St Louis, MO -- In today's competitive recording studio environment where commercial music can be made in the smallest of bedroom or project studios — and on minuscule budgets — operating a successful and profitable brick and mortar recording studio business is an enormous undertaking.
For commercial studio owners, success in this environment requires an even balance of offering state-of-the-art equipment, practicing financial responsibility and accountability and building a reputation for savvy artist accommodation and attention to details, to name a few.
One example of a successful commercial recording studio that fits this description is Austin, Texas-based Lunchroom Studio.
Lunchroom Studio was originally founded in Chicago in 2003 by studio owner Alex Moore. The move from Chicago to Austin was less about the state of the industry and more about the nature of the environment. “I spent time in Chicago recording a lot of bands, and I think for me it just ran its course with the weather,” says Moore. “I'd had one too many Chicago winters and I think I was just ready for a change. So I came down to Austin and met a lot of great players and just made conversation, and it turned into multiple record projects.”
Lunchroom Studio offers a wide range of recording services including editing, mixing, mastering, voiceover and audio restoration. The studio also accommodates film and video projects where mixing music to picture is an essential part of the success of a film. “Videographers are sometimes so focused on the look of their film that they fail to give sufficient thought to the quality of the sound being captured on set,” says Moore. "We are able to help them take their film to the next level by bringing a unique focus and skill set to mixing and making the score and dialogue sound the best it can.”
Live recording, especially the process of recording a full band in real time, is one of the hallmarks of the Lunchroom Studio’s reputation. It was because of this live environment and reputation for sound quality that Moore began seeking out a solution for sound isolation for the musicians when recording live. That led him to the discovery of Direct Sound EX-29 Extreme Isolation Headphones.
“When I put on the Direct Sound EX-29s and tracked drums with them, I noticed a massive difference in my ability to just hear the click, hear the playback, and really block out the ambient sound of the drums,” said Moore. “It makes a big difference. The isolation helps put you in a head-space that lets you focus on getting a good sound and recording.
Another reason the Direct Sound EX-29s appealed to Moore was the durability and repair-ability of the headphones. “Headphones take a lot of abuse in the studio,” said Moore. “The EX-29s can take a lot of abuse. I also like the fact that they're really well-constructed and you can take them apart without any special tools. That was one of the biggest things that caught my eye at first — that they’re easily repairable, which helps keep cost down because I don’t have to buy a new pair of headphones if the speakers go out, which is a common occurrence."
Direct Sound has been the industry leader in isolation headphones for the recording industry since the company’s start over 15 years ago. Today, Direct Sound headphones are used and endorsed by leading artists such as producer/composer Teddy Riley, drummers Ndugu Chancler (Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Santana), Peter Erskine (Weather Report, Steps Ahead, solo), Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band), Rich Redmond (Jason Aldean, studio); guitarists Paul Gilbert (Racer X, solo) and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Art of Anarchy, Guns ‘n Roses) to name a few.
For more information on Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones, visit www.extremeheadphones.com.
For more information on Lunchroom Studio, visit www.lunchroomaudio.com.
Listen to a podcast interview with Alex Moore here.
Watch a YouTube video on this story here.
Visit the Direct Sound Facebook page here.
Visit the Direct Sound Twitter page here.
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