Studio Stories

We go behind the scenes at Real World and meet the team who help make it one of the world’s premier recording facilities. Peter Gabriel’s personal engineer Dickie Chappell also gives us an exclusive sneak peek into Peter’s writing room and recording process.

[VIDEO] If you want a better drum sound, you can change the drummer, or the mics, or the drum kit... but what about the room?

When a studio also has helpful staff, talented engineers and clued-up assistants, the whole experience is a joy.

To attract talent from around the world, Johann Scheerer has created an interactive online tour of his world-class Clouds Hill Studios facility in Hamburg. In this month’s SOS video feature, Johann and his team explain how they used virtual reality and immersive audio to bring the studio’s unique ambience to life.

50 years ago this month, the most celebrated electronic music studio in the world was established. We trace the history of the Radiophonic Workshop, talking to the composers and technical staff who helped to create its unique body of work.

Over the last decade, some extraordinary music has emerged from Tori Amos's Martian Engineering studio. A new box set collects together the highlights, while the studio itself is soon to open to paying customers.

Production pioneers Massive Attack are going through exciting times — they've built an awesome recording studio, moved into surround soundtrack work, and they have a new album on the way. We take a spin around their new workspace.

SOS visits reader Andrea Terrano, who has turned the empty shell of a South London industrial unit into an impressive studio complex.

Steve Albini has become a legend in the world of alternative music by championing traditional engineering skills, respecting the opinions of the artists he records, and doing business ethically.

It's not a bad gig being chief engineer to the world's hottest production duo, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. But it takes a lot of hard work to keep up with The Neptunes...

Shaun Hayward & Joe Kenny of Chunc Productions reveal their gear setup and musical motivations.

We visit two readers who have set up a studio in a small corner of a small room in the West Midlands...

Liam Watson went against the grain to build a studio with the retro sound he loved. And now that sound is back in fashion, he's had a number one album with the White Stripes.

Although we don't usually cover commercial studios in Readerzone, Andy Cross's small Zoo Audio studio has found its way here because it is one of the few studios in the country to contain an Esmono recording booth.

Like many other musicians, the impact of modern computer-recording technology brought a huge step forward in the quality Ron could achieve with his home studio setup...

Another 'through the keyhole' glimpse into a reader's studio reveals how it's possible to turn your hobby into a job, with a TV commission to help you on your way.

We go through the keyhole of another SOS reader, and ask 'who inhabits a studio like this?'

We visit another SOS reader's studio set-up. This month, it's located in a Portakabin in Bedford, UK.

After a house move, SOS reader Russ Sowdon discovered a secret passage under his ground floor, and it led to a hidden barrel-vault cellar which he soon made into his musical den!

Another 'through the keyhole' glimpse into one more SOS reader's studio.

Adie Flute