#studioconstruction

[blakepaulson]

Construction complete. @anfdrumco keystone placed. 🎶 Check out my IGTV episodes to watch the construction from start to finish. #UnleashedDrumStudio #StudioBuild #StudioConstruction - @anfdrumco @sabiancymbals_official @remopercussion @vicfirth @humesandberg @ultimateearspro @mogamicable @snareweight @lasessiongroup @berkleealumni - #remoterecording #recording #session #creativity #drummer #drumstigram #drumcommunity #drumsetcoordination #drums #drumset #drumkit #author #artist #drumlife #drumming #moderndrummer #musician #performer #studio #remo #teamremo #sabian #sabianfamily #anfdrumco #playwhatyoulove (at Lake Balboa) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRzFxMRsEAx/?utm_medium=tumblr

[youseejimhickey]

Here it is, my big blank page, torn up and taped back together again, so often. Each time I do, the pieces are smaller, the puzzle is more complex and all the richer for it. I’ve given so much thought to bringing this to an end, failing to see that it’s just a new start after all, already here, fully formed and alive, waiting for me to catch up. Walking into my new space for the first time after completion, I was genuinely terrified, the wait was over and it was time to prove I could live up to it. So I opened the last track I was working on when I left my old studio, cranked up the @genelec_oy and it all came rushing back. I was home. My vision for this place could never have become a reality without some extremely talented and loving spirits, first of all, @rakelacchino for encouraging me to dream bigger and live larger and setting me straight whenever the challenges became hard to handle. @flanalog for always being there when I needed you. Every time. Without fail. I’m honoured. @lowswing_studio and @kraatzstudios for your support and for not letting me back down. My new studio neighbours @key.ratio and @valerio.massucci for your patience and making the whole process as easy as possible. And Wim Tavernier for sharing your woodwork expertise. It’s been a pleasure sharing this process with you in photos and words, and on day 5, the last day of my studio construction recap, thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts with me. So many people have reached out and I hope to see all of you here soon. This is where it all begins and new releases will follow. Much love, Jim x #berlin #recording #studio #studiobuild #studioconstruction #studiolife #musicproduction #genelec https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj-QWHCI6B-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[youseejimhickey]

A question that haunts me every day is “when is this track done?”. Michelangelo said “No great work of art is ever finished”, which I’m sure gave him many a good night’s sleep. Another way of looking at it is, if you can no longer add or remove anything without making it worse, it’s done. I find there’s slightly more comfort in this thought but I struggle to accept it - leaving things out is often crucial and what does worse mean anyway? What comes closest to my understanding of finishing creative work is from Paul Valéry, “Poems are never finished - just abandoned”. This captures the desperation of an artwork’s final moments of gestation; you can only cut the cord, you must free yourself from its temptation. As I drew nearer to the end of my studio construction, I realised this still held true. Getting lost in details and options, simple tasks would suddenly take days to complete. I knew this feeling, all too well, the familiar process of abandonment was starting to take place. This clashes with a core element of who I am. I love to create and I don’t particularly care if it’s something you hear, see or taste. The process of imagining something and watching it become real is something I can never get enough of and letting go of this process is by far the hardest part. On day 4 of my studio construction recap, I’m only now coming to terms with this new reality. It’s time to step away, it’s time to move on to the next project. It’s time to make music again. #berlin #recording #studio #studiobuild #studioconstruction #studiolife #musicproduction https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj7p7StoOfF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[youseejimhickey]

The artists behind the artists - producers, recording engineers, tape ops, techs and studio owners - are, as a rule, a very talkative, enthusiastic bunch. How else could you explain their desire to survive in a notoriously high risk industry, flush with big dreams and timid pockets? This brings a special perk to being an active part of this herd, a wealth of information flows between us. I’ve rarely come across anyone unwilling to share their latest favourite microphone combination, mix technique or experience with inspiring but challenging artists. It has built a solid foundation for the process of building my own studio, after years of hearing about mistakes made, things left out, but also valuable tips for successful studio design. This has been especially true of the floor construction, the star of day 3 of my studio build recap. It seems like a contradiction: a studio floor needs to be thick and heavy while ideally “floating” above the floor of the building to avoid any sound escaping or entering the structure. This took more planning than anything else in the whole process and any small mistake can render the whole thing useless. In many ways, this is a big shout out to all the industry pros who have been happy to share this and so much more invaluable knowledge with me over the past twenty years. I truly couldn’t have done it without you x Photos in reverse order today. #berlin #recording #studio #studiobuild #studioconstruction #studiolife #musicproduction https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj5HtUKohM8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[youseejimhickey]

Day 2 of my studio construction recap. If you think building a recording studio by hand sounds like a crazy thing to do, here’s a little story to prove just how right you are: When I moved into my old studio, in an old Stasi administration building (seriously), it quickly became clear that I would need a vocal booth. The surrounding studios were pretty loud and recording vocals would have been a miserable affair without some additional separation from the outside world. Building walls out of gypsum was a complete mystery to me but in true DIY spirit I figured it was nothing that couldn’t be overcome with determination and YouTube. As always, the learning curve was a bit more steep than I thought it would be but the deed was done and I was left with a sweet sounding and well isolated space for singers. In my new studio, the whole space is, essentially, the vocal booth. I wanted a space that had excellent isolation from the outside world and would allow me to record voices and instruments anywhere in the room. Needless to say, a lot of gypsum was in order, this time with the dangerous confidence of having done it before. It worked out pretty well. Closing the studio’s thick double doors leaves me in absolute silence. #berlin #recording #studio #studiobuild #studioconstruction #studiolife #musicproduction https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj2g_1goAUK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[youseejimhickey]

8 months ago, all I could think of was this moment. I got word that I would have to leave my studio at short notice as the building was being shut down - every producer’s nightmare. Moving isn’t fun at the best of times but it’s especially nerve wracking when you have nowhere to go. It took months of searching, dead ends and a string of calls and meetings before finally finding a place to build my new creative home. And this is the moment that has been my unrelenting focal point every step of the way, the moment it’s finally done. Over the next few days, I’ll share the process of creating my dream studio, built over three hot Berlin summer months x #berlin #recording #studio #studiobuild #studioconstruction #studiolife #musicproduction https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj0MQ7Eo1te/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[eevolute]

Almost ready for new fart sounds! #studioconstruction #studiocables #musicstudio #modularsynth #moog #doepfer #voltagecontrol (bij Follow The Sun Sound Laboratory) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHDjjxFAXEW/?igshid=1f8ewlpvarpr5

[bodizepha]

Sheetrock around the Door & Mop #toomuchdust #stepbystep #muchmoretogo #studioconstruction #soundproofing #quarantine #doitnow https://www.instagram.com/p/B-VXmZUAknb/?igshid=1y23idjs7i66j