One of our recording goals is to balance analog and digital technologies giving your record the warmth of analog with the editing ease of digital. To that end, at the heart of the studio is a classic 28 channel Neotek Elite analog console as used by Steve Albini, Chris Walla and Lindsey Buckingham among many others.
For outboard pre-amps take your pick of classics such as the BAE Neve 1073’s, API style 312’s or the Chandler TG2’s among others. Sculpt your sound with some great EQ such as our Pultec EQP1 or pair of Neve 551’s in addition to the Neotek’s amazing on-board eq’s. For compression we have our favorites such as the vintage LA3A’s, the Retro Sta Level and of course the DBX 161’s.
If you want to hit tape on the way in or out of the DAW for more analog warmth we have the Swiss watch of tape machines, the Studer A 827 ready to roll.
Studer A 827 tape machine
Chris Goss & Jonathan Hischke demoing Earthquaker Devices
Outboard Gear
“BEST DRUM ROOM IN THE DESERT”
-CHRIS GOSS - MASTERS OF REALITY
Named after the tiny dirt road that passes behind the studio and built inside a rustic 1,200 square foot barn, Gatos Trail Recording Studio was meticulously crafted over 2 years of thoughtful acoustic architecture and custom wood working.
The walls are all adorned with artistically appointed, repurposed barn wood and the 13’ high ceilings are outlined by massive wooden beams. The live room, iso booths and control room have all been acoustically treated to give superior sonic results (especially for drums) and the surface of the live room back wall can be transformed from wood to metal or to a theatre curtain giving a variety of responses to fit your taste. There are oversized glass sliding doors in the control room and huge picture windows in the live room and iso booth 2 that allow you to view the desert landscape from all areas of the studio. Or if you prefer the dark, moody studio vibe the windows can be blacked out at your request.
To top it all off the studio is equipped with a powerful climate control system to keep you comfortable whilst making your desert record!
The studio’s name sake
Twin Shadow and producers BJ Burton, Nate Donmoyer & Wynne Bennett are greeted at Gatos Trail Recording Studio by owner Dan Joeright
GEAR
CONSOLE
Neotek Elite 28 Channel Analog Console
RECORDERS
Avid HDX
32 Channel Avid HD IO (2)16x16 Analog
Studer A827 24 Track 2" Tape Machine (Let us know if you intend to use tape)
Universal Audio Apollo Twin X (QUAD)
DAWs
Protools Ultimate
Logic Pro X
AblEton
Luna
PLUGINS
UAD, Waves, Soundtoys, Valhalla, Slate, Boz Digital Labs, Izotope
OUTBOARD
BAE Neve 1073 MIC PreAMP (2)
BAE API 312 500 Series MIC PreAMP (2)
Chandler TG2 500 Series MIC PreAMP (2)
Avalon VT-737sp Tube Channel Strip
Rupert Neve Designs 551 500 Series Inductor EQ’s (2)
Pultec EQP-1A
Urie Universal Audio LA3A Compressor - 1970’s vintage (2)
Retro Sta Level Tube Compressor
DBX 161 Stereo Pair Compressors
Distressor EL8X Compressors - Stereo Pair w/ Brit Mod and Image Link
TL Audio Ivory c5021 2 channel valve compressor
Warm Audio WA76 Limiting Amplifier - 1176 clone
SPL Dynamaxx Stereo Comp/Limiter - with de-compression
Alesis quadraverb
ibanez DM1000 Digital Delay
eletrix filter factory analog high order filtler
Echoplex EP 3 Tape Echo
MAIN MONITORS
Urei 813A
NEAR-FIeLD MONITORS
Adam A7X w/10” Sub
Tannoy ProtoJ
MID-FIeLD MONITORS
Dynaudio BM15
MICROPHONES
AKG C 451 B Stereo Matched Pair
AKG C 1000 S
AKG D112
Audix 212 CX (4)
Audix d5
Coles 4038 Ribbon Stereo Matched Pair
Heil PR 20
mojave ma300
Neumann TLM 102
SE Gemini II
Sennheiser 421 (4)
SENNHEISER e604 (3)
Shure SM7b
Shure SM57 (5)
Shure SM58 (3)
Shure Beta 52 (2)
Shure Beta 56 (2)
Shure Beta 57A (2)
Wunder CM7 GTS w/ M7 Capsule - U47 style
INSTRUMENTS
Yamaha DU1A Upright Piano (disklavier w/midi)
Nord Electro 5 D SW 73
Crumar Performer Vintage Synth
Farfisa VIP 233 Organ
1950's Gretsch Round Badge Drum Kit 13,16, 22
1960's Rogers Drum Kit 12,16, 20
Mapex ProM Maple Shell Pack 10,12,14,16, 22
TAMA GRANSTAR KIT -1980’s vintage 12,13,16,22
Vintage Ludwig 28" Kick
Vintage Ludwig 26" Tympani w/footpedal
Ludwig Black Beauty Snare 6.5 x 14
Tama Granstar Snare 6.5 x 14
1960's Ludwig Super Sensitive Snare 5 x 14
1960's Ludwig Wooden Snare 5 x 14
Miscellaneous Percussion
Epiphone Casino Guitar
Fender Precision Bass w/ Curtis Novak BS-DS pickup
yamaha fg-450sa acoustic guitar
1960’s Ampeg Reverberocket
1990's Vox AC 30
Leslie Speaker Cabinet w/ Leslie Tube Amp
Aguilar DB751 Bass Amp
Aguilar 1 x 15 Cabinet (2)
Kustom TRB 400 Bass Amp
Kustom 4 x 10 Cabinet
Kustom 2 x 15 Cabinet
Roland kc-550 keyboard amp
Wide Variety of FX Pedals Including Earthquaker Devices, Boss, Electro Harmonics and many more
*Please ask about any piece of gear on this list that you absolutely need for your session. Although rare, a piece of gear may be in the shop or in use at another location
Floorplan
Engineer Dave Curran and Big Business bassist Jared Warren in the Gatos Trail live room
CONTROL ROOM: 15' X 30'
LIVE ROOM: 25' X 30'
ISO 1: 12' X 5'
ISO 2: 12' X 5'
ALL CEILINGS ARE 13' HIGH
Mark Mckee, Austin Grant & Ray Little in the Gatos Trail control room working on Ben Hazlewood’s record