chairs, music stands, and a conductor’s podium.

Recording session set-up in Benzaquen Hall.

The DiMenna Center for Classical Music’s Control Room has interconnectivity to all the live rooms at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music. Ideally suited to record everything from large symphony orchestras to chamber ensembles to Broadway cast albums, the Control Room includes fiber optic and audio-over-IP infrastructures for streaming, remote recording, and live broadcasts. The Dolby-certified Control Room features a Lawo 200+ channel mc2-56 mixing console, Dual 128 channel Protools HDX Rec, Editing, and Mixing, gull video playback for film and TV post-audio mixing, FO connectivity for external streaming and remote rec, and Francis Manzella Design.

The Control Room at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York City.

The Marianne Lockwood Green Room is ideal for 2–6-person ensemble rehearsals, sectionals, recording projects, and green room space for groups renting Cary Hall or Benzaquen Hall. Like other spaces at The DiMenna Center, the Marianne Lockwood Green Room is centrally located near public transportation, parking, hotels, restaurants, and shops. The room features a Steinway Model M piano, high-speed internet and phone lines, music stands, and chairs, tables, and a sofa (available upon request.)

The Marianne Lockwood Green Room at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York City.

Plug Studios in the Bronx has been providing the best sound quality and services in New York City since 2015. Their services include recording, mixing, mastering, listening sessions, and custom production. Among Plug Studios’ clientele are New York natives A Boogie and Cardi B, as well as Fetty Wap, and more.

Music producer David Cabrera is the founder and CEO of Plug Studios and was only 12 when he was gifted his very first desktop, where he and his friends worked on beats and recorded songs solemnly for their enjoyment. Unaware that he was constructing a platform, Cabrera’s passion grew fonder. With his drive and support from his team, Plug Studios was born. The music studio started as a basement project at home, but within months of launching, he realized he needed more than the experimented space to provide his clientele with a quality experience. Since then, they have expanded into a commercial location, and Plug Studios is now one of the best recording studios in the tri-state area.

Founder and CEO of Plug Studios in New York City, David Cabrera.

Plug Studios has two A Studios, Blue and Red, two B Studios, Left and Right, a Gucci Room, and a Lounge. The Red and Blue studios are equipped with Augsperger Dual 8 monitors with 2 double 12-inch subs, Adam a77x monitors, Sony C800g microphones, Neumann U87 microphones Neumann TLM 49 Microphones, Neve 1073 Preamp SSL Bus compressors, Maag 4 band equalizers, SSL Fusion box, Tubetech CL1B Compressors, Avalon 737 anniversary edition mic preamp, Comp 554 Compressors, Melodyne, Latest Mac Pros, Universal audio 6176 mic preamp, Dangerous Music Monitor St, Latest version of protocols, Autotune pro, Universal audio Apollo X16 interface Soundtoys bundle Universal Audio plugins Full library, Fab filter bundle Slate digital bundle, and Waves bundle mercury.

The left and the right studios are equipped with Universal Audio Plugin (Full Library), Waves Mercury Bundle, Neumann U87 Microphones, Yamaha Hs80s Monitors & Yamaha Hs8 Subs, Avid S3 console, Dangerous monitor St, Avalon 737 Anniversary Edition, UA Apollo X6, Adam A7x Monitors, Latest version of Protools, Latest iMac Pro’s, Fab filter bundle, Sound toys bundle, Mc DSP, Autotune pro, Slate digital bundle, and Melodyne.

The Blue Studio at Plug Studios in the Bronx.
The Red Studio at Plug Studios in the Bronx.
The Left Studio Plug Studios in the Bronx.
The Right Studio at Plug Studios in the Bronx.
The Gucci Room at Plug Studios in the Bronx.
The Lounge at Plug Studios in the Bronx.

Triangle Recording Studio in the Bronx is a Grammy Nominated studio that was established in 2003. Their audio production and recording services include custom audio tracks, songwriting, mixing and mastering, sound design, and voice-over recording. The studio has been built from the ground up to offer bands and artists a world-class, technically proficient but highly creative workspace. Sessions are run with an emphasis on creativity, vibe, and capturing performance. Triangle Recording Studios has been an outlet for all artists from all walks of life, whether it be a Gospel preacher recording breathtaking Hymns for next Sunday’s service, or an Opera singer revising their concertos for the Philharmonic Society, this studio excels by creatively tapping into your gift to heighten your audio capabilities digitally.

The studio was founded by Jahmane Bright, a talented Audio Engineer, Producer, Arranger, Songwriter, and extraordinary Musician who studied at the City University of New York (CUNY) at Lehman. Once deemed a promising Intern at Sony Urban Music, he worked his way up the ladder and gained a full-time spot mastering every skill obtained for over two years. In his early career, he met and worked with Donald McPherson, and Martin Moore just to name drop. With infallible moral standards, he has touched every person who has ever graced the presence of Triangle Recording Studios. His magic will keep you on your toes, and his music will find a way to soothe your soul.

Triangle Recording Studios in the Bronx.
Jahmane Bright, founder of Triangle Recording Studios in the Bronx.

Damatrix Studios Network in the Bronx has set standards and bars for the independent industry from day one. Conceived by Damien “D.W.I.” Williams in 2000, Damatrix has continuously provided superior sound quality and professional recording sessions as well as pioneering the internet broadcasting network for over two decades. Having become a major cornerstone in budding and building careers, Damatrix Studios has been a premiere studio and a platform for so many voices to be heard. 

Damien Williams, owner of Damatrix Studios in the Bronx.

Gold Room Recording and Podcast Studio, located in the East Williamsburg – Bushwick section of Brooklyn, is staffed with talented New York City music producers, songwriters, and studio engineers who are all there to support musicians in crafting their music. Production sessions at Gold Ink allow aspiring recording artists to sit down with a producer, and create a beat from scratch. Gold Room’s podcast studio space gives artists a creative, at-home feel to speak their minds in a professional setting, surrounded by New York City’s best music producers, songwriters, and studio engineers.

Gold Room Recording and Podcast Studio in East Williamsburg.

Pirate.com – Rehearsal and Recording Studios is a 24/7 Gowanus music studio that has three locations in New York City, in Bushwick, the Brooklyn Neighborhood of Gowanus, and in Queens. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, Pirate is the perfect place to create, write, produce, practice, and mix with no distractions. The onsite facilities include high-speed WiFi, vending machines, kitchen facilities, and air-conditioned rooms. The studio is conveniently surrounded by a rich and diverse community with restaurants such as Bunker, a hip spot serving up bánh mì and other Vietnamese cuisines with thoughtfully sourced ingredients, bars such as Honey’s, and the indoor paintball and airsoft arena Area 53. Pirate’s facility includes 23 spaces where artists can work on their latest project, including DJ, Podcast, Dance, Rehearsal, and Recording rooms.

Pirate has 16 DJ practice studios across two Brooklyn locations, 10 private studios in Gowanus, and six studios near Bushwick, where you can record a mix, back-to-back, or just rehearse. The standard two-deck DJ studios are approximately 65 square feet, and the Pro-three-deck DJ studios are approximately 130 square feet. Both can hold up to a maximum of five people (including the lead booker) per session. Both studios are surrounded by several restaurants, such as The Drift Bar and Grill and the vegan restaurant Modern Love in Brooklyn. For the most authentic Italian plates in the area, Brooklyn’s Il Passatore is a local go-to.

The Standard DJ Studio at Pirate.com – Rehearsal and Recording Studios.
The Pro DJ Studio Pirate.com – Rehearsal and Recording Studios.

Pirate.com has podcast studios at its Brooklyn and Queens locations. Both studios provide artists with a quiet space that fits up to four people to do recordings and interviews, with premium equipment and customizable lighting. Both studios feature an integrated podcast unit, microphones, headphones, and similar necessary podcast equipment. As with other spaces at Pirate, its podcast studios are equipped with high-speed WiFi, vending machines, kitchen facilities, and air-conditioned rooms. At Pirate’s Podcast Studio in Ridgewood, a number of restaurants are in the surrounding area like the vegan restaurant Tikal Cafe, Queens Brewery, the brunch spot The Deep End, and the creative community The Muse.

The standard studio at Pirate.com’s podcast studio in Brooklyn.
Pirate.com’s podcast studio in Queens.

Pirate.com has two recording studios in Brooklyn, one in Gowanus and one in Bushwick. The standard Lite Recording Studio fits up to two people and comes equipped with everything an artist would need. The Pro studio fits larger groups and includes a vocal booth, as well as other similar equipment artists would need. With self-service access, professional equipment provided free, and affordable day rates, Pirate.com’s recording studios help artists capture their creativity the moment it sparks. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, Pirate.com’s custom-designed studios are the perfect place to create, write, produce, practice, and mix with no distractions.

The standard Lite Studio at Pirate.com Recording Studios.
The Pro Studio at Pirate.com Recording Studios.

Pirate’s Rehearsal Studios are acoustically treated with high-quality equipment. The music rehearsal studios are a space to get creative, and all rehearsal studios are fully kitted, with a variety of room types to suit artists’ needs, whether it be practicing drums, vocal rehearsal, or fine-tuning an ensemble performance. Inside, you’ll find the very best equipment from Marshall, Boss, Ashdown, and more in all of the music practice rooms. Pirate has 16 rehearsal spaces across Brooklyn, 10 in Gowanus, 6 near Bushwick, and four in Queens near Ridgewood. The standard rehearsal studios fit up to groups of four, while the pro studio is better suited for larger groups.

The Standard Rehearsal Studio at Pirate.com.
The Pro Rehearsal Studio at Pirate.com.

The Brewery Recording Studio is Brooklyn’s premiere recording studio, staffed by New York City’s leading talents in music recording and production, all to deliver the very best service and amenities for today’s signed artists and independent musicians. The studio offers a variety of recording, editing, mixing, mastering, post/film, production, and composition credits. The studio is co-owned by mixing engineers Andrew Krivonos and Oladipo “Dot Da Genius” Omishore.

Head Engineer Andrew Krivonos is amongst the top recording and mixing engineers in New York City with 12 years of experience and thousands of artists under his belt. In 2015, Krivonos earned a Platinum award for recording the single “Post to Be” and charted #4 on Billboard with mixing for Joey Bada$$’s album B4DA$$. Krivonos attended Five Towns College on Long Island, and after graduating at the top of his class, he started assisting at studios like Legacy Recording (now MSR Studios), Atomic Recording, and Forward Studios (Italy) working with the likes of Mariah Carey and Will I AM. Krivonos founded Southfall Studios in 2005, renaming it The Brewery in 2008. The Brewery has since grown from a one-man operation into one of Brooklyn’s most sought-after recording studios. Andrew’s passion and professionalism remain at the core of the company’s success.

Engineer/Owner of The Brewery Recording Studio in Brooklyn, Andrew Kovinos.

Grammy-nominated producer/engineer Oladipo “Dot Da Genius” Omishore is the man behind many of Kid Cudi’s smash singles including his debut hit “Day N Nite”. He is also one half of the pop-rock collaboration group WZRD along with Kid Cudi, releasing their studio album in 2012. Having produced, recorded, and mixed A Kid Named Cudi in his project studio in his home, expansion was only inevitable, ultimately opening The Brewery with business partner Andrew Krivinos. They set out to create the most comfortable working environment for musicians of all styles of music. Dot currently works on all his current projects out of the Brewery and hopes to bring many more plaques back to the studio in the years to come.

Producer/Owner of The Brewery Recording Studio in Brooklyn, Dot da Genius.

Focus Work Studios in Brooklyn’s East Village is surrounded by industrial lofts and murals dedicated to artistic heroes of the past. Only minutes from the Atlantic Ave L train, the area offers easy access and no shortage of inspiration. The industrial loft-turned-music studio boasts 15-foot ceilings, a clean, cozy recording booth, a 225-square-foot control room, and a 250-square-foot photo section. Clients have access to a variety of first-rate recording gear and studio plugins. Focus Work Studios is co-owned by Chris Classsics, Andrew Scott, and Marvelous Bucannon.

Chris Classsics earned his degree in Sound Recording Technology from the School of Audio Engineering (S.A.E) Institute. He has worked on staff at Focus Work Studios and has run sessions in studios across the east coast. Classsics has worked with a diverse range of artists in many genres of music. He loves to pinpoint the artist’s vision and facilitate in bringing it out. As a producer and engineer, his strongest quality is assuring every client gets that vision from their hearts out in the world.

Chris Classsics, owner/producer/head engineer at Focus Work Studios in Brooklyn.

During his teen years, Andrew Scott displayed a burgeoning interest in writing, photography, and film. As a junior in high school, he was selected as editor of the school paper, a position he used primarily to highlight the achievements of his classmates. This continued even through college. He assumed the role of prominent contributing writer to his college publication while also honing his video skills as an assistant to a wedding videographer. Through this, and many small projects later, both personal and professional, Scott realized the potential of maintaining a platform for the express purpose of helping other creatives refine, develop and share their talents.

Andrew Scott, owner/photographer/videographer at Focus Work Studios in Brooklyn.

Marvelous Bucannon has worked on staff at Focus Work Studios in Brooklyn for 3 years. Bucannon has worked with a diverse range of genres of music producing and engineering. He loves to pull the passion out of the artist. He has no filter and the laughs and jokes he makes get the artist comfortable with him fast. As a former artist himself, he knows the importance of being relaxed to maximize performance in the studio and this is where he excels.

Marvelous Bucannon, owner/producer/engineer at Focus Work Studios in Brooklyn.

Moon Studios in Brooklyn has been supporting independent artists and thinkers since 2010. Moon Studios is all about community, which has always been the centerpiece of their work and the glue that holds them together and connects them with the music that comes out of the studio. Since opening in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 2010, Moon Studios has completed over 1000 recording projects with hundreds of artists, bands, and musicians. The staff of highly skilled engineers specializes in recording, production, mixing, and mastering services for all genres of music, voiceover, post-production, and podcasts. Between its flagship Studio A and the Studio B Vocal Production Suite, Moon Studios has a great solution for recording artists of all styles and budgets.

Moon Studios was founded by Lane Banning, who also serves as Creative Director. Banning has been on a journey to build the ultimate creative space for artists, musicians, producers, and engineers for over a decade. He first fell in love with the studio in his hometown of Philadelphia, assisting legendary producer and engineer Jim Salamone at Cambridge Sound Studios. While studying Music Technology and Production at New York University, he broke into the jazz engineering world, running sessions for industry legends including trumpeter Dave Douglas at Josh Roseman’s state-of-the-art studio, The Loove. He’s since run thousands of sessions at Moon, for a range of reputable clients such as Atlantic Records, Def Jam Records, and groundbreaking.

Lane Banning, Founder/Creative Director at Moon Studios in Brooklyn.

Diego Rodoni serves as studio manager. Once collaging his room with sports pictures, Rodoni has moved on to apply his collage skills to the music world. When not at Moon, Rodoni writes music for films and commercials, enabled by his obsession with synthesizers and music technology. In his free time, Rodoni writes electronic music with his artist duo, Rotate. He can also be found playing basketball at various courts across New York City.

Manager of Moon Studios in Brooklyn, Diego Rodoni.

Josh Liebman serves as Cheif Engineer at Moon Studios in Brooklyn. Liebman has been in recording studios for nearly a decade, working at some of the best in New York City including John Kilgore Sound and Recording, Studio G, and The Cutting Room. Outside of the studio, Liebman studied at New York University and received his Master’s of Music in Music Technology, and his certification as a Tonmeister, combining the technical and creative skills of the artist, producer, and engineer. During his studies, he learned cutting-edge recording and production techniques, including working with immersive and 3D audio, and has brought this experience to Moon Studios as Chief Engineer. From classical and hip hop to films and podcasts, Liebman has since had the privilege of working with amazing clients like Roseanne Cash, Norm Lewis, and Bowen Yang, and for companies like DreamWorks, HBO, and Mitú.

Josh Liebman, chief engineer of Moon Studios in Brooklyn.

The flagship Studio A is a 3-room studio that draws inspiration from Abbey Road’s iconic studios. The Live Room, analog gear-filled Control Room, and huge collection of instruments and mics are all an artist needs to make their next album. Some of the equipment and gear in Studio A include classic microphones, analog equipment, drums, guitars, synths, effects, and the state-of-the-art Pro Tools recording rig. Studio A’s custom vocal booth was built by hand, from the wood shell to the cozy, velvet-lined interior. Lastly, Studio A allows artists to collaborate in real-time with anyone in the world and can interface with any studio or talent in perfect recording quality.

The isolation booth in Studio A at Moon Studios in Brooklyn.

Since 2014, Studio B has been Moon Studio’s most affordable studio for vocal production, voiceover recording, computer-based music production, and writing. Equipped with a custom vocal booth, super-premium microphone collection, and classic analog signal chain, Studio B is Moon Studio’s flagship Vocal Recording Suite. The fully isolated, custom-built vocal booth allows you to track vocals with uncompromising vocal clarity and zero mic bleed. Studio B has an industry-leading Neumann TLM 103 so recordings will sound even better than they did in the headphones. Studio B is fully loaded with software instruments, effect plugins (including the full suite of UAD plug-ins), all major recording platforms, an all-SSD rig, 2 sets of reference monitors, a full-sized keyboard, and an Ableton Push.

Studio B at Moon Studios in Brooklyn.

Kimaudio Recording Studio in Brooklyn’s Bushwick/East Williamsburg area offers mix-down/music production and voice-over services. Equipment available at Kimaudio includes Avid Pro Tools, 96khz 24bit Digital Recording, Neumann TLM 127 Microphone, Avalon VT-737 SP Mic Preamp, and an Apogee Rosetta A/D Converter. Engineer/Producer Nick Kim Graduated from The Art Institute of Seattle – Audio Production in Seatle in 2002.

The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn is a full-service recording studio with two racking suites-Neve 8088 and Neve 8058, as well as a dedicated mix room-SSL 4040E/G, and a state-of-the-art mastering studio. Bunker’s two main studios are its A and B studios. Studio A is Bunker’s flagship studio, while Studio B is a smaller tracking suite.

The flagship Studio A features four isolated, acoustically-distinct environments in a highly-configurable layout. With its vintage 48-input Neve 8088 console and excellent sight lines, it’s an ideal environment for recording ensembles large and small. The live room, with its raw pine ceiling vaulting to 25 feet, is the largest of the recording spaces. At 550 square feet, it can host eight brass and five woodwinds comfortably. Studio A hosts our 1896 Steinway C concert grand piano, which can be easily moved to any of the three largest tracking spaces.

The floor plan of Studio A at Bunker Studios in Brooklyn.

Studio B features a vintage Neve 8058 console and spectacular room acoustics. The photogenic, 230-square-foot live room is large enough to host chamber ensembles, choirs, and entire rhythm sections. The Neve 8058 features the same legendary 31102 mic preamps as the 8088 in Studio A. Both tracking studios have similar arrays of outboard gear in their racks. As a result, projects move between the two effortlessly.

Studio B at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn.

First commissioned in 2018, the Northward Acoustics mix room was comprehensively reconfigured in 2023. The new custom hybrid mix solution has been carefully engineered to meet the needs and demands of 21st-century mix and production workflows. An ergonomic, custom mastering-style desk houses a sixteen-channel summing mixer and a dedicated array of vintage and modern stereo EQs and dynamics. The flanks of the desk feature processors typically used on eight stereo sub-mixes, while the center houses a curated collection of stepped, recallable mastering-style gear, and a flexible switcher allows the master bus processors to be auditioned, re-ordered, bypassed, and substituted from a mix-position button press. Equally flexible for in-house mix engineers and visiting mixers, this system brings together the best of digital and analog workflows.

The Mix Room at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn.

The Bunker’s in-house mastering studio, one of three Northward Acoustics designs in the facility, was built to the specifications of chief mastering engineer Alex DeTurk. Like the mix room next door, this state-of-the-art listening room was designed to maximize the performance of large ATC monitors (mounted flush in its front wall). It’s an inspiring listening environment but is also laboratory-like in its accuracy. This studio was superiorly designed and precisely constructed. The superior monitoring also makes the mastering room suitable for occasional production and in-the-box mix bookings.

Rift Studios in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn embraces nature with rustic decor, an unfinished pine wood-lined live room, tree bark, and wood cabinetry. To meet the standards of the music industry of today, Rift Studios combines choice vintage equipment with modern high-quality outboard gear and brilliant analog-to-digital conversion. The studio is constantly seeking out new instruments to be able to give the music it produces its own identity. Their constantly growing microphone locker includes some of the best that date back as early as the 1950s. Rift Studios’ services include recording, mixing, stem mixing, mastering, and production.

Rift has everything an artist needs to make an incredible-sounding record that is completely unique. The studio has an extensive collection of new and vintage microphones, amplifiers, and instruments, with a Trident console and top-of-the-line Pro Tools HDX system. More importantly, Rift is a spacious studio. It has a devoted loading dock for gear, and the capability to set up a full band in the enormous live room while simultaneously isolating amplifiers or individuals. Everyone will have their own space and their own headphone mix, and access to the fully customizable colored lighting system that will change to suit the vibe of any project.

Mixing with Rift will breathe life into an artist’s music through blending effects in the digital world with some of the most sought-after analog outboard gear. The studio can provide a natural clarity to mixes that let the instruments speak for themselves or give a gritty, sludgy, huge rock sound. Rift can then run it through one of its tape machines to add the glue that compresses the mix together. Their experience working with most genres of music enables them to mix quickly and effectively. Above all else, Rift takes a collaborative approach and uses artists’ insight and feedback to deliver a product that they are proud of.

Rift additionally offers stem mixing to artists who have recorded and mixed projects on their own. Artists and send the various stems that make up their track, (i.e. drum stem, bass stem, guitars stem, keys stem, vocal stem), and Rift can run them through the Trident console, through choice pieces of gear, through the tape machine, and print them back into Pro Tools. This is a fast and inexpensive way to beef up your sound, get your drums to hit harder, your guitars to sizzle, and your vocals to soar.

As a result of the changing industry and varying standards across platforms, Rift’s approach to mastering is different for every song. By running mixes through beautiful-sounding analog gear, as well as using hi-fi plugins, the studio can retain the dynamics and integrity of a mix while giving it the processing it needs for CD, vinyl, and digital release. Fift like to say that mastering is the “icing on the cake,” because it finalizes the mix and makes it taste that much “sweeter.”

No matter what stage a project is in, from infancy to near completion, Rift can provide direction and the tools to complete it. The studio can help bands tighten songs, cut the fat, add harmonies, and develop melodies, or simply provide artists with a perspective as an unbiased, experienced, third party. Rift can guide musical styles towards new horizons and establish a new, unique sound with a vast network of world-class session musicians ready to work.

Rift Studios is owned by twice Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum award-winning music producer and audio engineer Tom Gardner. His nominations include Best Engineered Album in 2019. He has worked throughout several mainstay recording studios in Manhattan, including eight years as head engineer at the famed Cutting Room Studios. Gardner is passionate about working with both established and emerging artists and built Rift Studios to fill a void for accessible production with unparalleled quality in sound and environment. Tom has worked with famous artists worldwide from Chromeo, John Legend, Nick Jonas, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), to Morningsiders, Jon Bon Jovi, Mike Stern, Mark Holcomb (Periphery), Robert Randolph, and Elle King.

Owner of Rift Studios, Tom Gardner.
The tracking room at Rift Studios.
The Control Room with choice gear and vintage counsel at Rift Studios.
The Wurlitzer Electric Piano at Rift Studios.
The tracking room with a Vintage Gretsch Drum Kit at Rift Studios.

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