In 1968, Jimi Hendrix was in the market for a club property. The 8th Street Playhouse in the heart of Greenwich Village caught his eye. But when Jimi learned that his habit of block-booking recording studios for impromptu jam sessions was costing him more than $300,000 a year, work began immediately to transform it into a recording facility, which opened in 1970.

Fast forward to 2005: The re-energized Electric Lady Studios, under new ownership, is celebrating its 35th year of recording on West Eighth Street. The facility has grown to a three-studio recording complex featuring Solid State Logic 9000/J consoles, Digidesign Protools HD3 systems and Studer analog recording, combining the latest in digital music technologies with the studio’s unique creative vibe. We contacted the studio to see what recording advice they might offer to Shure Notes readers. We were thrilled when the studio’s recording engineer, Ryan Simms was willing to talk acoustics. Along with mic selection, mic placement is a prime consideration - and is often overlooked. As with any recording technique, its difficult to say that certain placements are always right or wrong, but you need to know how room placement affects your sound. Well-designed studios use various techniques to minimize problems areas but no space is perfect. Electric Lady's Studio A, for example, has an historic mural that can act as an acoustic lens. The room sounds amazing, but you have to know where to place certain things. Other studios often have walls, ceilings or glass surfaces that can produce a “slap-back” effect if you are not careful.

The best way to find a room’s acoustic character is to walk around and either clap your hands or speak aloud. Clapping can give you an idea where there are odd direct reflections and speaking will let you know where bass build up and cancellations from room modes occur. You can then simply avoid any problem areas you’ve found. If direct reflections are still a problem, covering the wall with large odd shaped objects, for example, gobos, can help to diffuse the sound. Make note the best sounding areas in a room, and experiment when you have a chance. It’s worth your time to note the odd sounding spots too, for that odd sounding drum could be precisely what you want. We are grateful to Lee Foster, Studio Manager and Ryan Simms, Recording Engineer for their assistance with this article. Electric Lady Studios is located at 52 West 8th Street, New York, NY 10011. Visit the studio website at www.electricladystudios.com

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