WSDG DESIGNS THE CASTLE STUDIO IN NY'S MOHAWK VALLEY
UTICA, NY -- J.A. Castle, a new recording studio just completed by The Walters-Storyk Design Group has opened in NY's scenic Mohawk Valley. Originally built as a church in 1926, the building was bought by musician/composer Jeffrey Avalier in 1999, and completely restored over the past 2 1/2 years. By introducing state-of-the-art acoustic and technical improvements while maintaining its historical integrity Avalier and architect John Storyk have created an exceptional recording atmosphere.
"The spacious 1600 sq. ft. live room is crowned by the original 35' high wooden ceiling and flying buttresses which graced the former church. This provides excellent low frequency absorption for so large a space," Storyk points out. "The room's natural acoustic qualities, including an evenly distributed reverb time of approximately 1.8 seconds, establishes a wonderful live environment for a wide range of recording styles. This studio can accommodate anything from an orchestra or choir to an intimate acoustic session," he adds.
The control room features a Yamaha DM-2000 console, a Genelec 5.1 surround speaker system, and an eclectic mix of analog and digital gear. Storyk's attention to practical as well as acoustic issues produced a perfectly tuned space that is both comfortable and versatile. Each of the two spacious isolation rooms positioned at either side of the control room is capable of accommodating a grand piano or full drum kit. To encourage creative band interaction, a direct line of sight was created between the control and iso rooms. The facility has been wired entirely in Mogami to insure the cleanest possible sound and pristine inter-connectivity.
Castle Recording provides an extensive collection of vintage tube and condenser microphones, outboard gear and musical instruments. The studio also offers 24-track 2" tape and 1/2" mastering, a film/video editing suite, CD, DVD, ADAT, DAT and 2" tape duplication and a high-end graphics workstation.
"We designed Castle Recording as a highly professional studio environment to meet the technical requirements of the most demanding artist," said Jeffrey Avalier, who has played with many major groups. "We built the studio in the heart of one of America's most beautiful rural communities to help inspire them to realize their creative goals. We hope to build a following from among the region's deep musical pool, and also appeal to performers from around the country and internationally. There's a vibe in these woods that is extremely conducive to creativity."
The Castle Recording team includes: Grammy Award-nominated engineer/producer Vincent Sanchez. An engineer at major studios around the world, Sanchez has toured with such top acts as Billy Preston and Earth Wind & Fire.
Studio Manager Pamela Jardieu is a classically-trained fine artist with graphic design credits which range from national corporate identity packages to CDs and t-shirts. The Castle is located at 2317 Genesee Street Utica, NY 13501 ph: 315.733.9910 www.castlerecordingstudio.com.
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The Walters-Storyk Design Group (www.wsdg.com) has designed over 1400 media production facilities in the U.S., Europe, the Far East and South America. Their credits range from the original Jimi Hendrix Electric Lady Studios (New York) to Synchrosound in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Argentina's Circo Beat Studios. Recent projects include: film composer Carter Burwell's Tribeca NY studio, a facility for recording artist Paul Winter, the cutting-edge Interlochen, MI, Public Radio complex, Thirteen/WNET NY's new 5.1 audio suite, Allaire Studios in Woodstock, NYand Tim Mosley's new Timbaland Studios. John Storyk is course director of studio design and acoustics for The Ex'pression Center For New Media (SF). He and WSDG principals Sam Berkow and Dirk Noy lecture frequently at universities and industry events, and contribute regularly to industry publications. WSDG is a five-time winner of the prestigious TEC Award for outstanding achievement in Acoustics/Facility Design. The firm maintains offices in New York and Switzerland, and has representatives in Miami, San Francisco; Argentina; South Africa and Brazil.
UTICA, NY -- Utica has been branded the City of Possibilities. Lately, every time we look up, there are exciting things happening and new businesses opening that are sure to transform the Mohawk Valley.
Castle Recording Studio, located at the corner of Genesee and Beverly Place in South Utica, has started just such a buzz. Over the past 2 1/2 years, the former Church of the Nazarene was transformed into a breathtaking, one-of-a-kind professional recording studio whose capabilities and pedigree are unmatched in Upstate New York. World-renowned industry icon John Storyk, who is responsible for such acoustic masterpieces as Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in NYC, was the architect for the project, and the end result will undoubtedly impress industry experts, musicians and every day admirers alike.
Castle’s immense 45’ x 45’ live room, with 35’ wood ceilings and original flying buttresses, allows any artist to be recorded with the utmost precision and presents a space that is ample for any size project, ranging from the crisp sound of a single acoustic guitar to the earthmoving projection of a full orchestra. Every room within the facility is equipped to record from, creating a flexible and uniquely customizable recording experience. All genres of musician will find that the studio was built with them specifically in mind.
Pamela Jardieu, Castle’s studio manager explains that, “Being located in Central New York, with the capability to do professional level sound recording, film scoring and video production, we have in-house capabilities that no other facility in this area has. We are also positioned to expose clients nationwide to what Utica has to offer from the nightlife and great food to the friendliness of our people and the many cultural events within our community. I think that we can really help to raise awareness and promote a positive attitude not only for Utica, but the whole Mohawk Valley.
Castle is committed to working with local bands, but also has its sights set on luring big name musicians to Utica with its state of the art equipment, a Grammy nominated engineer and unmatched affordability. The facility also boasts a secondary studio, a fully equipped lounge complete with TV, Internet access, exercise equipment and a pool table and a film/video editing suite, cd/dvd duplication station and a high-end graphics workstation. This impressive array of technology, in an environment filled with original fine art and antiques combine to make this a true destination studio.
