Simply Shocking: World-Class Recording Studio Opens Doors in South St. Louis
Categories: Tech
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| photo by: Bill Streeter |
| The main control room of Shock City Studios (click image for larger view) |
On South Gravois, next-door to Hodak's, is not where one would expect to find a brand new, multi-million-dollar recording studio. But just a couple of doors south of the popular chicken joint is Shock City Studios.
The space opened this past spring, but it just celebrated its opening last month with a party. Shock City is located in the large Polar Wave building, a former cold storage warehouse built of thick concrete that's ideal for a recording studio.
The space opened this past spring, but it just celebrated its opening last month with a party. Shock City is located in the large Polar Wave building, a former cold storage warehouse built of thick concrete that's ideal for a recording studio.
The studio was conceived by Doug Firley of the band Gravity Kills and Chris Loesch, a musician best known for his stint as vocalist with the band Purge a.k.a. Full System Purge.
The place is impressive, though it really must be seen to be appreciated. The 7,000-square-foot facility has 20-foot ceilings and a specially designed, acoustically invisible glass wall that makes it one of the few large recording studios in the world that has that much natural light. They are also well equipped to do recording and mixing for film and commercial projects.
I asked one of the owners of the studio, Chris Loesch a few questions about the new venture via Facebook:
How long ago did you start planning to build the studio?
We conceived the idea for a true, open-to-the-public, world-class recording studio in St. Louis over four years ago. The actual architectural work began three years ago when we located and purchased the building.
How long did construction take?
After the architects and engineers got rolling along enough to give us a firm grasp of the scope and funds needed, we began the process of getting the Federal and State Historic Tax Credits, TIF's (Tax Incremental Financing) from the City and Brownfield remediation credits in place. So there were a lot of fiery hoops to jump through to even get the cash and bank on board to get the construction going. Once demo and construction started, it took quite a while, even though the main building already existed, because of the highly specialized type of construction -- and the fact that most walls are actually two or three walls with separate foundations, spring hung ceilings, floating floors, layers upon layers of drywall etc... Lots of math in this place.
How does the studio compare to other big studios?
Well Mix Magazine, which is the industry's top authority on these things, just placed us on their Class of 2009 Hottest Studios list as one of the top 16 in the world.
How much was spent on the build out?
Total source funds for the whole project are at $10 million. Not counting any of our equipment or hand wiring that went into the actual studio.
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| Photo by: Bill Streeter |
| Local filmmaker Jack Snyder checks the mix of a project in Shock City's video suite. (click image for larger view) |
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| photo by: Bill Streeter |
| You could even jack in and record from the bathroom at Shock City (click for larger view) |
What was the reasoning behind doing this in St. Louis?
We really felt that St. Louis makes a lot of sense because of the rich musical heritage we have here. It is also a city which has a very low cost of living and relatively low property costs. That translates directly to savings for our patrons, who want a real major-label recording experience but on a more local budget. We felt that we could compete with the larger labels on the coast as a destination for people to get away from the usual big-city trappings and record at a place with a vibe and comfort level unmatched anywhere. We can offer that at a substantial savings over those other studios on the coast. Plus ours is brand-new and built using the latest technology and acoustical knowledge. The synergy of all those ingredients makes St. Louis a great place, plus it's cheap to fly here and stay here from anywhere.
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| photo by: Bill Streeter |
| Attendees check out the 1,100 sq ft. live studio at Shock City's open house last month. (Click for larger view) |
Explain what the advantages are to recording in St. Louis compared to elsewhere.
The major musical movements in the history of popular U.S. music have a legitimate root in St. Louis. I think being in a historic building in a historic neighborhood lets you tap into that whole creative vibe and legacy of greatness that St. Louis should reclaim as part of its heritage. The fact that we haven't had a great studio in a great location for this long is a shame really.
What level of artist do you hope to attract to record at Shock City?
We hope to attract the great local and regional artists that are wanting to break into the next level. The bands and talent that feel they have outgrown the basement or project DIY studios and want a place where great sound is the standard and not something you have to try and fix in the mix. We are also going to attract national and international talent into St. Louis as a destination location. Commercial and film work is also in our plan and we have a few films scheduled for this year.
You can get more information about Shock City Studios or contact them at their Web site, http://www.shockcitystudios.com/.
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