Studio Tour Ferris Wheel Studios

Tell us about the space

Ferris Wheel Studios is a recording space built specifically for musical endeavors. We have three studios in total. The way the studios are setup is rather unique and has sharing capabilities among each other to facilitate a live band recording with complete isolation between each instrument. There are 3 Control rooms and two isolated live rooms. Both isolated rooms can be patched to Control A and B. Control room B can double as a third isolated live room for Control room A if required. Control room C is a production suite specifically for electronic productions.

Take us through the process of setting up a recording

First we request the artist to bring a rough recording of the song. It can even be a phone video in a jampad. This gives us clarity on genre, length tempo and the artist intentions. We then set up a production and overdubbing plan. Since each drummer has his/her own setup and style of placement and it takes a bit of time setting up, we encourage the singer and other musicians to try out different mics and preamps in the other isolated live room while the drummers take their time. This productive utilization of time is key as studios are booked on hourly basis and this gives the artist to the opportunity to try different equipment without wasting time and making the best choice for their song. Once all mics and preamps are decided, we draw out a patchlist and begin micing and patching in the band. The DAW is fired up and we create the required tracks and monitor returns for everyone. Then it’s just a matter of recording the performance.

What are some of the studio essentials you would recommend?

No Laptops. We always suggest investing in a desktop PC. It is always easy to upgrade later in stages and is much more reliable in terms of performance. A good audio interface. More inputs does not mean better. Understand your genre and needs. For someone who is looking to do a lot of electronic work, a simple Focusrite is good. But for someone who intends to record a majority of their arrangements, an interface with good clean preamps is good. Then comes the decision of number of inputs. Monitor speakers. Don’t just buy what people recommend. Go and check them out yourself. It’s easier said than done but since it is a considerable investment, finding a studio with the monitors you want to buy and booking it for 2 hrs so you can just play your favorite songs and judge by yourself is the best way to go about it. Also, expensive is not better. A lot of expensive monitors require the listening

space to very well treat. Let your ears guide you. A workhorse mic. Your first mic should be one that can record anything you can throw at it. A Shure SM58 and Rode NT1A are both great choices to start your career with. Treat your space. Never underestimate the importance of a well treated space. Even a simple bass trap goes a long way.

What equipment do you use?

Being a commercial studio requires us to be equipped with almost everything. From racks of audio interfaces and AD/DA converters to monitors, amps, outboard gear, controllers, mics and right down to the weirdest cable converters. Our main studio runs on the UAD Apollo system, Genelec and KRK monitoring, a selection of preamps from tube to solid state and some choice hardware compressors like Daking and WA76. For mics, we have a considerable collection of dynamics and condensers ready for any kind of sound source. For someone eager to get more details, our entire inventory can be found on our website and facebook page.

Pieces of gear you cannot live without

That’s a hard one. Every song requires a different set of toys. But our favorite gear that makes us giddy with excitement when we use it are the Daking FET III, Goldmike SPL Tube Preamps, WA-EQP Tube Eq, Earthworks Mics and the Egnater Tweaker Guitar Amp. Oh! And we love our Genelecs.

Describe your work day

We start the day by flipping on our UPS and Genset Back up systems then testing them by momentarily flipping down the main power supply. After that we power up the Studio A workstation, interface, monitors, controllers and set up the buffer size depending on whether it’s a mix day or a recording day. We then take a look at the photos and videos we took the day before and plan out our social media posts for the day. If it’s a recording day, we plan out the production and begin the work as mentioned earlier. If it’s a mix day, we start by prepping the mix, deciding which outboard gear we will use and patch them in. Then we play some reference tracks while we patch and look forward to the best part about this job.

Philosophy or reasoning behind gear choices

Many factors come into play when we are deciding to buy new gear. First and foremost, being in India, finding authorized service centers for a lot of pro audio brands is difficult. We consider the maintenance and repairs of the equipment before we take the plunge. Being a commercial studio, we have to think about the return on investments. Buying a Marshall JCM 4x12 is not exactly a smart choice even though it is a legendary amp, as not every artist coming in is a classic rock band. That would be a great choice for a classic rock band that is building their own studio. Versatility and build quality is important for us. Before we buy something, we ask ourselves, how many artists who come to us can use this? If we think that at least half of them would be excited to record with it, we go for it.

What’s your next buy for the studio?

We just acquired the Earthworks DK7 Drumkit Mic system and we love the way it sounds. Clean and beautiful mics, amazing punch on the kick and snare and crystal clear overheads. These mics also respond exceptionally well to Equalization.

Tips to aspiring owners of studios

Choose your location wisely. Away from construction noise and in a well maintained building. Make sure you have a lounge or a chilling space, a kitchen and an outdoor area or a balcony. Start with minimum equipment and build your way up once the studio is in action. Invest in great quality cables and connectors and make your power signals clean and well earthed. Maintain an inventory of your gear and organize it well. Take your time. Draw out your plans and work out a sound business plan. Pun intended. It is a hard and demanding business. Most of all, never forget why you came here in the first place. For the Music!