Paul McCartney , Bruce Springsteen , and The Foo Fighters have something in common with Brooklyn - establish musician Neil Shah — they all made great euphony in a basic home studio apartment . McCartney and Springsteen had a four - data track cassette deck of cards , and Dave Grohl used a garage . But Shah ’s apparatus is even more limited — his whole studio measures all of 66 substantial metrical unit . Here ’s how he made it operate .
This is Where the Magic Happens . These are our favored temple of engineering — hush-hush smear where gadgets and culture converge . Welcome !
“ When I told my landlord I had a pianoforte , the first reaction was : ‘ Well , we ca n’t have you move in , ' ” said Shah , a piano player since age 3 . surprisingly , the householder relented , under the condition that Shah soundproof what is now hump as The Shed , a symmetrical , 6 - base by 11 - foot , intensely orange base studio apartment .
“ I built a way within a room , ” he enjoin . He created a 2nd set of wall made of two layers of dry wall , tie together with a polymeric gel name Green Glue , which blocks up to 90 percent of profound transmitting . On top of the existing floor , Shah append foam , a sheet of rolled lead , carpet padding , and a carpet on top . Neil added a 2d door , which seals magnetically . The renovation snub valued inches into the limited outer space , but it worked . Even with a baritone saxophone bawling , Shah become no complaint from downstairs .
The DIY ethic apply to his equipment as well . He built his own analog tot box seat — using resistor , a few inch of copper wire , and an cyberspace schematic — to combine single musical instrument tracks into a final stereo mixture . It salvage him 1000 of dollar bill , yet achieve the analog sound that technologist produce with mixing boards . “ The most comforting part of my simple summing box , ” Neil said , “ is that it seamlessly incorporated itself with my existing equipment . ” Here ’s a closer look at that equipment on Shah ’s gear wheel :
Avalon 2022 dual mono preamplifier
Neve 1084 mono preamplifier
Neve 2257 gate
DBX 266XL for compression
Custom analog summing box
Alesis Microverb III
Neutrik Patchbay
Presonus Firepod 8 - distribution channel preamplifier
Furman power conditioner
The instruments compact into the quad let in a bodhran from Ireland , a baglamas from Greece , and flute from India . The mics above the pianissimo are spaced apart at a exact distance . “ The mics create a sound you ca n’t find at every studio apartment , ” Shah said .
The Shed is always ready to commemorate . Shah responds to last - mo requests from company like American Express , NBC , and Applebee ’s when one needs slight ditty for television commercial . “ For a simple piano while , I can reach record book , overdub a string maculation in midi , mix and send it back to the client in under and time of day , ” he says .
Shah also recorded and mix an EP for his bandWildlife Controlin his jam - packed studio apartment , and he did the concluding editing for the chemical group ’s stop - motionvideothere as well . The grouping performs in a slightly larger space , though — you may capture Wildlife Control tonight in Manhattan atArlene ’s Grocery .
Name : Neil Shah
Location : Brooklyn , New York
Money commit : $ 500 for renovations . The investments in instruments and equipment run from $ 20,000 to $ 25,000 .
Prized Possession : The upright Yamaha piano , a gift from Shah ’s parent . “ I ’ve known that piano for about 20 twelvemonth . We ’re quondam admirer , ” he say .
Geekiest Gear : The Neve 1084 faculty , along with a 1970s Neve 2257 gate buy fromVintage Kingfor $ 400 , which Neil said are important to Wildlife Control ’s sound . “ It adds a bit of vintage vibe to the rack without break the banking concern , ” Shah said .
Theft Deterrent : Three deadbolts , each one from a different tenner , on the brownstone ’s front door .
On the Wish List : Another Neve 1084 faculty to better the speech sound ’s depth and active range .
Want to suggest a place where the magic happens?Tell us about it .
Photo credit for gear rack simulacrum : Gitty Feldman
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